Bavarian Deputy Leader Hubert Aiwanger Found Dead in Berlin Hotel

Hubert Aiwanger, the deputy leader of the southern German state of Bavaria, was found dead in his hotel room in Berlin on Wednesday, 4 November. He was 55 years old. The cause of his death was not immediately clear.

The hotel room was in the Berlin-Mitte district. German police and prosecutors have opened an investigation to determine the specific cause and circumstances of the death. The inquiry aims to rule out possible responsibility by a third party.

Aiwanger led the Free Voters, a regional party, and had headed its Bavarian branch since 2006. Under his leadership, the Free Voters entered the Bavarian state government for the first time in 2018. They did so as junior partners to the Christian Social Union, the conservative party led by Markus Soeder, who is Bavaria's premier. Aiwanger also served as Bavaria's economy minister.

Reuters reported that he died suddenly. Soeder described the death as an "absolute tragedy" in a Guardian report.