Contents
Konrad Adenauer
Leading West Germany’s postwar reconstruction and integration with Western Europe.
Luxembourg Agreement · Treaty of Rome
- Born
- 5 January 1876
- Birthplace
- Cologne, Germany
- Died
- 19 April 1967
More people
Nelson MandelaHelping end apartheid and becoming South Africa’s first Black president.
Winston ChurchillBeing a racist bigot and responsible for the orders that led to the Bengal famine of 1943, in which an estimated three million people died.
Franklin D. RooseveltLeading the United States through the Great Depression and most of the Second World War.Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer was West Germany’s first chancellor, serving from 1949 to 1963. He promoted European integration and Western alliances while his government also reintegrated many former Nazis into public life.
Early life
Catholic Rhineland
Grew up in Cologne in a Catholic family.
Legal training
Studied law and began his working life as a lawyer.
Career
- 1917–1933
Mayor of Cologne
Led the city until the Nazis removed him from office.
- 1949–1963
Federal chancellor
Headed the government of the new Federal Republic of Germany.
- 1963–1966
Later party leadership
Left the chancellorship but remained CDU chairman until 1966.
Selected work
Luxembourg Agreement
Signed the reparations agreement with Israel and the Claims Conference.
Treaty of Rome
Helped establish the European Economic Community.
Élysée Treaty
Signed a Franco-German cooperation treaty with Charles de Gaulle.
Beyond work
Inventing
Experimented with practical inventions, including food substitutes during wartime shortages.
Rhöndorf
His home and garden became a memorial site after his death.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional source ↗Photo: Katherine Young (1906–1993). CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
