Hans-Dietrich Genscher

Hans -Dietrich Genscher ( born March 21, 1927 in Reideburg, hall county, since 1950 the district of Halle ( Saale) ) is a German politician ( FDP). He was from 1969 to 1974 Minister of the Interior, and from 1974 to 1992 almost continuously Federal Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. From 1974 to 1985 he was also national chairman of the FDP.

Life

Training

Hans -Dietrich Genscher grew up in a bourgeois- peasant and national conservative milieu. The son of a lawyer Kurt Genscher ( Counsel of the Agricultural Association, † 1937) and the farmer's daughter Hilde Kreime († 1988) visited the Municipal Reform Real Gymnasium in Halle ( Saale) where the family lived since 1933. In 1943, he was an Air Force auxiliary, completed his military service in the resin and was October-November 1944 to the Reich Labor Service (RAD ) commanded in the Erzgebirge. 1944 Hans -Dietrich Genscher was also at the age of 17 years a member of the NSDAP (member number 10,123,636 ), in his own words, this happened via single application without his privity. He wanted to be a reserve officer and in January 1945 he enlisted therefore voluntarily for military service into the Wehrmacht, also claims to be, in order to escape forced recruitment by the Waffen-SS. He was drafted to the pioneers in Wittenberg. As a member of the "Army Wenck " which was used in the Battle of Berlin, and at the rank of corporal, he came shortly before the war ended in May 1945, first in U.S. and then in British captivity.

After his release in July 1945, he worked as a construction worker. From December 1945 he again visited the Friedrich Nietzsche High School in Halle ( Saale) ( renamed) and laid in March 1946, just there ( since 1946 Friedrich-Engels- high school ) to supplement school leaving examination. In the winter of 1946/47, he became seriously ill with tuberculosis, which is why he stayed three months in a sanatorium. At the time incurable disease Genscher was still suffering the next ten years and was repeatedly forced to longer hospital stays. Nevertheless Genscher graduated from 1946 to 1949 a study of law and economics at the Martin -Luther- University Halle- Wittenberg and Leipzig University, which he finished in 1949 with the first legal state examination in Leipzig. Subsequently, he was until 1952 a trainee at the District Court in the District Court of Appeal building.

On August 20, 1952 Genscher went West Berlin in the Federal Republic of Germany, then worked as a clerk at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court in Higher Regional Court of Bremen and laid 1954, the second state exam in Hamburg from. He then until 1956 worked as an assistant solicitor and lawyer in the law firm of Dr. Frick, busing, Genscher and Dr. Müffelmann in Bremen, which specialized in business and tax law.

Party race

Genscher was from 1946 to 1952 a member of the LDP, National Association of Saxony- Anhalt. Since 1952 he is a member of the FDP. In 1954 he was elected deputy national chairman of the Young Democrats in Bremen. From 1956 to 1959 he was a research assistant of the FDP parliamentary group in Bonn.

From 1959 to 1965 he was Managing Director FDP, while 1962-1964 Federal Secretary of the FDP. He was elected deputy national chairman in 1968. From 1 October 1974 to 23 February 1985, he finally was National Chairman of the FDP. In his tenure as chairman of the party came the turn of the social-liberal coalition 1982 coalition with the CDU / CSU. In 1985 he gave up the post of national chairman. After his resignation as Foreign Minister Genscher in 1992 was appointed honorary chairman of the FDP.

Deputies activity

Genscher was from 1965 to 1998 Member of the German Parliament for the constituency in the west of Wuppertal. He was always drawn over the national list North Rhine-Westphalia to the German Bundestag. From 1965 until his entry into the Brandt government in 1969, he was Parliamentary Secretary of the FDP.

Public offices

After the parliamentary election 1969 Genscher was instrumental in the formation of the social-liberal coalition and was appointed on 22 October 1969 as Minister of the Interior in the run by Chancellor Willy Brandt federal government. During his tenure, the hostage-taking of Israeli athletes in 1972 fell during the Olympic Games in Munich. Genscher turned out to be a hostage exchange available, but this was rejected by the Palestinian captors. After the bloody end of the hostage-taking Genscher had on 26 September 1972, the Federal, the anti- terrorist unit GSG 9 set up.

