Childhood and Education Journey of Ursula von der Leyen in Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of Ursula von der Leyen, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician currently serving as the 13th president of the European Commission, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to this, she served in the German federal government from 2005 to 2019 under Angela Merkel, including as Federal Minister of Defence. Von der Leyen is a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the European People's Party (EPP). In 2024, she was elected as the EPP's Spitzenkandidat for the European Parliament elections and subsequently re-elected to head the Commission in July 2024.
October 1958: Ursula von der Leyen Born
In October 1958, Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, née Albrecht, was born. She would later become a prominent German politician and the 13th president of the European Commission.
1958: Von der Leyen's Birth
In 1958, Ursula von der Leyen was born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium.
1967: Father Appointed Director-General
In 1967, Ursula von der Leyen's father became director-general of the Directorate-General for Competition.
1970: Father's Tenure as Director-General Ends
In 1970, Ursula von der Leyen's father's tenure as director-general of the Directorate-General for Competition ended.
1971: Relocation to Hanover Region
In 1971, Ursula von der Leyen relocated to Sehnde in the Hanover region after her father became CEO of the food company Bahlsen and became involved in state politics in Lower Saxony.
1976: Father Becomes Minister President
In 1976, Ursula von der Leyen's father became Minister President of Lower Saxony.
1977: Began Studying Economics
In 1977, Ursula von der Leyen began studying economics at the University of Göttingen.
1978: Fled to London
In 1978, Ursula von der Leyen fled to London due to fears of being kidnapped by the Red Army Faction (RAF).
1978: Graduated from London School of Economics
In 1978, Ursula von der Leyen graduated from the London School of Economics.
1978: Father Re-elected in State Parliament Elections
In 1978, Ursula von der Leyen's father was re-elected in state parliament elections.
1979: Returned to Germany
In 1979, Ursula von der Leyen returned to Germany after spending time in hiding in London.
1980: Switched to Studying Medicine
In 1980, Ursula von der Leyen switched to studying medicine at the Hannover Medical School.
1980: Father Runs for Chancellor Nomination
In 1980, Ursula von der Leyen's father ran for the CDU nomination for the German chancellorship.
1982: Father Re-elected in State Parliament Elections
In 1982, Ursula von der Leyen's father was re-elected in state parliament elections.
1986: Marriage to Heiko von der Leyen
In 1986, Ursula von der Leyen married physician Heiko von der Leyen.
1986: Father Re-elected in State Parliament Elections
In 1986, Ursula von der Leyen's father was re-elected in state parliament elections.
1987: Birth of First Child
In 1987, Ursula and Heiko von der Leyen's first child was born.
1987: Graduated from Hannover Medical School
In 1987, Ursula von der Leyen graduated from the Hannover Medical School and acquired her medical licence, specializing in women's health.
1987: Acquired Medical License
In 1987, Ursula von der Leyen obtained her medical license from Hanover Medical School.
1988: Assistant Physician
In 1988, Ursula von der Leyen began working as an assistant physician at the Women's Clinic of the Hannover Medical School.
1990: Father Loses Office
In the 1990 state elections, Ursula von der Leyen's father, Ernst Albrecht, lost his office to Gerhard Schröder.
1991: Doctor of Medicine Graduation
In 1991, Ursula Von der Leyen completed her doctoral studies, defended her thesis and graduated as a Doctor of Medicine.
1991: Doctoral Dissertation
Ursula von der Leyen's 1991 doctoral dissertation was reviewed by researchers collaborating at the VroniPlag Wiki in 2015 for plagiarism.
1992: Moved to California
In 1992, Ursula von der Leyen moved to Stanford, California, with her family, where she was a housewife.
1996: Active in Local Politics
In 1996, Ursula von der Leyen became active in local politics in Lower Saxony.
1996: Returned to Germany
In 1996, Ursula von der Leyen returned to Germany after living in California.
1998: Taught at Hanover Medical School
From 1998, Ursula von der Leyen taught at the Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health System Research at the Hanover Medical School.
1999: Birth of Last Child
In 1999, Ursula and Heiko von der Leyen's seventh child was born.
2001: Earned Master of Public Health Degree
In 2001, Ursula von der Leyen earned a Master of Public Health degree at the Hanover Medical School.
2002: End Teaching at Hanover Medical School
Von der Leyen's time teaching at the Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine and Health System Research at the Hanover Medical School ended in 2002.
2003: Cabinet Minister in Lower Saxony
In 2003, Ursula von der Leyen became a cabinet minister in the state government of Lower Saxony.
2003: Elected to Parliament of Lower Saxony
In 2003, Ursula von der Leyen was elected to the Parliament of Lower Saxony and from 2003 to 2005 she was a minister in the state government.
2005: Covered Family and Social Security Portfolio
Ahead of the 2005 federal elections, Angela Merkel chose Ursula von der Leyen to cover the family and social security portfolio in her shadow cabinet.
2005: End of Service as a Cabinet Minister
In 2005, Ursula von der Leyen concluded her service as a cabinet minister in the state government of Lower Saxony.
2005: Joined German Federal Government
In 2005, Ursula von der Leyen entered the German federal government, serving in Angela Merkel's cabinet.
2005: Joined Federal Cabinet
In 2005, Ursula von der Leyen joined the federal cabinet as Minister for Family Affairs and Youth.
2005: End of Tenure as Minister in State Government
In 2005, Ursula von der Leyen's tenure as a minister in the state government of Lower Saxony concluded.
2009: Minister for Labour and Social Affairs
In 2009, Ursula von der Leyen became Minister for Labour and Social Affairs.
2010: Deputy Leader of the CDU
In 2010, Ursula von der Leyen became a deputy leader of the CDU.
2010: Considered for President of Germany
In 2010, Ursula von der Leyen was initially considered the front-runner to be nominated by the ruling CDU/CSU parties for election as President of Germany, but Christian Wulff was eventually chosen.
2013: Minister of Defence
In 2013, Ursula von der Leyen became Minister of Defence, the first woman to hold the position in Germany.
2015: Plagiarism Allegations
In 2015, researchers at VroniPlag Wiki reviewed Ursula von der Leyen's 1991 doctoral dissertation and alleged plagiarism.
March 2016: Investigation Concluded
In March 2016, the Hannover Medical School concluded an investigation into Ursula von der Leyen's doctoral dissertation, finding plagiarism but no intention to deceive.
July 2019: Proposed Candidate for European Commission President
On 2 July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen was proposed by the European Council as the candidate for president of the European Commission.
2019: President of the European Commission
In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen became the 13th president of the European Commission, a role she has held since.
2019: Left Office
In 2019, Ursula von der Leyen left office as Minister of Defence, concluding her continuous service in Merkel's cabinet.
2019: Ursula von der Leyen's first Election
Ursula von der Leyen was first elected to the European Commission in 2019.
November 2022: Announced Tribunal for Russian Federation
In November 2022, Ursula von der Leyen announced that her commission would work to establish an International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation.
2023: Potential NATO Secretary General
In 2023, Ursula von der Leyen was again regarded as the favourite to take the role of NATO secretary general.
March 2024: EPP Elected von der Leyen as Spitzenkandidat
On 7 March 2024, the EPP elected Ursula von der Leyen as its Spitzenkandidat to lead the campaign for the 2024 European Parliament elections.
July 2024: Re-elected to Head European Commission
In July 2024, Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected to head the European Commission.
