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About the archives The archives When Helmut Schmidt died in 2015, the statesman’s archives held 2,800 files, an extensive collection of dossiers and 25,000 books and photograph albums. The papers in the Helmut Schmidt-Archiv (HSA) relating to the life and work of this exceptional 20th-century…

A Transatlantic Rating of Biden’s First Year in Office Authors: Bruce Stokes, Rachel Tausendfreund 2021 opened with great promise for transatlantic relations. The new US President Joe Biden asserted he was committed to rebuilding America’s alliances after years of neglect and disdain. Europeans,…

Helmut Schmidt Lecture 2021 with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Hamburg, 11. November 2021. “We at the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung could not be prouder to have one of the most inspiring global voices for democracy as inaugural…

Helmut Schmidt Lecture 2021 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Video of the Event On 10 November 2015, the former German Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt died. Many still consider him a global statesman and thought leader who stood up for international peace,…

Exhibition at Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt Permanent exhibition | Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt Since November 2016 the city’s airport has been called “Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt” and, as its website proclaims, it is proud to bear “this suffix with which it honours one of the greatest…

100 Years in 100 Pictures On 6 December 2018, the exhibition to mark the centenary of our namesake opened its doors. By the time the coronavirus pandemic forced it to close in spring 2020, more than 15,000 people had visited. Through its pictures, the exhibition offered a unique overview of a life…

On the trail of Helmut Schmidt in Hamburg: The Schmidt-Map Where did the young Helmut Schmidt go to school? Who dubbed the Police Senator the “Lord of the Floods”? Why did the APO (the extra-parliamentary opposition) demonstrate against the parliamentary party leader? What did the Chancellor get…

Helmut Schmidt in Hamburg He was born in Hamburg and he died in Hamburg. Helmut Schmidt lived in Hamburg for over 96 years. He always remained faithful to his home, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Yes, Schmidt was Chancellor of Germany and a statesman. But he was also a Hanseatic…

Is history final after its first telling? What are our pupils capable of? Eschewing pre-conceived interpretations and simple relaying of facts, the Bundeskanzler-Helmut Schmidt-Stiftung, in partnership with the “Threatened Order” collaborative research centre (SFB 923) at the University of…

How the archives were established From the first private notes to a politician’s bequest Helmut Schmidt started a collection of personal writings at an early age. However, these documents were all destroyed in the 1943 bombing of Hamburg. Afterwards, aged 24, Schmidt again began to…

About the Exhibition Experience Helmut Schmidt from your own sofa With our 360° tour you can visit the exhibition “Schmidt! Living democracy” even outside opening hours. Get to know our premises, discover historic exhibits and sources, watch selected video clips and listen to exciting audio…

Publications The employees of the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung publish their work in renowned scientific journals and publishers. Furthermore they address the general public via posts in the media and blogs. Get an overview of our publications here.

Democracy and Society For a number of years now, Germany has been witnessing a strengthening of anti-democratic forces, an increase in right-wing violence and last, but by no means least, the election of right-wing populist parties to the Bundestag. The values on which our coexistence is based are…

Events The Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung stages a large number of events whose subject matter is closely related to the foundation’s three overarching programmes, to our exhibition and to the work of the Helmut Schmidt-Archive. Through regular activity in various places and in cooperation…

European and International Politics The European Union – the most successful peace project of all time? This narrative of the EU has long dominated public discourse. It remains an outstanding achievement of the European unification process that war between the EU's member states is unthinkable…

Global Markets and Social Justice Globalization, digitalization and climate change greatly alter how we manage our economies and live together. The socio-economic inequalities increasing in almost all parts of the world since 1980 were massively laid bare during the 2008 global economic and…

Satzung der Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung Hinweis: Aus Gründen der besseren Lesbarkeit wurde auf die gleichzeitige Verwendung männlicher und weiblicher Sprachformen verzichtet. Sämtliche Personenbezeichnungen gelten gleichermaßen für beiderlei Geschlecht. Gemäß § 4 des Gesetzes über die…

About us The Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung commemorates one of the most important 20th-century German statesmen. As a future-oriented think tank, it addresses issues that also interested Schmidt. Three overarching programmes are at the heart of the foundation’s work programme: 1) European…

Global Markets and Social Justice European and International Politics Democracy and Society From the Inside Out: Global Expert Group on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Our topics How can the European Union survive as a “peace project” and continue to develop its foreign, peace and…

Helmut Schmidt born in Hamburg on 23 December 1918 in Hamburg. School-leaving examination at Lichtwarkschule Hamburg, enlistment in Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labour Service) Called up for two years of military service As an air force serviceman, Schmidt’s service included the…