Education
University of Münster.
University of Münster.
Polenz served as chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the lower house of the German Parliament, the Bundestag between 2005 and 2013. He was secretary-general of the Christian Democratic Union from April to November 2000. Life after politics
Following his retirement from active politics, Polenz became President of the German Association for East European Studies (DGO).
Between 2013 and 2014, he was a Senior Fellow at the Istanbul Policy Center of Sabancı University.
In November 2015, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier named Polenz Special Envoy for the German-Namibian talks on a joint declaration addressing the colonial-era crackdown against Hereros in Namibia. In 2008, Polenz and four other legislators issued a committee report which concluded that Germany’s under-representation in international organizations at the time was because the country lacked a personnel policy and coherent strategy for promoting itself internationally.
In 2011, Polenz was among the first to speak out publicly against the decision of Quadriga, a German nonprofit group, to honor Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of Russia. The group later canceled its annual prize ceremony following further public criticism of Putin’s stance on democracy and human rights in Russia.
ZDF, Chairman of the Television Board (since 2002)
Aktion Deutschland Hilft (Germany"s Relief Coalition), Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees
European Council on Foreign Relations, Member
Petersburger Dialog, Member
German Atlantic Association (DAG), President (1997-2006).
Polenz became senior member of the Christian Democratic Union party on April 10, 2000 under the presidency of Angela Merkel. Contrary to his own party, Polenz has been one of Germany’s most outspoken proponents of an accession of Turkey to the European Union.
Association of Christian Democratic Students. European Council on Foreign Relations. Young Union; ZDF Television Council;]
Member of the German Bundestag
He was also a member of the German delegation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly and a substitute member of the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs.
Additionally, he chaired the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Control Panel under Section 41 (5) of the Foreign Trade and Payments Acting and was a substitute member of the Joint Committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat under Article 53 a of the Basic Law.
ZDF Enterprises, Member of the Supervisory Board
Association of German Foundations, Member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board
Center for Global Politics (CGP), Free University of Berlin, Member of the Advisory Board
Fachhochschule Münster, Member of the Board of Trustees
Deutsches Orient-Institut, Member of the Board of Trustees (1998-2005)
Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) of the German Marshall Fund (GMF), Member of the Selection Committee (1998-2002)
Westfälische Herzstiftung, Member of the Board of Trustees (2002-2005).
