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Charlotte Merz

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Charlotte Merz
Born
Charlotte Gass

(1960-12-11) 11 December 1960 (age 65)
Saarland, West Germany
Alma materUniversity of Bonn
OccupationJudge
Years active1994–present
EmployerAmtsgericht Arnsberg
Known forSpouse of the Chancellor of Germany (2025-)
Political party
CDU
Spouse
​
(m. 1981)​
Children3

Charlotte Merz (née Gass, born 11 December 1960[1]) is a German judge and the director of the Amtsgericht (district court) in Arnsberg. She is also the wife of Friedrich Merz, the Chancellor of Germany, whom she met in 1980 and married in 1981. In spite of her husband's chancellery she has maintained her role, saying that she wants to go to work every day entirely normally, and has only made rare public appearances, such as at her husband's election by the Bundestag.

Early life and education

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Merz was born Charlotte Gass in 1960 in Saarland, Germany, where she grew up. She is the oldest of five siblings and comes from a family of lawyers; her father and grandfather were already lawyers and her aunt was a judge. After completing her Abitur, she followed family tradition by beginning her legal training in Bonn.[2] According to Merz her ability to take her legal exams while looking after young children was due to her and her husband sharing parenting duties together,[3] and she later cited this in response to claims her husband had outdated views on women.[4]

Career

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The district court (Amtsgericht) in Arnsberg, of which Merz is the leader

Since 1994, Merz has worked as a judge in Amtsgericht Arnsberg, the district court of Arnsberg. Her speciality is family law.[2] She was made the director of the court in 2025.[2][5][6] In 2005, she founded the Friedrich und Charlotte Merz Stiftung für Bildung und Ausbildung (English: Friedrich and Charlotte Merz Foundation for Education and Vocational Training) with her husband.[2][7] The foundation, among other things, gives funding to local schools targeted at reducing the number of Sitzenbleiber (those who have to repeat their grade).[3]

Husband's chancellery

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In 2024 she became part of a scandal when she stopped comedian Lutz van der Horst from doing an interview with her husband for Heute-show on ZDF. The situation caused a stir and Hendrik Zörner, a spokesperson for the Deutscher Journalisten-Verbandes (German Journalists Association) said that the fact that Ms Merz wanted to educate journalists on etiquette was outrageous.[2][8] Der Spiegel speculated that her increased appearance was a political tactic to win women's votes for her husband.[9]

In an interview Merz gave in 2025, she stated she wanted to remain in her job even if her husband became Chancellor.[10] Additionally, she said that she found references to her husband in court annoying, but is able to deal with them.[9] In an interview she said "ich möchte ganz normal jeden Morgen zur Arbeit fahren" – "I want to go to work every morning completely like normal". Equally, she clarified that she will stay living in Arnsberg even when her husband is elsewhere as part of his office, denying that she would face boredom or isolation,[3] and also that her husband calls her every day while away, even if for merely a few minutes.[11]

On the day of her husband's election as Chancellor she made a rare public appearance with her daughters at the Bundestag. Friedrich Merz said as part of their visit that "necessary criticism be directed at me, not at my children, not at my family".[3] In October 2025 she joined her husband in an official visit to Turkey where she was shown around by its first lady Emine Erdoğan.[12] The media have noticed that she is more willing to publicly show affection for her husband, especially in comparison to previous chancellors such as Scholz and Merkel; they see this as more realistic and closer to the actions of US politicians.[11] In February 2026, while on a cycling tour of Arnsberg with her husband, she fell off her bike and was taken to hospital as a precaution. However, her bicycle helmet protected her from serious injury and she was merely monitored to be cautious before being sent home soon after.[13][14]

Personal life

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Friedrich Merz, her husband and Chancellor of Germany, in 2025

In 1980, Merz met Friedrich Merz at a graduation party in Bonn, and they married in June 1981.[2] She recalled in an interview that it was love at first sight for her, but it took longer for him to love her back.[15] The pair have three children; a son and two daughters named Carola and Constanze;[2][3] the family lives in Arnsberg-Niedereimer.[16] In an interview she said that as her children now have their own families, it is important for her and her husband to find each other again as a couple.[15] Merz is a Protestant and member of the Church synodal executive of the Soest-Arnsberg Church district.[17] Like her husband, she is a member of the CDU.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Handbuch der Justiz 2018/2019: Die Träger und Organe der rechtsprechenden Gewalt in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, ISBN 978-3-8114-0726-8, p. 308
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Von Stefenelli, Anna (3 March 2025). "Charlotte Merz im Porträt: Ehe mit Friedrich Merz, "heute-show"-Vorfall, Beruf" [Charlotte Merz in portrait: marriage with Friedrich Merz, "heute-show"-scandal, profession]. Watson (in German). Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Wer ist Charlotte Merz, die "wie gewohnt" im Sauerland bleibt?" [Who is Charlotte Merz, who is staying in Sauerland "as per usual"?]. n-tv (in German). 7 May 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  4. ^ Herhaus, Klara (3 February 2025). "Charlotte Merz über Kritik an Frauenbild ihres Mannes: "Stimmt ganz einfach nicht"" [Charlotte Merz about critics towards her husband's view of women: "It's simply not true"]. Ohmymag Deutschland (in German). Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  5. ^ "Impressum". Arnsberg District Court. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Charlotte Merz: "Habe vor, mein Leben wie gewohnt weiterzuführen"" [Charlotte Merz: "I intend to continue living my life as usual"]. T-online (in German). 26 February 2025. Archived from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Die Idee" (in German). Merz Stiftung. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  8. ^ Auster, Oliver (13 May 2025). "DJV mit Kritik: "Dass Frau Merz Journalisten Benimmregeln beibringt, ist eine Unverschämtheit"". Kölner Stadtanzeiger (in German). Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Wer ist Charlotte Merz?". Der Spiegel. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  10. ^ ""Habe vor, mein Leben wie gewohnt weiterzuführen": Charlotte Merz über ihre Zukunft" ["I plan, to lead my life as usual": Charlotte Merz about her future]. t-online (in German). 26 February 2025. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Friedrich und Charlotte Merz: So eine Ehe ist selten in der Politik" [Friedrich and Charlotte Merz: such a marriage is very rare in politics]. Das Bild (in German). 21 February 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  12. ^ "Emine Erdoğan hosts German first lady on library, exhibit tour". Daily Sabah. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  13. ^ "Unfall im Sauerland: Sturz bei Radtour mit Kanzler: Charlotte Merz in Klinik" [Accident in Sauerland, Fall during a cycle tour with the Chancellor: Charlotte Merz in the hospital.]. Der Tagesspiegel (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  14. ^ "Friedrich Merz: Ehefrau des CDU-Chefs bei Radtour leicht verletzt" [Friedrich Merz: wife of the CDU-Leader slightly hurt during a cycle tour]. Der Spiegel (in German). 10 February 2026. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  15. ^ a b "Das Geheimnis der Kanzler-Ehe – Ehepaar Herz!" [The secret to the Chancellor's marriage – the Merz/Heart couple (a pun on Merz/Herz, which means heart)]. bild.de (in German). 21 February 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  16. ^ "Mit "Kanzler-Boulevard": Wie sich Niedereimer auf Friedrich Merz vorbereitet". Westfalenpost. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
  17. ^ "Kreissynodalvorstand". Evangelischer Kirchenkreis Soest-Arnsberg. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  18. ^ "Ehefrau des CDU-Chefs: Wer ist Charlotte Merz?" [Wife of the CDU's leader: who is Charlotte Merz?]. Der Spiegel. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
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