Death of Helmut Schmidt, German former chancellor

[Nin]

Today, aged 96, died in Hamburg a marking figure of my childhood, my father's political hero and idol: Helmut Schmidt. Chancellor from 1974 to 1982, he was on of the most upright politicians I have ever heard of, a rational, highly intelligent man, a convinced European. A man of the 20th century in Germany: born in 1918, he had been a soldier in WWII, a social democrat later, he has faced terrorism in Germany in the 70ies and had to live with the death of hostages on terrorist attacks when he refused to give in to the demands of the Red Army Fraction. Heavy smoker all his life, married for 68 years to his wife whom he had met at the age of 10 at school and who died a few years ago, aged 91 - 81 years of life together, he never left his small house in Hamburg and played piano well enough to register records.

I do not know if any of you know about this man, a politician true to his word, one of the few I admired.

Here is a far more detailed article about him, and well, maybe it could be an occasion to talk about what has changed in politics since the 70ies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/world ... .html?_r=0

And from the newspaper he co-edited after his political career:
http://www.zeit.de/politik/2015-11/helm ... it-english

[Inanna]

Thanks Nin.... I was completely unaware of him.

[Griffon64]

That's a really interesting read. I haven't read it through all the way yet, but I'm finding it fascinating.

This was a little before my time, politics-wise, but I find him an interesting contrast to many of today's politicians.