Key points
- Hubert Aiwanger, 55, Bavaria's deputy premier and economy minister and leader of the Free Voters party, died suddenly on Wednesday 4 November 2026, Bavarian state premier Markus Söder said.
- Bild reported that Aiwanger had been in Berlin for the opening of a party office but missed the occasion after feeling unwell; his body was later found in his hotel room on Wednesday evening.
- Berlin police and prosecutors say they are investigating the death, to establish its specific cause and circumstances and to rule out any third-party culpability; no cause of death has yet been established.
- The Free Voters have governed Bavaria in coalition with the conservative Christian Social Union since 2018.
- Söder said on X: "The sudden death of Hubert Aiwanger is a terrible tragedy. We are all deeply shocked."
Bavaria's deputy premier Hubert Aiwanger has died suddenly in Berlin at the age of 55, the head of the Bavarian state government has said, in a death whose cause has not yet been established and which Berlin police are now investigating. Read more: Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente says he will resign after the Urda crash that killed 69
Reuters reports that Bavarian state premier Markus Söder announced the death on Wednesday, saying on the social media platform X: "The sudden death of Hubert Aiwanger is a terrible tragedy. We are all deeply shocked." Aiwanger was Bavaria's economy minister as well as its deputy premier, and the leader of the Free Voters party.
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Age at death | 55 | Reuters |
| Offices held | Deputy premier of Bavaria, Bavarian economy minister, leader of the Free Voters | Reuters |
| Body found | Wednesday evening, in a Berlin hotel room | Bild, via Reuters |
| Free Voters in coalition with the CSU | Since 2018 | Reuters |
| Cause of death | Not yet established; police investigation under way | Berlin police and prosecutors, via Reuters |
What is known so far
The daily Bild newspaper reported that Aiwanger had been in Berlin for the opening of a party office in the German capital but had missed the occasion after he felt unwell, Reuters reports. His body was later found in his hotel room, Bild said. Reporting by Gazeta Express, citing Bild and the German news agency dpa, names the hotel as the Neuer Fritz in Berlin-Mitte and says Aiwanger had planned to speak at the office opening before cancelling for health reasons.
The first Reuters report said there was no immediate comment from Berlin police or prosecutors and no word on the cause of death. In an updated report, Reuters said German police were investigating the sudden death, quoting a statement from Berlin police and prosecutors: "The aim of the inquest is to establish the specific cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it, and to rule out any possible third-party culpability." That wording matters: it confirms an investigation, not a conclusion, and this article does not go beyond it.
Aiwanger's party, the Free Voters of Bavaria, has been in coalition with the conservative Christian Social Union since 2018, Reuters reports. He led the party as well as serving in the Bavarian cabinet, so his death removes both a state minister and a party leader at once.
What happens next
What happens next depends on two separate tracks: the police and prosecutors' investigation, which will establish the cause and circumstances of the death, and the Free Voters' own decisions about their leadership and their place in Bavaria's governing coalition. Neither has announced its next step yet. Europe Unfolded will report the investigation's findings and the party's next steps as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 5 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- Reuters, "Deputy premier of German state Bavaria dies suddenly", 4 November 2026, on Aiwanger's death, Söder's statement, Bild's reporting that he missed the party office opening after feeling unwell and that his body was found in his hotel room, and that the Free Voters have been in coalition with the Christian Social Union since 2018: reuters.com
- Reuters, "German police investigate death of Bavaria deputy premier, found in hotel room", updated 5 November 2026, on Berlin police and prosecutors investigating the death, and their statement that the aim is to establish the specific cause of death and the circumstances and to rule out any third-party culpability: reuters.com
- Gazeta Express, "Bavarian politician Hubert Aiwanger found dead in Berlin hotel", 4 November 2026, citing Bild and dpa, on the hotel named as the Neuer Fritz in Berlin-Mitte, on Aiwanger having planned to speak at the party office opening before cancelling for health reasons, and on police and prosecutors launching an investigation: gazetaexpress.com
- TRT World, "Leader of Germany's Free Voters party found dead in Berlin hotel", 4 November 2026, on Aiwanger having missed the opening of his party's new capital office because he was not feeling well and on his body being discovered at the Neuer Fritz hotel in Berlin-Mitte: trtworld.com