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Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief

28.05.2025 - Article

Thomas Rachel has been the Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief since 28 May 2025.

Thomas Rachel
Thomas Rachel © Tobias Koch

Thomas Rachel – Curriculum vitae

May 2025 to present

Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief

Since 2025

Member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs

Since 2024

Member of the Board of Trustees of the Hermann Kunst Foundation for the Promotion of New Testament Textual Research

2021 to 2025

Substitute member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs

Since 2021

  • Member of the Bundestag Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development
  • Spokesperson of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on churches and religious communities

Since 2015

Member of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany

Since 2006

Member of the Board of Trustees of the Leo Baeck Foundation

2005 to 2021

Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Since 2003

  • Substitute member of the Synod of the Protestant Church in Germany
  • Chairman of the Protestant Working Group of the CDU/CSU

2000 to 2025

Member of the regional synod of the Protestant Church in the Rhineland

Since 1994

Member of the German Bundestag

1992 to 2004

Employee of the German Steel Association, Düsseldorf

1992

MA in political science, history and public law, Bonn University

1982

Higher education entrance qualification (Abitur)

Born in Düren on 17 May 1962, Protestant, married, one daughter

Honours

2014 Award of the Abraham Geiger Medal by the Jewish Abraham Geiger College

2002 Award of the Apostolic Cross, 2nd class, by Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Petros VII

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