At a state memorial service at Munich’s Frauenkirche, Frauenkirche Bavaria bid farewell to Hubert Aiwanger on 14 November 2026. Minister-President Markus Söder paid tribute to the Economics Minister and Deputy Minister-President, who died on 4 November, describing him as a politician with strong ties to his home region. More than a thousand mourners attended the service, according to Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Aiwanger’s family were joined by political colleagues and representatives from business and civil society. Members of the public were also able to attend without an invitation. Because of the large turnout, other people followed the service on loudspeakers outside the church, according to Bayerischer Rundfunk.
In his address, Söder recalled Aiwanger’s manner and his ability to speak off the cuff. The leader of the Free Voters had spoken in dialect and had also been mocked for it, said the CSU politician. Söder also emphasised their work together in the Bavarian state government. He described its continuation as part of the political legacy of his late partner.
State Parliament President Ilse Aigner highlighted Aiwanger’s role in the rise of the Free Voters. In her account, under his leadership the political force developed from a local movement into a significant presence in state politics. Aigner also praised his approach to political disputes, which could be provocative.
The Free Voters’ parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, Florian Streibl, recalled the group’s entry into parliament in 2008. Aiwanger had led it and had a feel for the concerns of the public, Streibl said. As well as expressing personal grief, the speakers thus focused on the significance of the deceased for his party and state politics.
Before the state memorial service, Cardinal Reinhard Marx had led a Catholic requiem at the Frauenkirche. The Archbishop of Munich and Freising praised Aiwanger’s passion and commitment to public life. He also spoke of how the politician had caused offence and had himself been hurt in disputes.
After the speeches, the coffin, draped in a Bavarian lozenge flag, was carried out of the church. At Frauenplatz, mountain riflemen and hunting-horn players bade farewell to the deceased; rifle salutes were fired in his honour. According to his partner, he is to be buried in his Lower Bavarian homeland.
Aiwanger died in Berlin on 4 November, aged 55. According to the Bavarian Economics Ministry, he had headed the department since November 2018. He was also Deputy Minister-President and the Free Voters’ state and federal leader. His death meant Bavaria lost a serving member of its state government; the last time this happened was in 1988, when Franz Josef Strauß died, according to Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).