Hans-Dietrich Genscher

Hans-Dietrich Genscher (21 March 1927 – 31 March 2016) was a German politician. 

Early life
Genscher was born at Reideburg, near Halle. Genscher served in World War II from 1943 to 1945. He joined the Nazi Party at the age of 18. After the war, he studied economics and law in Halle and Leipzig. He joined the East German Liberal Democratic Party (LDPD) in 1946.

In 1952, Genscher fled to West Germany. There he joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP). He passed his second state examination in law in Hamburg in 1954. After that, he became a solicitor in Bremen. 

 Career 
In 1965, Genscher was elected to the Bundestag, the West German parliament for the first time. From 1969 to 1974, he was Federal Minister of the Interior under Chancellor Willy Brandt.

Genscher was Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 under Helmut Schmidt.  Two weeks later, he began to serve in the same positions under Helmut Kohl. He served the second time from 1982 to 1992.  He was Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor.

Death
Genscher died at his home in Wachtberg, Germany from heart failure on 31 March 2016, aged 89.

 Related pages 

 Politics of Germany

References

Category:1927 births
Category:2016 deaths
Category:Deaths from heart failure
Category:Disease-related deaths in North Rhine-Westphalia
Category:Members of the German Bundestag
Category:German lawyers
Category:German military personnel of World War II
Category:Interior ministers of Germany
Category:Nazis
Category:Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Category:Politicians from Saxony-Anhalt
Category:Politicians of the Free Democratic Party of Germany
Category:Vice Chancellors of Germany
Category:Foreign ministers of Germany