Following the resignation of Willy Brandt and Walter Scheel to the election of the Federal President Hans-Dietrich Genscher was appointed on 16 May 1974 as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor in the now led by Helmut Schmidt federal government. In this role, he was a major player in the negotiations on the text of the Helsinki Final Act in Helsinki. The General Assembly of the United Nations accepted in December 1976 in New York 's proposal Genscher an anti -terrorism convention, which was set among other things, to respond to demands from hostage-takers under any circumstances. In connection with the NATO double-track decision -mediated Chancellor Schmidt and Foreign Minister Genscher in Moscow, after which the Soviet leadership was willing to work with the U.S. on medium-range missiles (Intermediate Nuclear Forces / INF ) to negotiate.

After the social-liberal coalition was confirmed again in the general election in 1980, Genscher had from mid-1981 - assisted mainly by the Federal Economics Minister Otto Graf Lambsdorff - an end to the coalition between the SPD and FDP back. Reason was - outwardly - the increase of the differences between the coalition partners, particularly in the economic and social policy. Decisive factor - in the background - but was the increasing abandonment of the SPD from the NATO Double-Track Decision. On September 17, 1982 Genscher resigned together with the other FDP federal ministers - as an interim solution followed him temporarily Chancellor Schmidt ( took over the ministerial office ) and Egon Franke ( as Vice-Chancellor ) after.

On 1 October 1982, the former opposition leader Helmut Kohl was elected by the majority of the FDP parliamentary group for Chancellor in a constructive vote of no confidence. On October 4, 1982 Genscher returned as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor back to the Federal Government.

From 1984-1985 he was Chairman of the NATO Council and President of the Council of Western European Union.

As Foreign Minister, he stood for a policy of equalization between East and West and developed strategies for an active policy of detente and the continuation of the East- West dialogue with the USSR, and the convergence of the EC. Especially from 1987 Genscher campaigned for an "active policy of détente " as the West's answer to the Soviet efforts. He made ​​major contributions to the European unification and the success of German reunification, which he negotiated in 1990 with his counterpart from the GDR, Markus Meckel. Initially, he was the consistent unification plans Chancellor Kohl against waiting. In the late summer of 1989 he reached the exit permit for those GDR citizens who had fled to the German embassy in Prague. He also campaigned for an effective support to political reform processes, particularly in Poland and Hungary. For this purpose he met as part of a visit to Poland in January 1980, with the chairman of Solidarity, Lech Wałęsa, which grants the support of the Polish opposition in their commitment to democratic reforms. The resources used meant that his and Chancellor Helmut Kohl was sometimes referred to disparagingly as a policy checkbook diplomacy. Genscher participated in the first ( Bonn ), second ( Berlin ) and third ( Paris) Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the 2 4 talks on the external aspects of German unification. In November 1990 signed Genscher and his Polish counterpart Krzysztof Skubiszewski in Warsaw the German - Polish border treaty on the establishment of the Oder- Neisse line as Poland's western border.

His popularity in his native region around Halle ( Saale) and hope for a good development after the turn meant that the FDP in the 1990 Bundestag election in Saxony -Anhalt received 17.61 % of the votes and the first time since 1957 again FDP candidate (Uwe Lühr ) was able to win a direct mandate to the Bundestag.

In July 1984, he attended the first Western European foreign ministers since the 1979 Islamic revolution, the Iranian capital, Tehran. Criticism provoked the Genscher operated by early recognition of the former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Croatia, the Federal Republic of Germany in December 1991. This was matched with Austria, but ran counter to an EC Convention. Following this, should any acknowledgments completed before 15 February 1992, and the results of the so-called Badinter Commission are awaited. Genscher was accused of having thus the disintegration of Yugoslavia strongly supported. The UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar had warned the German Federal Government, that a recognition of Slovenia and Croatia would lead to an increase in aggression in the previous Yugoslavia.

On 18 May 1992 Genscher retired at his own request from the German government, which he had listened to a total of 23 years. He had three weeks earlier, given on 27 April 1992, announced his decision. At that time he was Europe's longest-serving foreign minister.

