Kurt Georg Kiesinger

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Kurt Georg Kiesinger
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Chancellor of Germany
In office December 1, 1966 – October 21, 1969
Preceded by	Ludwig Erhard
Succeeded by	Willy Brandt

Born	April 6, 1904 Ebingen, Germany
Died	March 9, 1988
Political party	CDU, 1933-45 NSDAP

Kurt Georg Kiesinger (April 6, 1904–March 9, 1988) was a conservative German politician and Chancellor of West Germany from 1 December, 1966 until 21 October, 1969.

1 Early life
2 Political career
3 Chancellorship
4 Kiesinger's Ministry
5 Literature

[edit] Early life

Born in Ebingen, Germany Kiesinger was educated in Berlin and became a lawyer. As a Student, he became Member of the Roman-Catholic fraternity Askania-Burgundia. He joined the Nazi Party in 1933. From 1940, Kiesinger worked at the German foreign ministry's radio propaganda department where he was responsible for that ministry's connection with the propaganda ministry. After the war, he was interned and spent several months in the Ludwigsburg camp before being acquitted by the denazification courts. He was exonerated by a protocol of the RSHA which noted that he had hampered and averted anti-Jewish actions in his department.

[edit] Political career

By the time the first national elections were held in the Federal Republic in 1949, Kiesinger had joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and won a seat in the Bundestag, the West German parliament. In 1951 he became a member of the CDU executive board. During that time, he became known for his rhetorical brilliance, as well as his in-depth knowledge of foreign affairs. However, despite the recognition he enjoyed within the Christian Democrat parliamentary faction, he was passed over during various cabinet reshuffles. Consequently, he decided to switch from federal to state politics: He was appointed Prime Minister (Ministerpräsident) of the state of Baden-Württemberg on 17 December 1958, an office in which he served until 1 December 1966.

[edit] Chancellorship

In 1966 following the collapse of the existing CDU/CSU-FDP coalition Kiesinger was elected to replace Ludwig Erhard as Chancellor, heading a new CDU/CSU-SPD alliance. The government formed by Kiesinger remained in power for nearly three years with the SPD leader Willy Brandt as Deputy Federal Chancellor and Foreign Minister. Kiesinger reduced tensions with the Soviet bloc nations establishing diplomatic relations with Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia but he opposed any major conciliatory moves.

One of his low points as chancellor was in 1968 when activist Beate Klarsfeld publicly slapped him in the face during the 1968 Christian Democrat convention, while calling him a Nazi. She did so in French but - whilst being dragged out of the room by two ushers - repeated her words in German saying "Kiesinger! Nazi! Abtreten!" ("Kiesinger! Nazi! Step down!") Kiesinger, holding his left cheek and being close to tears, did not respond. Up to his death he refused to comment on the incident.

In the election of 1969, the SPD preferred to form a coalition with the FDP, ending the uninterrupted post-war reign of the CDU chancellors. Kiesinger was succeeded as Chancellor by Willy Brandt.

Kiesinger continued to head the CDU/CSU in opposition until July 1971 and remained a member of the Bundestag until 1980.

Kiesinger was known for great eloquence and nicknamed "Häuptling Silberzunge" - "Chief Silver Tongue".

He died in Tübingen. His funeral procession was followed by protesters (mainly Maoist students) who castigated him - even after his death - for his former membership in the NSDAP.

[edit] Kiesinger's Ministry

1 December 1966 - 21 October 1969

Kurt Georg Kiesinger (CDU) - Chancellor
Willy Brandt (SPD) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Gerhard Schröder (CDU) - Minister of Defense
Paul Lücke (CDU) - Minister of the Interior
Franz Josef Strauß (CSU) - Minister of Finance
Gustav Heinemann (SPD) - Minister of Justice
Karl Schiller (SPD) - Minister of Economics
Hans Katzer (CDU) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
Hermann Höcherl (CSU) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
George Leber (SPD) - Minister of Transport
Lauritz Lauritzen (SPD) - Minister of Construction
Bruno Heck (CDU) - Minister of Family and Youth
Käte Strobel (SPD) - Minister of Health
Gerhard Stoltenberg (CDU) - Minister of Scientific Research
Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski (SPD) - Minister of Economic Cooperation
Werner Dollinger (CSU) - Minister of Posts and Communications
Kai-Uwe von Hassel (CDU) - Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims
Herbert Wehner (SPD) - Minister of All-German Affairs
Carlo Schmid (SPD) - Minister of Bundesrat and State Affairs
Kurt Schmücker (CDU) - Minister of Federal Treasure

Changes

2 April 1968 - Ernst Benda (CDU) succeeds Lücke as Minister of the Interior.
16 October 1968 - Aenne Brauksiepe (CDU) succeeds Heck as Minister of Family and Youth. Erhard Eppler (SPD) succeeds Wischnewski as Minister of Economic Cooperation.
7 February 1969 - Heinrich Windelen (CDU) succeeds Hassel as Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims.