Helmut Kohl Bio (Biography)
Real name:
Helmut Kohl
Date of birth:
April 3. 1930
Place of birth:
Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Astrology Sign:
Aries
Height:
6' 4" (1.93 m)
Tags:
Biography
Helmut Kohl is a conservative politician from Germany. He is best known as the Chancellor of Germany from 1982-1998.
Helmut Kohl was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany on April 3, 1930. He attended Ruprecht Elementary school, then Max Planck Gymnasium. He had two siblings, his older brother died fighting in World War II as a teenage soldier. Helmut Kohl, himself, was inducted into the military in the waning weeks of the war but did not see combat. In 1946 he joined the CDU and in 1947 he co-founded the Junge Union branch in Ludwigshafen. He graduated college in 1950 and then studied law in Frankfurt am Main. In 1951, he transferred to the University of Heidelberg, majoring in history and political science.
Helmut Kohl joined the board of the Rhineland-Palatinate branch of the CDU in 1953 and in 1954 became the vice-chair of the branch. He returned to his board position in 1954. After graduating from the university in 1956, he became a fellow at the Alfred Weber Institute of the University of Heidelberg. In 1960 he married Hannelore Renner. They have two sons. His wife committed suicide in 2001 after dealing with a photo allergy for years.
In 1960, Helmut Kohl was elected to the municipal council of Ludwigshafen; he served as a leader of the CDU party through 1969. In 1963 he was elected into the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate and from 1966-1973 he served as chair of the CDU. In 1969 he was elected minister-president of Rheinland-Pfalz, the same year he became the vice-chair of the federal CDU party. In 1973 he succeeded Rainer Barzel as federal chairman, where he served until 1998.
In the 1976 election, Helmut Kohl was the CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor and won 48% of the vote. However, the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Free Democratic Party remained in power. At that time, he retired as minister-president of the Rhineland-Palatinate and became the leader of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag.
In 1982, the CDU proposed a constructive vote of no confidence that was supported by the FDP. The Bundestag voted in a new CDU/CSU-FDP Coalition with Helmut Kohl as chancellor. In 1990, Helmut Kohl became the chancellor of all Germany, winning a landslide victory over Oskar Lafontaine, prime minister of Saarland. He was narrowly reelected in 1994. He was defeated in his 1998 reelection bid by Gerhard Schroder, minister-president of Niedersachsen. He then retired from politics, but remained in his position in the Bundestag until the 2002 election, when he left politics altogether.
In 1998, Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand became joint recipients of the Charlemagne Award.
Helmut Kohl was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany on April 3, 1930. He attended Ruprecht Elementary school, then Max Planck Gymnasium. He had two siblings, his older brother died fighting in World War II as a teenage soldier. Helmut Kohl, himself, was inducted into the military in the waning weeks of the war but did not see combat. In 1946 he joined the CDU and in 1947 he co-founded the Junge Union branch in Ludwigshafen. He graduated college in 1950 and then studied law in Frankfurt am Main. In 1951, he transferred to the University of Heidelberg, majoring in history and political science.
Helmut Kohl joined the board of the Rhineland-Palatinate branch of the CDU in 1953 and in 1954 became the vice-chair of the branch. He returned to his board position in 1954. After graduating from the university in 1956, he became a fellow at the Alfred Weber Institute of the University of Heidelberg. In 1960 he married Hannelore Renner. They have two sons. His wife committed suicide in 2001 after dealing with a photo allergy for years.
In 1960, Helmut Kohl was elected to the municipal council of Ludwigshafen; he served as a leader of the CDU party through 1969. In 1963 he was elected into the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate and from 1966-1973 he served as chair of the CDU. In 1969 he was elected minister-president of Rheinland-Pfalz, the same year he became the vice-chair of the federal CDU party. In 1973 he succeeded Rainer Barzel as federal chairman, where he served until 1998.
In the 1976 election, Helmut Kohl was the CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor and won 48% of the vote. However, the Social Democratic Party of Germany and the Free Democratic Party remained in power. At that time, he retired as minister-president of the Rhineland-Palatinate and became the leader of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag.
In 1982, the CDU proposed a constructive vote of no confidence that was supported by the FDP. The Bundestag voted in a new CDU/CSU-FDP Coalition with Helmut Kohl as chancellor. In 1990, Helmut Kohl became the chancellor of all Germany, winning a landslide victory over Oskar Lafontaine, prime minister of Saarland. He was narrowly reelected in 1994. He was defeated in his 1998 reelection bid by Gerhard Schroder, minister-president of Niedersachsen. He then retired from politics, but remained in his position in the Bundestag until the 2002 election, when he left politics altogether.
In 1998, Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand became joint recipients of the Charlemagne Award.