Konrad Adenauer
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| Order: | 27th Chancellor of Germany (1st of the Federal Republic) |
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| Term of Office: | 1949–1963 |
| Predecessor: | Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk |
| Successor: | Ludwig Erhard |
| Date of Birth: | January 5, 1876 |
| Date of Death: | April 19, 1967 |
| Political Party: | CDU |
| Profession: | Lawyer |
Konrad Adenauer (January 5, 1876–April 19, 1967) was a German statesman.
Adenauer, a politician of the Catholic Centre Party, was Mayor of Cologne from 1917 to 1933, and as such, flirted with a Rhenish state as part of Germany, but outside Prussia. From 1922 to 1933 he was president of the Prussian State Council (Preussischer Staatsrat), which was the representation of the Prussian cities and provinces. In 1944 he was imprisoned for his opposition to the Nazis.
He was first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949-1963, a period which spans most of the preliminary phase of the Cold War. In this period, West Germany was politically separated from East Germany. Adenauer was a co-founder of the Christian Democratic Union, a successor to the Centre which hoped to embrace Protestants as well as Catholics in a single confessional party.
Adenauer led the rebuilding of West Germany and helped turn the nation into an economic powerhouse. He is also notable for directing Germany's reconciliation with France and other allied powers. Under Adenauer West Germany was allowed to rearm and to join NATO. Adenauer also opened diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and the rest of the Eastern block. In 1955 he managed to secure the release of the last German prisoners of war. For all of his efforts as Germany's leader Adenauer was named TIME magazine's Man of the Year in 1953.
In 1954 he received the Karlspreis (engl.: Charlemagne Award), an Award by the German city of Aachen to people who contributed to the European idea and European peace.
In 1959 he briefly considered to run for the office of President, then instead chose a candidate (Heinrich Lübke) whom he believed weak enough not to disturb his affairs as Chancellor.
In 1962 a scandal erupted when police under cabinet orders arrested five Der Spiegel journalists, charging them with high treason, specifically for publishing a memo detailing alleged weaknesses in West German armed forces. The cabinet members, belonging to the Free Democratic Party, left their positions in November 1962, and Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss, himself the chairman of the Christian Social Union, was dismissed, followed by the remaining Christian Democratic Union cabinet members. Adenauer was forced to resign and was succeeded as Chancellor by Ludwig Erhard, although he remained chairman of the CDU until 1966.
When in 1967, after his death, people were asked for what they admired most about Adenauer, the majority responded that Adenauer brought home in 1955 the last German POWs from Russia.
In November 2003, he was voted in a German television poll as the greatest German of all time.
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Adenauer's First Ministry, 20 September 1949 - 20 October 1953
- Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - Chancellor
- Franz Blücher (FDP) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Marshall Plan Affairs
- Gustav Heinemann (CDU) - Minister of the Interior
- Fritz Schäffer (CSU) - Minister of Finance
- Thomas Dehler (FDP) - Minister of Justice
- Ludwig Erhard (CDU) - Minister of Economics
- Anton Storch (CDU) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
- Wilhelm Niklas (CSU) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Hans-Christoph Seebohm (DP) - Minister of Transport
- Eberhard Wildermuth (FDP) - Minister of Construction
- Hans Schuberth (CSU) - Minister of Posts and Communications
- Hans Lukaschek (CDU) - Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims
- Jakob Kaiser (CDU) - Minister of All-German Affairs
- Heinrich Hellwege (DP) - Minister of Bundesrat Affairs
Changes
- 13 October 1950 - Robert Lehr (CDU) succeeds Heinemann as Minister of the Interior.
- 15 March 1951 - Konrad Adenauer becomes Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as Chancellor when the Allies allow this post to be revived.
- 19 July 1952 - Fritz Neumayer (FDP) succeeds Wildermuth (d.9 March) as Minister of Construction.
Adenauer's Second Ministry, 20 October 1953 - 29 October 1957
- Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Franz Blücher (FDP) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Cooperation
- Gerhard Schröder (CDU) - Minister of the Interior
- Fritz Schäffer (CSU) - Minister of Finance
- Fritz Neumayr (FDP) - Minister of Justice
- Ludwig Erhard (CDU) - Minister of Economics
- Anton Storch (CDU) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
- Heinrich Lübke (CDU) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Hans-Christoph Seebohm (DP) - Minister of Transport
- Viktor-Emanuel Preusker (FDP) - Minister of Construction
- Franz-Josef Wuermeling (CDU) - Minister of Family Affairs
- Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) - Minister of Special Tasks
- Robert Tillmanns (CDU) - Minister of Special Tasks
- Waldemar Kraft (GB/BHE) - Minister of Special Tasks
- Hermann Schäfer (FDP) - Minister of Special Tasks
- Siegfried Balke - Minister of Posts and Communications
- Theodor Oberländer (GB/BHE) - Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims
- Jakob Kaiser (CDU) - Minister of All-German Affairs
- Heinrich Hellwege (DP) - Minister of Bundesrat Affairs
Changes
- 7 June 1955 - Theodor Blank (CDU) becomes Minister of Defense when that post is revived.
