Helmut Schmidt

Life and Work

Life and work

The House

The house

Schmidt in Hamburg and Schmidtmap

Biography

1918

Historical sepia photograph from 1919: Helmut Schmidt as a toddler in his mother’s arms, with his father in a suit standing beside them; taken outdoors in front of trees and a garden fence. — Helmut Schmidt as a toddler in his mother’s arms, with his father in a suit standing beside them.

Helmut Schmidt was born in Hamburg on 23 December 1918.

1937

Matriculation examination at the Lichtwarkschule in Hamburg Completion of the Reich Labour Service
Called up for two years of military service

1939 - 1945

As a soldier in the Luftwaffe, participation in the war against the Soviet Union and in the last weeks of the war on the Rhine and Moselle, otherwise used in the "home war zone", service mostly as an instructor for light anti-aircraft guns (last rank Lieutenant)

1942

Historical black-and-white photograph: Helmut Schmidt and Hannelore ‘Loki’ Schmidt on their wedding day. She is wearing a white dress and holding a bridal bouquet; he is in uniform. — Helmut Schmidt and Hannelore “Loki” Schmidt at their wedding.

Marriage to Hannelore ("Loki") Glaser in Hamburg (1944 birth of son Walter, who dies before his first birthday; 1947 birth of daughter Susanne)

1945

Return from British captivity as a prisoner of war
Starts studying economics and political science at the University of Hamburg in the winter semester (graduates in 1949)

1946 - 1948

Black-and-white portrait, 1953: Helmut Schmidt in a suit and tie, looking directly at the camera, against a light-coloured background. — Helmut Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag (MdB, SPD).

Joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) (1946)
Takes over the chairmanship of the Socialist German Student Association (1947)

1949 - 1953

Initially a consultant, later head of department at the Ministry of Economics and Transport in Hamburg under Senator (and later Federal Minister of Economics and Finance) Karl Schiller

1953 - 1961

Black-and-white photograph of the 1962 storm surge: a man carries a woman through the water; behind him is a boat carrying several evacuees. During the major storm surge disaster on the night of 16–17 February 1962, 315 people lost their lives, 200 of them in the Wilhelmsburg district of Hamburg alone. — Residents of Wilhelmsburg who were cut off by the rising waters are being rescued by boat. During the major storm surge disaster on the night of 16–17 February 1962, 315 people lost their lives, 200 of them in the Hamburg district of Wilhelmsburg alone.

Member of the German Bundestag, elected to the Federal Executive Committee of the SPD (1958)
Member of several committees (e.g. transport, economy, European security)

1961 - 1965

After the SPD loses the 1961 Bundestag elections, he returns to Hamburg, where he initially becomes police senator and later interior senator
Storm surge in Hamburg: Helmut Schmidt establishes his reputation as a crisis manager during the rescue operations in February 1962

1965

Black-and-white photograph: Willy Brandt on the left, smoking a cigarette, with Helmut Schmidt to his right. The party executive, the Control Commission, the Party Council and the Social Democrats’ new parliamentary group in the Bundestag met for a joint session in Bad Godesberg on 25 September 1965. — The party executive, the audit committee, the party council and the Social Democrats' new parliamentary group in the Bundestag met for a joint session in Bad Godesberg on 25 September 1965. The photograph shows Willy Brandt (left) in conversation with Helmut Schmidt, Hamburg's Senator for the Interior.

Returns to Bonn as a member of the Bundestag, intended as a minister in the government team of SPD chancellor candidate Willy Brandt, but the SPD loses the Bundestag election again

1966 - 1969

After the premature end of the CDU/CSU/FDP government, formation of the first grand coalition of CDU and SPD
Assumption of the SPD parliamentary group chairmanship in the Bundestag from Fritz Erler, who was seriously ill (1966/1967)

1968 - 1984

Black-and-white photograph, 1969: Helmut Schmidt is speaking at the lectern in the Bundestag, raising his finger; members of parliament are seated behind him. He is taking part in the debate on emergency legislation in the Bundestag. — Helmut Schmidt, leader of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, is taking part in the debate on emergency legislation in the Bundestag.

Deputy Chairman of the SPD

1969 - 1972

Sworn in as Defence Minister in the first social-liberal cabinet of Willy Brandt in October 1969
Publication of the defence policy paper "Strategie des Gleichgewichts" (1969)

1972 - 1974

Finance Minister in Willy Brandt's second cabinet (in the meantime also took over the Ministry of Economics)

1974 - 1975

Black-and-white photograph: Helmut Schmidt raises his right hand and looks solemnly at a man standing opposite him; a microphone is visible in the frame. Just under two hours after his re-election by the German Bundestag, Helmut Schmidt (SPD) was sworn in as Federal Chancellor by the President of the Bundestag, Karl Carstens, on 15 December 1976. — Just under two hours after his re-election by the German Bundestag, Helmut Schmidt (left, SPD) was sworn in as Federal Chancellor by the President of the Bundestag, Karl Carstens, on 15 December 1976.

Elected the fifth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany on 16 May 1974 - taking over the office from Willy Brandt, who had previously resigned

The first pages of the original speech manuscript with Schmidt's handwritten notes | PDF | (c) HSA

Bulletin of the new Federal Government

SPD leaflet

Signing of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in Helsinki (1975)
Initiates the first World Economic Summit in Rambouillet together with the French head of state Giscard d'Estaing (1975)
Meeting with Chinese President Mao Tse-tung (1975)

1976 - 1977

Black-and-white photograph, 1977: Helmut Schmidt sitting at a table during a televised statement regarding the kidnapping of Hanns Martin Schleyer, President of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations.. He is wearing glasses and a suit, with a pile of papers in front of him. — On 5 September 1977, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (SPD) made a televised statement regarding the kidnapping of Hanns Martin Schleyer, President of the Confederation of German Employers’ Associations.