Others commitment

1994/1995 Genscher was an honorary professor at the Otto -Suhr- Institute for Political Science at the Free University of Berlin. In 1998 he was Chairman of the WMP Eurocom AG Berlin ( communications consultancy in the fields of business, media and politics ). From 1999 to December 2010 he worked as a lawyer for the firm Busing, Müffelmann & Theye ( Berlin Office ) operates. Since 2000 he is managing partner of Hans -Dietrich Genscher Consult GmbH.

From 2001 to 2003 he was president of the German Society for Foreign Policy ( DGAP). Hans -Dietrich Genscher is Honorary President of the European Movement Germany, which he was president from 1992 to 1994 and an honorary citizen of the city hall, the village of his birth in Reideburg Saalkreis is today.

In 2001, he gave as an arbitrator in labor dispute between Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the Vereinigung Cockpit eV Genscher is a member of the Board of Trustees of the initiative A Soul for Europe of the Stiftung Zukunft Berlin.

In the summer semester 2002, he was the third owner of the Johannes Gutenberg Endowed Professorship at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

In 2013, Genscher took an important intermediary role in the release of the Russian government critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

He is a member of the Board of the German Society for the United Nations.

Agencies provide Genscher as a speaker at prices 22000-24000 euro.

Private

Hans -Dietrich Genscher was married from 1958 to 1966 with Louise Schweitzer, from the marriage was the daughter Martina ( married to Reinhardt Zudrop ) out. Since October 1969 he is married to Barbara Schmidt. Genscher lives in guard near Bonn ( district of bad luck ).

The Stasi should have kept a file on Genscher, in which he was referred to as IM, although he had no contacts with the State Security. The file should have been created in order to set it, which regularly traveled privately during his party and ministerial career in the GDR, by means of a disinformation campaign, where appropriate, under political pressure. The fake file will have been destroyed in the 1980s.

Positions

The orientation of German foreign policy in Genscher's tenure is characterized as Genscherism. It was largely dispensed with the direct representation of German interests. Instead it was taken influence on multilateral institutions. Among the most important institutions of his term of office included the European Community, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Helsinki process.

Hans -Dietrich Genscher Price

Since 1995, gives the St. John 's Ambulance Association biennial Hans -Dietrich Genscher price to people who have made ​​outstanding contributions in emergency rescue or emergency medical services. The prize is endowed with 2,500 euros. The award bears Genscher's name because the politician has occurred during his time as Minister of the Interior key reason why today there are more than thirty rescue helicopters in use in Germany.

Trademarks

More than any other politician with a garment Genscher - associated - the yellow sweater. It is a thin knit tank top in yellow. Several times one of these trademarks was auctioned for charity. His characteristic protruding ears were often element of caricature and to be associated with him.

The sector dominated by the satire magazine Titanic nickname " Genschman " found its way into the vernacular.

Awards and honors (excerpt)

He is an honorary citizen of his native town of Halle ( Saale) and the city of Berlin.

In the Genscher - house, his birthplace in Halle- Reideburg, 2012, a permanent exhibition was, inter alia, opened to division and unification of Germany. 2013 the house was named by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom as " meeting German unity."

Correspondence and subject files from Genscher activity for the FDP are in the archives of the liberalism of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Gummersbach.

Cabinets

Hans -Dietrich Genscher was a member of the Federal government under Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl.

• Cabinet Brandt I, Cabinet Brandt II ( Interior Minister )
• Cabinet Schmidt I, II Schmidt Cabinet, Cabinet Schmidt III ( Secretary of State, Vice-Chancellor )
• Cabinet Kohl I, the Kohl II, the Kohl III, Cabinet Kohl IV ( Secretary of State, Vice-Chancellor )

