Dorothee Bär was born on April 19, 1978, in Bamberg, a city known for its imperial and episcopal history, which borders directly on her home district of Haßberge, where she grew up in Ebelsbach. At age 14, she joined the Junge Union, and in 1994 she joined the parent party, the CSU. She moved to the state capital, Munich,
to pursue her studies and was active throughout Bavaria as state chairwoman of the RCDS.

She has been a member of the CSU party executive since 2001 and was elected to the German Bundestag in the 2002 federal election. From 2009 to 2013, she served as deputy secretary-general of the CSU and as spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group on family, seniors, women, and youth. From December 2013 to March 2018, she served as Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. From March 2018 to December 2021, she served as Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery and Federal Government Commissioner for Digitalization. From 2021 to 2025, she served as Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, responsible for family and culture.