- 8 June 1955 - Heinrich von Brentano (CDU) succeeds Adenauer as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (DP) succeeds Hellwege as Minister of Bundesrat Affairs.
- 19 October 1955 - Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) becomes Minister of Atomic Affairs
- 12 November 1955 - Tillmanns leaves the cabinet.
- 16 October 1956 - Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) succeeds Blank as Minister of Defense. Hans-Joachim von Merkatz succeeds Neumayr as Minister of Justice. Kraft and Schäfer leave the Cabinet. Siegfried Balke (CSU) succeeds Strauss as Minister of Atomic Affairs.
- 15 November 1956 - Ernst Lemmer (CDU) succeeds Balke as Minister of Posts and Communications.
Adenauer's Third Ministry, 29 October 1957 - 14 November 1961
- Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - Chancellor
- Ludwig Erhard (CDU) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics
- Heinrich von Brentano (CDU) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) - Minister of Defense
- Gerhard Schröder (CDU) - Minister of the Interior
- Franz Etzel (CDU) - Minister of Finance
- Fritz Schäffer (CSU) - Minister of Justice
- Theodor Blank (CDU) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
- Heinrich Lübke (CDU) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Hans-Christoph Seebohm (DP) - Minister of Transport
- Paul Lücke (CDU) - Minister of Construction
- Franz-Josef Wuermeling (CDU) - Minister of Family and Youth Affairs
- Richard Stücklen (CSU) - Minister of Posts and Communications
- Theodor Oberländer (CDU) - Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims
- Ernst Lemmer (CDU) - Minister of All-German Affairs
- Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (DP) - Minister of Bundesrat and State Affairs
- Siegfried Balke (CSU) - Minister of Nuclear Energy and Water
- Hermann Lindrath (CDU) - Minister of Federal Economic Possessions
Changes
- 13 September 1959 - Werner Schwarz (CDU) succeeds Lübke as Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry.
- 5 April 1960 - Oberländer resigns as Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims.
- 4 May 1960 - Hans Wilhelmi (CDU) succeeds Lindrath (d.27 February) as Minister of Federal Economic Possessions.
- 27 October 1960 - Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (CDU) becomes Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims.
Adenauer's Fourth Ministry, 14 November 1961 - 16 October 1963
- Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - Chancellor
- Ludwig Erhard (CDU) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economics
- Gerhard Schröder (CDU) - Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Franz Josef Strauss (CSU) - Minister of Defense
- Hermann Höcherl (CSU) - Minister of the Interior
- Heinz Starke (FDP) - Minister of Finance
- Wolfgang Stammberger (FDP) - Minister of Justice
- Theodor Blank (CDU) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
- Werner Schwarz (CDU) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Hans-Christoph Seebohm (CDU) - Minister of Transport
- Paul Lücke (CDU) - Minister of Construction
- Franz-Josef Wuermeling (CDU) - Minister of Family and Youth Affairs
- Elisabeth Schwarzhaupt (CDU) - Minister of Health
- Walter Scheel (FDP) - Minister of Economic Cooperation
- Heinrich Krone (CDU) - Minister of Special Tasks
- Richard Stücklen (CSU) - Minister of Posts and Communications
- Wolfgang Mischnick (FDP) - Minister of Displaced Persons, Refugees, and War Victims
- Ernst Lemmer (CDU) - Minister of All-German Affairs
- Hans-Joachim von Merkatz (CDU) - Minister of Bundesrat and State Affairs
- Siegfried Balke (CSU) - Minister of Nuclear Energy and Water
- Hans Lenz (FDP) - Minister of Federal Treasure
Changes
- 19 November 1962 Ewald Bucher (FDP) succeeds Stammberger as Minister of Justice. Werner Dollinger (CSU) succeeds Lenz as Minister of Federal Treasure.
- 14 December 1962 - Rolf Dahlgrün (FDP) succeeds Starke as Minister of Finance. Bruno Heck (CDU) succeeds Wuermeling as Minister of Family and Youth Affairs. Hans Lenz (FDP) enters the ministry as Minister of Scientific Research. Rainer Barzel (CDU) succeeds Lemmer as Minister of All-German Affairs. Alois Niederalt (CSU) succeeds Merkatz as Minister of Bundesrat and State Affairs. The Ministry of Nuclear Energy and Water is abolished, and Balke leaves the cabinet.
- 9 January 1963 - Kai-Uwe von Hassel (CDU) succeeds Strauss as Minister of Defense.
| Preceded by: Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk as Reichskanzler | Chancellor of Germany 1949–1963 | Succeeded by: Ludwig Erhard |
| Preceded by: Count Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk | Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs 1951–1955 | Succeeded by: Heinrich von Brentano di Tremezzo |
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