Till Backhaus

Till Backhaus (born Neuhaus 13 March 1959) is a German politician. As the German Democratic Republic approached its end as a standalone state, Backhaus was one of those who in December 1989 (re-)founded the Social Democratic Party, more than four decades after its suppression.

More recently, in 1998 he was appointed regional Minister for Agriculture in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a post he retains, making him the longest serving regional minister currently (2025) in office in Germany.

Till Backhaus was born at Neuhaus, roughly 3 km (2 miles) to the east of Elbe River which at that time marked the Inner German border dividing East from West Germany, and which through the 1950s was being increasingly fortified along its eastern bank in order to prevent people escaping from the east to the west. In 1978 Backhaus successfully completed his secondary schooling at nearby Pritzier-Schwechow with a vocational qualification in agro-technology. He spent two years undertaking his Military service with the National People's Army before moving on, in 1980, to the University of Rostock where he concluded his studies, in 1985, with a degree in Agricultural engineering.

In 1980 he also started working for the Neuhaus Agricultural Production Co-operative, later transferring to the nearby Lübtheen Agricultural Production Co-operative, where he worked as a department head till 1990.

In December 1989, the month in which even the country's monolithic SED felt the need to participate with the Social Democrats in "round table talks", Backhaus, who hitherto had not engaged in politics, joined the SDP and was a co-founder of its Neuhaus (Elbe) district branch. When, after German reunification in October 1990, the eastern and western branches of the SPD came together into a single national party, Backhaus remained an active party leader in the locality. Reflecting administrative boundary changes, he was district party chairman for the SPD in the Hagenow district from 1991 till 1994, and for the Hagenow-Ludwigslust district from 1994 till 2003.

At the regional level, between 2003 and 2007 he served as Chairman for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region SPD group and a member of the leadership team between 2005 and 2007. Reflecting his agricultural qualifications and subsequent ministerial responsibilities (see below) he has for many years been a leading spokesman for the regional party on consumer affairs, food and agriculture.

Between March and October 1990 Backhaus sat as one of the 91 SPD members of the German Democratic Republic's first (and, as thing turned out, last) freely elected National legislative Assembly (Volkskammer).

At the regional level he has since 1990 sat as a member of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern regional legislative assembly. Between 1990 and 1994 he was elected from the SPD Mecklenburg-Vorpommern regional list, and since 1994 he has represented the "Ludwigslust I" subdivision electoral district within the Mecklenburg-Vorpommernregion). Within the assembly, between 1992 and 1998 he was chairman of the Agriculture Committee, and from 1994 till 1998 of the Agriculture and Nature Protection committee.