Kurt Georg Kiesinger served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1966 to 1969, presiding over a grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party. His tenure arrived after an established career as a jurist and politician in the post-war German Bundestag, positioning him as a central figure in the federal leadership during the mid-20th century.
Early Education and Legal Training
Born in 1904 in Albstadt, Kiesinger pursued higher education at the University of Tübingen and Frederick William University in Berlin. He received his legal training during the Weimar Republic, eventually passing his second state examination in October 1934. Prior to his political career, he worked as a lawyer at the Kammergericht in Berlin and served as a private law teacher from 1935 until 1940.
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Kiesinger joined the Nazi Party in 1933 but remained largely inactive within the organization. To avoid military conscription in 1940, he accepted an appointment to the broadcast policy department of the Foreign Office under Joachim von Ribbentrop. By 1942, he had ascended to the role of deputy head for the broadcasting and propaganda departments. Following the war, he entered the Christian Democratic Union in 1946.
Governmental Roles and Policy
His parliamentary career spanned several decades, beginning with his election to the Bundestag in 1949. He served as the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg from 1958 to 1966 and held the presidency of the Bundesrat from 1962 to 1963. Beyond domestic governance, he acted as a representative for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and served as Commissioner for Franco-German Cooperation.
Later Life and Recognition
Kiesinger remained active in public service until the mid-1970s, serving a final term in the Bundestag from 1972 to 1976 and leading the CDU/CSU Bundestag fraction in 1973. Throughout his life, he received numerous accolades, including the Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1960. He died in 1988 in Tübingen and is buried at the local Stadtfriedhof.
Fast facts
- Born: 1904, Albstadt
- Died: 1988, Tübingen
- Chancellor of West Germany: 1966–1969
- Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg: 1958–1966
- Education: University of Tübingen, Frederick William University Berlin
- Religion: Catholicism
- Political Affiliation: Christian Democratic Union
- Awards: Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Questions readers ask
What major political coalition did Kiesinger form as chancellor?
He formed a grand coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Willy Brandt.
What was his role during the Second World War?
He was a member of the Nazi Party and worked in the broadcast policy department of the Foreign Office, eventually becoming a deputy head of the propaganda departments.
Achievements
- member of the German Bundestag (1949–1953)
- Member of the European Parliament
- Federal Chancellor of Germany (1966–1969)
- President of the Bundesrat of Germany (1962–1963)
- Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1960
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
- Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg — 1975
- Bavarian Order of Merit
- Educated at University of Tübingen and Frederick William University Berlin
