Introduction

Kurt Georg Kiesinger was West German Chancellor between 1966–69, heading the Grand Coalition of his own Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He was the only Chancellor to have been a member of the Nazi Party, but after World War II was a conservative reformer who sought to improve West Germany’s standing with the West, and to improve relations with East Germany.

Early Life

Kurt Georg Kiesinger was born in Ebingen, Germany on 6 April 1904. He studied at the universities in Tübingen and Berlin before practising as a lawyer. He joined the Nazi Party in 1933 and worked in the Propaganda Section of the Foreign Ministry throughout World War II. He was interned by Allied troops for 18 months after the war but was cleared of any illegal Nazi activities and released.

He became a member of Chancellor Adenauer’s CDU, entered the Bundestag in 1949 and sat as chairman of the foreign policy committee. He advocated Germany’s integration into international institutions and oversaw reform of the constitutional court. He left parliament in 1958 to take the post of Minister President (Prime Minister) of Baden-Württemberg and achieved success in rejuvenating the länder’s economy. On a national level he pushed for reform of the higher education system. During 1962–63 he was president of the Bundesrat (the upper house of parliament).

Career Peak

When Ludwig Erhard resigned as Chancellor in Dec. 1966 Kiesinger replaced him. The Grand Coalition reformed the penal system, introduced changes to pensions and tax, and was successful in reversing the economic slump that marked the end of Erhard’s tenure. Kiesinger also oversaw legislation that allowed more time for the prosecution of suspected Nazi war criminals. In foreign policy, he promoted closer relations with the USA and France. He believed in strengthening the European Economic Community and campaigned for the inclusion of the UK. While strongly opposed to the Soviet Union, he worked alongside Foreign Minister Willy Brandt to improve relations with East Germany and re-instituted diplomatic relations with Romania in 1967 and with Yugoslavia the following year. However, this early version of Ostpolitik (Eastern Policy) faltered after the Czechoslovakian crisis of 1968.

Kiesinger’s links to the Nazis proved a major hurdle to his domestic popularity. A significant section of the electorate were immediately suspicious of his past, and when the right-wing National Democrat Party made gains in provincial elections he was in a weak position to condemn them. When student activism reached its zenith, Kiesinger was a popular target for the country’s disaffected youth. Moreover, the Grand Coalition lacked parliamentary opposition. When it passed an Emergency Law, enabling an appointed council to take power in exceptional circumstances, Kiesinger was accused of moving towards authoritarianism.

By 1969 relations between the CDU and SPD were strained. Kiesinger’s party did well at the elections of that year but the Coalition was dead and the SPD formed a government with the Free Democrats. Brandt succeeded Kiesinger as Chancellor on 21 Oct. 1969.

Later Life

Kiesinger remained President of the CDU until 1971 and left the Bundestag in 1976. He died on 9 March 1988 in Tübingen.