Publications

• ( Employees ): The public service at a crossroads. Godesberger Paperback -Verlag, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, 1972, ISBN 3-17-109041-4
• Parliamentary speeches. AZ Studio, Bonn 1972
• ( Employees ): educational reform. Balance sheet and prognosis. Godesberger Paperback -Verlag, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, 1973, ISBN 3-87999 -000- X
• ( Employees ): Public service and society, a power balance. Godesberger Paperback -Verlag, Bonn-Bad Godesberg, 1974, ISBN 3-87999-004-2
• ( Employees ): celebrities in the environmental debate. Contributions to III. WWF International Congress. Schmidt, Berlin 1974, ISBN 3-503-01152-8
• (Ed.): Liberal 's responsibility. Hanser, Munich / Vienna 1976, ISBN 3-446-12288-5
• German foreign policy. Selected keynote speeches from 1975 to 1980. Publisher Bonn Currently, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-87959-159-8; revised and expanded edition: German foreign policy. Selected Essays 1974-1984. ibid, 1985, ISBN 3-87959-238-1
• (Ed.): Laughter and hardness. Walter Scheel in his speeches and in the judgment of contemporaries. Festschrift for the 65th birthday. German publishing house, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-421-06218-8
• Responsibility for the future. Speeches. Book publisher The morning, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-371-00312-4
• On the way to unity. Speeches and documents from turbulent times. Siedler, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-88680-408-9
• We want a European Germany. Siedler, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-442-12839-0 Goldmann 1992
• Politics firsthand. Columns from the Federal Foreign Minister Hans -Dietrich Genscher, retired in the Nordsee-Zeitung Bremerhaven. Northwest German publishing company, Bremerhaven 1992, ISBN 3-927857-36- X
• Comments. ECON Paperback -Verlag, Dusseldorf / Vienna 1994, ISBN 3-612-26185-1
• Memories. Siedler, Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-88680-453-4; Goldmann, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-442-12759-9
• Great moment of Germans. Hans -Dietrich Genscher in conversation with Ulrich Wickert. With six posts. Hohenheim, Stuttgart / Leipzig 2000, ISBN 3-89850 -011- X
• Ulrich Frank Planitz (ed.): Just a change of location? An interim report of the Berlin Republic. On the 70th birthday of Arnulf Baring. Hohenheim, Stuttgart / Leipzig 2000, ISBN 3-89850-074-8
• The chance of the Germans. A conversation book. Hans -Dietrich Genscher in an interview with Guido Knopp. Pendo, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-86612-190-4
• The role of Europe in the context of globalization, in: Caroline Y. Robertson -von Trotha (eds): The Challenge of Democracy. Democratic, parliamentary, well? ( = Cultural studies interdisciplinary / Interdisciplinary Studies on Culture and Society, vol 6 ), Baden -Baden 2011, ISBN 978-3-8329-5816-9

Literature (alphabetically )

• Werner Filmer & Heribert Schwan: Hans -Dietrich Genscher. Econ -Verlag, Dusseldorf / Vienna / New York 1988, ISBN 3-430-12732-7; updated and expanded edition: Moewig at Ullsteinhaus, Rastatt 1993, ISBN 3-8118-2815-0.
• Hans -Dieter Heumann Hans- Dietrich Genscher. The Biography. Schöningh, Paderborn 2012, ISBN 978-3-506-77037-0. ( Review )
• Christiane Hoffmann, Ralf Neukirch: "It came as it had to come ." In: The mirror. No. 41, October 7, 2013, ISSN 0038-7452, pp. 24-26 (Interview with Hans -Dietrich Genscher ).
• Klaus Kinkel (ed. ): In the responsibility. Hans -Dietrich Genscher to the seventieth. Siedler, Berlin 1997, ISBN 3-88680-631-6.
• Jürgen Lorenz: Asked: Hans -Dietrich Genscher. Zirngibl, Bornheim 1983.
• Hans -Dieter Lucas ( ed.): Genscher, Germany and Europe. Nomos -Verlag, Baden -Baden 2002, ISBN 3-7890-7816-6.
• Jürgen Mittag: From Honoratiorenkreis to Europe Network: Six decades of European Movement Germany; in: 60 years of European Movement Germany; Berlin 2009; Page: 12-28. Online.
• Joachim Scholtyseck: The FDP in the turn. In: Historical and Political messages. 19, 2013, ISSN 0943 - 691X, pp. 197-220 (PDF, 71.7 KB).
• Volker Schulte (ed. ): Talking to the honorary doctorate Hans -Dietrich Genscher. 6. May 2003. Leipzig University, 2004, ISBN 3-934178-31-6.