Key facts
- Aiwanger, 55, had been Bavaria's deputy minister-president and economy minister since 2018 for the Free Voters.
- He was due to speak at the opening of his party's new Berlin office.
- Aiwanger reportedly told colleagues he felt unwell during the day and stayed in his hotel room.
- Aiwanger led the Free Voters in Bavaria from 2006 and nationally from 2010.
- The party entered Bavaria's government for the first time in 2018 as junior partner to the Christian Social Union.
Prosecutors in Germany opened an investigation into the death of Hubert Aiwanger, Bavaria's deputy prime minister, after his body was found in a Berlin hotel on the evening of November 4, 2026. Berlin Police said in a statement that authorities in the German capital had launched a death investigation.
A spokesperson for the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office told Bild overnight that there was "currently no initial suspicion of a criminal offense," adding that "at this stage, nothing can be ruled out." Aiwanger was 55 when he died.
Aiwanger had served as Bavaria's deputy minister-president and economy minister since 2018, representing the Free Voters conservative party. He was due to speak at the opening of his party's new Berlin office. He reportedly told colleagues he felt unwell during the day and stayed in his hotel room.
Aiwanger led the Free Voters party in Bavaria from 2006 and nationally from 2010. Under his leadership, the party, which grew out of local independent voter groups, entered government in Bavaria for the first time in 2018 as the junior partner to the conservative Christian Social Union.
The Free Voters said in a statement issued on November 5: "With Hubert Aiwanger, we lose not only a committed politician and companion, but also a person who had a lasting impact on the political landscape. The Free Voters will continue their work in the spirit of Hubert Aiwanger."