Rita Süssmuth - Politician talks about her breast cancer
Already three years ago, Rita Süssmuth (87) was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, the CDU politician has been undergoing treatment. She has now spoken to the magazine "Bunte" about her illness and explained where she draws her strength from.
It's not going well for her, she admits, but she also has better days. The 87-year-old remains optimistic: "I stay positive and keep going. My illness has not prevented me from continuing my work for society." She wants "to give my best in the future as well."
Loss of her husband was difficult for her
And what gives her strength now? After all, Süssmuth had to cope with the death of her husband Hans Süssmuth in 2020, whom she had been married to for 56 years. "My family and my loving environment," she explains, mother of a daughter and five grandmothers. "And if I have learned something in my life, then not to give up."
She dealt with the loss of her husband in a similar way: "It was a very hard new chapter in my life. (...) I tried to keep the feeling of loss short. One can lose oneself in mourning and I didn't want to."
Rita Süssmuth looks back on her life "satisfied"
Süssmuth joined the CDU in 1981, relatively late at the age of 44, and embarked on a steep political career. In 1983, she became the chairman of the Federal Committee on Family Policy of the Party. In Helmut Kohl's (1930-2017) cabinet, she was Federal Minister for Youth, Family, and Health from 1985 to 1987. As such, she shaped German AIDS policy and the fight for more equal rights. From 1987 to 2002, she was a member of the German Bundestag, from 1988 to 1998 its President. From 1986 to 2001, she was Federal Chairwoman of the Women's Union.
"I'm proud of my achievements but not boastful," she tells "Bunte". "But I look back on parts of my life contentedly. (...) I know about my strengths and weaknesses, but it has been a meaningful life", so the 87-year-old. During her political career, she admits, she "learned to stop laughing". Fortunately, she has found it again. "One must see life as a clown show, otherwise one cannot enjoy it."
When Rita Süssmuth looks to the future, she does so with full optimism and hope - but also with some realism and curiosity. She has "no fear of death" and knows in her old age "to appreciate the gift of life", so the politician. "I am realistic enough to know that it will eventually end. But who knows what awaits me afterwards." Before that happens, however, she still has a lot to do. "I'm constantly considering whether I should buy an old guitar. Music moves me more than just my head. With music, one can change people and I value that very highly."
Rita Süssmuth, despite being a member of the CDU and having a tough battle with breast cancer, remains dedicated to contributing to society in the future. Her resilience and optimism are inspirede by the loss of her husband and her loved ones, including her daughter and grandchildren. Reflecting on her past, Süssmuth looks back satisfied on her achievements in political office, where she made significant contributions to German AIDS policy and the fight for equal rights.
