Kurt Georg Kiesinger
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| Missing image KGKiesinger.jpg Kurt Georg Kiesinger | |
| Order: | 29th Chancellor of Germany (3rd of the Federal Republic) |
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| Term of Office: | December 1, 1966–October 21, 1969 |
| Predecessor: | Ludwig Erhard |
| Successor: | Willy Brandt |
| Date of Birth: | April 6, 1904 |
| Date of Death: | March 9, 1988 |
| Political Party: | CDU |
| Profession: | lawyer |
Kurt Georg Kiesinger (April 6, 1904–March 9, 1988) was a conservative German politician and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from December 1, 1966 until October 21, 1969.
Born in Ebingen, Germany Kiesinger was educated in Berlin and became a lawyer. He joined the Nazi Party in 1933. From 1940 Kiesinger worked at the Reich foreign ministry's radio propaganda department. After the war he was interned and spent several months in the Ludwigsburg camp before being acquitted by the denazification courts.
At the first post-war national elections Kiesinger joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and won a seat. In 1951 he became a member of the CDU executive board. He was appointed minister-president of the Baden-Württemberg government (December 17 1958 - December 1 1966). In 1962-1963, Kiesinger served as the president of the Bundesrat.
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 Beate Klarsfeld publically slapped him in the face while calling him a Nazi. Partly as a result of spectators at subsequent public rallies chanting 'Nazi' while he was trying to speak.
In the election of 1969, the SPD preferred to form a leftist 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, West Germany.
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.
| Preceded by: Ludwig Erhard | Chancellor of Germany 1966–1969 | Succeeded by: Willy Brandt |
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