Helmut Kohl

**Helmut Josef Michael Kohl** (3 April 1930 – 16 June 2017) was a German politician of the CDU party. He was the last Chancellor of West Germany, and he stayed in office after reunification as the first Chancellor of a united Germany.

From 1969 to 1976, he was the Minister President of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and from 1982 to 1998, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Kohl helped to arrange the process of German reunification and participated considerably in the European unity process. A pro-EU conservative, he was often compared to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, two other leaders with similar views in the 1980s. In 1998, he retired as Chancellor, as the SPD won the election. His replacement was Gerhard Schröeder.

His involvement with the CDU donation affair, and in particular offences against party law is open to question.

Kohl died on the morning of 16 June 2017, in his hometown of Ludwigshafen at the age of 87.

## References

**Notes**

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Helmut Kohl
- **office**: Chancellor of Germany
<small>(West Germany until 1990)</small>
- **image**: Helmut Kohl (1996).jpg
- **caption**: Kohl in 1996
- **predecessor**: Helmut Schmidt
- **president**: Karl Carstens
Richard von Weizsäcker
Roman Herzog
- **successor**: Gerhard Schröder
- **signature**: Helmut Kohl Signature.svg
- **office2**: Leader of the CDU/CSU, CDU/CSU Group in the Bundestag
- **1blankname2**: First Deputy
- **1namedata2**: Friedrich Zimmermann
- **predecessor2**: Karl Carstens
- **party**: Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Christian Democratic Union
- **1blankname**: Vice-Chancellor of Germany, Vice Chancellor
- **1namedata**: Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Jürgen Möllemann
Klaus Kinkel
- **office1**: Leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Leader of the Christian Democratic Union
- **1namedata1**: Kurt Biedenkopf
Heiner Geißler
Volker Rühe
Peter Hintze
- **predecessor1**: Rainer Barzel
- **successor1**: Wolfgang Schäuble
- **successor2**: Alfred Dregger
- **birth name**: Helmut Josef Michael Kohl
- **birth place**: Ludwigshafen, History of Bavaria#Bavaria during Weimar Republic, Bavaria, Weimar Republic
- **death place**: Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- **resting place**: Cathedral Chapter Cemetery, Speyer
- **spouse**:

- **alma mater**: Heidelberg University
- **term start**: 1 October 1982
- **term end**: 27 October 1998
- **term start1**: 12 June 1973
- **term end1**: 7 November 1998
- **term start2**: 13 December 1976
- **term end2**: 4 October 1982
- **office3**: List of Ministers-President of Rhineland-Palatinate, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate
- **term start3**: 19 May 1969
- **term end3**: 2 December 1976
- **deputy3**: Otto Meyer
- **predecessor3**: Peter Altmeier
- **successor3**: Bernhard Vogel (politician), Bernhard Vogel
- **office4**: Member of the Bundestag
for Rhineland-Palatinate
- **term start4**: 26 October 1998
- **term end4**: 17 October 2002
- **constituency4**: Electoral system of Germany, Party list
- **term start5**: 14 December 1976
- **term end5**: 20 December 1990
- **constituency5**: Electoral system of Germany, Party list
- **office6**: Member of the Bundestag
for Ludwigshafen/Frankenthal
- **term start6**: 20 December 1990
- **term end6**: 26 October 1998
- **predecessor6**: Manfred Reimann
- **successor6**: Doris Barnett