Haussmann worked in family business in Baden-Württemberg until 1979 when he became a member of the Bundestag in 1976 with the Free Democratic Party (FDP).[3] He was the secretary-general of the party from 1984 to 1988.[3] On 9 December 1988, he was appointed economy minister, replacing Martin Bangemann in the post.[4] Haussmann served in the coalition cabinet led by Helmut Kohl during the reunification process of West and East Germany.[5] Haussmann was reelected to the Bundestag from Baden-Wurttemberg state on 2 December 1990.[4] He resigned from his ministerial post on 4 December 1990, but remained in office until 18 January 1991 and Jürgen W. Möllemann succeeded him as economy minister.[4]
Haussmann became an honorary professor and teaching international management at University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in 1996.[2] In 2001, he was made chairman of the advisory board of GEMINI Executive Search.[2] He is an adjunct professor at the University of Tübingen where he has been teaching international business since 2010.[6]
Personal life
Haussmann is a Protestant.[1] He was criticized due to his lavish life-style when he was economy minister and was referred to as the "yuppie minister."[4]
Speaker: Marieluise Beck-Oberdorf, Petra Kelly, Otto Schily until 3 April 1984; Annemarie Borgmann, Waltraud Schoppe, Antje Vollmer until 30./31. January 1985;
Sabine Bard, Hannegret Hönes, Christian Schmidt until 1 February 1986; Annemarie Borgmann, Hannegret Hönes, Ludger Volmer until 18 July 1986); Willi Hoss (8 September 1986)
Speaker: Thomas Ebermann, Bärbel Rust, Waltraud Schoppe until 26 January 1988; Helmut Lippelt, Regula Schmidt-Bott, Christa Vennegerts until 30 January 1989, Helmut Lippelt, Jutta Oesterle-Schwerin, Antje Vollmer until 15 January 1990; Willi Hoss, Waltraud Schoppe (until 21 June 1990), Marianne Birthler (from 4 October 1990), Antje Vollmer