3. October 1976: Confirmation of the chancellorship in the Bundestag election against CDU lead candidate Helmut Kohl
Series of large-scale demonstrations and protests against nuclear power plants and facilities in Germany (Brokdorf, Gorleben, etc.), the Federal Government remains committed to nuclear power
Trip to Auschwitz/Poland (1977); Helmut Schmidt speaks of one of his most difficult journeys
In the "German Autumn" (1977) and beyond, decisive and consistent stance against the terrorists of the Red Army Faction (RAF)
In the same year, much-noticed speech at the London International Institute for Strategic Studies, draft of a concept for establishing a strategic balance of nuclear weapons in Europe

1978 - 1980

Colour photograph, 1977: Helmut Schmidt smiles as he talks to French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing; Schmidt is holding a cigarette. — Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (right) and French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing during a press conference at the Federal Chancellery.

Visit by Leonid Brezhnev, head of state and party leader of the Soviet Union, to Helmut and Loki Schmidt's house in Hamburg-Langenhorn (1978), talks on nuclear disarmament, among other things
The heads of government of France, Great Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany and the USA make a preliminary decision on the NATO Double-Track Decision on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe (January 1979), formal decision of the NATO member states on 12 December of that year
Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt jointly initiate the European Monetary System (EMS) (entry into force 1979), thus creating the basis for the later introduction of the euro
Publication of the writings "Als Christ in der politischen Entscheidung" (1976) and "Der Kurs heißt Frieden" (1979)

1980 - 1981

Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev (left) and German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt during the reading of the joint final declaration on 24 November 1981 in Bonn.

Disarmament talks with the Soviet Communist leadership in Moscow and Bonn
5. October 1980: Helmut Schmidt wins the Bundestag election against Franz Josef Strauß (CSU) and is elected Chancellor on 5 November 1980
Talks with GDR state and party leader Erich Honecker (continuation of the "change through rapprochement" policy)
Start of a series of major peace demonstrations against nuclear rearmament in the Federal Republic (until the mid-1980s), Helmut Schmidt pushes through his pro-NATO double-track decision against strong resistance in society and in his own party

1982

The social-liberal coalition of SPD and FDP collapses in late summer 1982 due to differences over the course of economic policy
1. October: Following a constructive vote of no confidence in the German Bundestag, Helmut Schmidt resigns from the office of Federal Chancellor and is succeeded by Helmut Kohl (CDU) in a Christian-Liberal coalition Helmut Schmidt in his last statement as Chancellor on 1 October 1982 in the German Bundestag | excerpt | mp3 | (c) German Bundestag

1983 - 1993

Colour photograph: Helmut Schmidt in his office in front of bookshelves, explaining something with his hands raised; a cigarette between his fingers. — Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (SPD) during an interview with the German Press Agency in his office in Hamburg on 26 May 2015.

Co-editor (and in the meantime managing director and publisher) of the weekly newspaper Die Zeit Retired from the German Bundestag (1987)
Co-founder of the Interaction Council of former heads of government (1983), the Helmut and Loki Schmidt Foundation (1992) and the German National Foundation (1993)

1993 - 2015

Helmut Schmidt, former Federal Chancellor, delivering an acceptance speech after receiving the Eric Warburg Prize at the event marking the 60th anniversary of the Atlantik-Brücke at the German Historical Museum.

Continuation of his extensive publishing activities ("People and Powers", "Universal Declaration of Human Duties", "Off Duty" and many more), many of the 50 or so publications become bestsellers, as well as hundreds of articles in books, newspapers and magazines
Extensive international lecture tours, continued consultations on overcoming international problems and crises with politicians, scientists, economists and other important personalities around the world; presentation of numerous prizes, doctorates, awards and honorary citizenships
21. October 2010: Loki Schmidt dies in Hamburg

2015

10. November 2015: Helmut Schmidt dies in Hamburg

Caricatures

Collection of quotes

"Democracy also has a few downsides that you have to accept with love."

(14 January 1979 in Der Spiegel)

"In a matter that I believe to be right, I will not bow to the majority."

(19 May 1974 in Der Spiegel)

"The duty of humanity is the answer to the question of meaning."

("Off duty", Munich 2008, p. 73)

"I would go to the barricades for human rights in my own state if necessary"

(9 January 2014 in Die Zeit)

"I tell young people in particular that democracy does not consist solely of the principle of forming majorities. Democracy ultimately finds its existential foundation in the humanisation of politics."

(20 October 1977, government statement in the Bundestag)

"No enthusiasm should be greater than the sober passion for practical reason."

(10 September 1986, last speech in the Bundestag)

"Politicians and journalists share the sad fate that they often talk today about things that they will only fully understand tomorrow."

(27 January 1989 in Die Zeit)

"The global financial market and the global economy need globally applicable supervisory rules and security standards."

(25 September 2008 in Die Zeit)

"I have to make compromises. Without the principle of compromise, the principle of democracy is not possible."

(Helmut Schmidt, On the ethos of the politician, in: Six speeches, p. 61)

"We Europeans have no legitimisation to spread the principles of enlightenment by force in the Middle East."

(29 March 2003, speech at the award ceremony for the Franz Josef Strauß Prize)

"A country without strikes is not a democracy."

(14 January 1979 in Der Spiegel)

"Germany is not a country of immigration and does not want to become one."

(11 November 1981 during a meeting of the Federal Cabinet)

"Markets are like parachutes: they only work if they are open."

(15 May 1983 in the Welt am Sonntag)

"A politician must not give in to general sentiment or even mass psychosis."

(12 September 2008 in Bild)