Dieter Althaus

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Dieter Althaus (born in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Thuringia, on June 29, 1958) is a German politician (CDU).

Althaus was a teacher of Physics and Mathematics at the Polytechnical High School in Geismar, Thuringia, between 1983 and 1989, where he became deputy headteacher in 1987.

Since 1985 Althaus has been a member of the CDU, remaining with the party as it transformed itself from a loyal supporter of the GDR's ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) to a loyal supporter of the West German party of the same name with which it merged in 1990 shortly after German unification. In 2000 he became state chairman of the CDU in Thuringia. Since 1990 he has been a member of the Thuringian parliament (Landtag).

In 1992 he became a member of Bernhard Vogel's cabinet when he became Thuringian minister of culture and education.

On June 5, 2003 he was elected minister president of Thuringia in succession to Bernhard Vogel who had resigned for reasons of age.

He is a supporter of intelligent design.