Hans-Dietrich Genscher Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Date of birth:
March 21. 1927
Place of birth:
Reideburg [now Halle an der Saale], Germany
Astrology Sign:
Aries
Tags:
Biography
Hans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician and member of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). He served as the foreign minister of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974-1992. He is best known for his efforts to end the Cold War and to reunify Germany after World War II.
Hans-Dietrich Genscher was born at Reideburg, which is near Halle, Germany. The area became East Germany after World War II. As a young man, he joined the Hitler Youth and served as a Luftwaffenhelfer in the German Army from 1943 to 1945. As an adult, he was a member of the NSDAP despite the fact that he was an active duty military man. At the end of World War II, Hans-Dietrich Genscher was an American and British prisoner of war for a brief time. He went on to study law and economics at the universities of Halle and Leipzig and in 1946 he joined the East German Liberal Democratic Party.
In 1953, Hans-Dietrich Genscher escaped to West Germany and joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and after passing the law examination in 1954, he became a solicitor in Bremen, Germany. His political service began in 1965 when he was elected to the West German parliament. He held that seat until retiring from politics in 1998. In 1969, he was appointed the Minister of the Interior by Chancellor Willy Brandt and in 1974 became both foreign minister and Vice Chancellor. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and FDP began working together to shape a de-escalation policy with the communist East German's. In 1982, Hans-Dietrich Genscher became a driving force behind the party's switch of support form Helmut Schmidt to Helmut Kohl. Despite the switch, Hans-Dietrich Genscher continued with his posts of foreign minister and vice chancellor through the German reunification until 1992 when he retired for health reasons. He served in those positions for 18 years, making his tenure the longest held by a German politician. Since retiring from politics fully in 1998, he has worked as a lawyer.
Hans-Dietrich Genscher was born at Reideburg, which is near Halle, Germany. The area became East Germany after World War II. As a young man, he joined the Hitler Youth and served as a Luftwaffenhelfer in the German Army from 1943 to 1945. As an adult, he was a member of the NSDAP despite the fact that he was an active duty military man. At the end of World War II, Hans-Dietrich Genscher was an American and British prisoner of war for a brief time. He went on to study law and economics at the universities of Halle and Leipzig and in 1946 he joined the East German Liberal Democratic Party.
In 1953, Hans-Dietrich Genscher escaped to West Germany and joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and after passing the law examination in 1954, he became a solicitor in Bremen, Germany. His political service began in 1965 when he was elected to the West German parliament. He held that seat until retiring from politics in 1998. In 1969, he was appointed the Minister of the Interior by Chancellor Willy Brandt and in 1974 became both foreign minister and Vice Chancellor. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and FDP began working together to shape a de-escalation policy with the communist East German's. In 1982, Hans-Dietrich Genscher became a driving force behind the party's switch of support form Helmut Schmidt to Helmut Kohl. Despite the switch, Hans-Dietrich Genscher continued with his posts of foreign minister and vice chancellor through the German reunification until 1992 when he retired for health reasons. He served in those positions for 18 years, making his tenure the longest held by a German politician. Since retiring from politics fully in 1998, he has worked as a lawyer.