Konrad Adenauer

@Former Chancellor of Germany, Birthday and Facts ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Konrad Adenauer was the first Chancellor of Germany after the World War II German Leaders Political Leaders Presidents Capricorn Celebrities Konrad Adenauer was the first Chancellor of Germany after the World War II and in this position he played a major role in rebuilding the nation from the ruins of the war. Often referred to as the "Der Alte" ("the old man"), he was in his seventies when he wast elected as the chancellor. But he never let his age become a hurdle when it came to serving his beloved nation which he helped rebuild from a war-ravaged region to an industrialized and prosperous country. Under his leadership and guidance, Germany became a democracy and achieved stability and economic prosperity. He also became famous for forging close relations with erstwhile enemy nations and for re-establishing the position of Germany on the international scenario. A qualified lawyer, he was interested in politics from a young age and was active in the Cologne city council, soon becoming the Mayor for Cologne. An outspoken and bold personality, he opposed Hitler and the Nazi Party and was forced to keep a low profile for years in fear of persecution. Still he was arrested and sent to a concentration camp but miraculously survived the war. After the war he was elected as the first Chancellor of Germany and in this position he played a pivotal role in the country’s reconstruction.

Personal Details

Birthday: January 5, 1876 Died on: April 19, 1967 Nationality: German Famous: Former Chancellor of Germany, Leaders, Political Leaders, Presidents Spouses: Auguste Zinsser, Emma Weyer Known as: Conrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer Universities: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich University of Bonn University of Freiburg Information Detail Birthday January 5, 1876 Died on April 19, 1967 Nationality German Famous Former Chancellor of Germany, Leaders, Political Leaders, Presidents Spouses Auguste Zinsser, Emma Weyer Known as Conrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer Universities Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich University of Bonn University of Freiburg Founder / Co-Founder Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christian Democratic Party Birth Place Cologne Political Ideology (1906–1933) - Political party - Centre Party, (1945–1967) - Christian Democratic Union, (1945–1967) - Other political - affiliations CDU/CSU coalition Religion Catholicism Gender Male Father Johann Konrad Adenauer Mother Helene Adenauer Sun Sign Capricorn Born in Cologne Famous as Former Chancellor of Germany Died at Age 91

Cologne

Konrad Adenauer born at Unsplash Birth Place

He married Emma Weyer in 1904. This marriage produced three children and ended with Emma’s unfortunate death in 1916. Unsplash Personal Life

He married Auguste Zinsser in 1919. His second marriage lasted almost three decades and produced five more children. Death of Auguste in 1948 left him a widower once again. Unsplash Personal Life

Konrad Adenauer died on 19 April 1967. He was honored with a state funeral at Cologne Cathedral, which was attended by many German and foreign dignitaries including the then United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. Unsplash Personal Life

Konrad Adenauer was born on 5 January 1876 to Johann Konrad Adenauer, a lawyer and a Cologne civil servant, and his wife Helene, in Cologne, Rhenish Prussia. He had four siblings. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He was of frail health as a youngster and was rejected for military service at the age of 20. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He studied law and politics at the universities of Freiburg, Munich and Bonn and graduated in 1900. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

Konrad Adenauer started working as a lawyer at the court in Cologne following his graduation. A devout Christian, he joined the German Centre Party, a Catholic political party, in 1906. Unsplash Career

He became Vice-Mayor of Cologne in 1909 and the Mayor in 1917. He served as the Mayor till 1933 and also became President of the Prussian state Council. As the mayor he built new port facilities, a green belt, sports grounds and exhibition sites. Unsplash Career

The Nazi Party of Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933 and Cologne's city council and the Prussian parliament was dissolved. Adenauer lost his position as the mayor and his bank accounts were frozen. Unsplash Career

Life in Nazi Germany was hell for him and he struggled to survive initially. During the 1930s and 1940s he tried to maintain a low profile in order to escape persecution at the hands of the Nazis. In 1944 there was a failed assassination attempt on Hitler following which Adenauer was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. Unsplash Career

Eventually he was released from prison in late 1944. After the war ended, he was reinstated in his former position as the mayor of Cologne. However, he was dismissed from this position in 1945. Unsplash Career

Konrad Adenauer is best remembered for his role in the reconstruction of war-ravaged Germany into a politically stable and economically prosperous nation. He was much respected for his unwavering commitment to democracy and the part he played in forging close relationships with other European nations. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	January 5, 1876
Died on	April 19, 1967
Nationality	German
Famous	Former Chancellor of Germany, Leaders, Political Leaders, Presidents
Spouses	Auguste Zinsser, Emma Weyer
Known as	Conrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer
Universities	Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich University of Bonn University of Freiburg
Founder / Co-Founder	Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christian Democratic Party
Birth Place	Cologne
Political Ideology	(1906–1933) - Political party - Centre Party, (1945–1967) - Christian Democratic Union, (1945–1967) - Other political - affiliations CDU/CSU coalition
Religion	Catholicism
Gender	Male
Father	Johann Konrad Adenauer
Mother	Helene Adenauer
Sun Sign	Capricorn
Born in	Cologne
Famous as	Former Chancellor of Germany
Died at Age	91

Konrad Adenauer

German

Jan 5, 1876

Biography

Personal Details

Cologne