Memorial Page for Walter Scheel

Walter Scheel (born 8 July 1919 in Höhscheid, now part of Solingen; died 24 August 2016 in Bad Krozingen) was a German Free Democratic politician. He served as federal minister for economic cooperation, foreign minister, vice chancellor and, from 1974 to 1979, the fourth Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany. His name is especially connected with the social-liberal coalition and West Germany's new Ostpolitik.

Origins, war and a new beginning

Scheel was born as the son of a wheelwright in the Bergisches Land region and trained as a bank clerk after finishing school. A planned course of study did not take place because of the Second World War; Scheel served in the Luftwaffe. Deutsche Biographie also records Nazi Party membership for these years. After 1945 Scheel worked in business and joined the Free Democratic Party in 1946. His political career began locally in Solingen and led to the parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1950.

FDP and Bundestag

In 1953 Scheel was elected to the German Bundestag. He was among the liberal politicians who combined business experience with a European orientation. From 1961 to 1966 he served as federal minister for economic cooperation. In that office he helped give West German development policy a firmer institutional place. Within the FDP Scheel became a leading figure; from 1968 to 1974 he chaired the party.

Foreign minister of the new Ostpolitik

In 1969 the SPD and FDP formed the social-liberal coalition under Willy Brandt. Scheel became foreign minister and vice chancellor. In this role he was involved in the new Ostpolitik, which reorganized relations with the Soviet Union, Poland and East Germany. The 1972 Basic Treaty placed relations between the Federal Republic and East Germany on a new footing. The policy was controversial at home, but it became a central part of West Germany's policy of détente.

Acting chancellor and Federal President

After Willy Brandt's resignation in May 1974, Scheel briefly led the federal government in an acting capacity until Helmut Schmidt was elected chancellor. On 15 May 1974 the Federal Convention elected him Federal President. He took office on 1 July 1974. As head of state, Scheel appeared accessible and representative. His popular side, including his recording of Hoch auf dem gelben Wagen, made him widely known; politically, the office was shaped mainly by representation, foreign visits and speeches.

Later years and death

After the end of his presidential term in 1979, Scheel remained active in foundations, European contexts and business functions. He became honorary chairman of the FDP. Walter Scheel died in Bad Krozingen on 24 August 2016. His political biography stands for a period of the Bonn Republic in which liberal politics played an important role between business, Europe, development policy and détente.