Germany.info : Government & Politics: Officials & Institutions: Federal President

Germany.info Home: Government & Politics: Officials & Institutions Federal President

Federal President

Federal President Horst Köhler

Horst Köhler was born into a farming family in Skierbieszow, Poland, on February 22, 1943. His parents originated from Bessarabia and were forcibly resettled to Poland. In early 1945 the family fled to Germany from the advancing Soviet troops. They lived in Markkleeberg-Zöbigker near Leipzig for nearly ten years before fleeing to the Federal Republic of Germany via West Berlin during Easter of 1953 to escape the communist dictatorship. The family stayed in various refugee camps before eventually finding a new home in the Swabian city of Ludwigsburg.

Köhler, who is Protestant, is married to teacher Eva Luise Köhler, née Bohnet. They have two adult children, a daughter and son.

After completing the Abitur (university entrance examination) in 1963 and military service (1963-1965), Köhler studied economics at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen from 1965 to 1969, graduating with a degree in economics. From 1969 to 1976 he worked as a research assistant at the Institute for Applied Economics Research in Tübingen and in 1977 obtained his doctorate at the University of Tübingen. In 2003 the University of Tübingen made him a guest professor.

In 1976, Köhler joined the Policy Principles Directorate-General of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Finance. From 1981 to 1982, he served as advisor to Gerhard Stoltenberg, then Minister-President of Land Schleswig-Holstein, at the State Chancellery in Kiel. He joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1981

In November 1982, Horst Köhler accompanied Gerhard Stoltenberg, the new Federal Minister of Finance, to Bonn. He worked there in various functions until 1989.

Federal Finance Minister Theo Waigel appointed Horst Köhler State Secretary effective January 1, 1990. In his role as State Secretary, Köhler formulated the Federal Government’s proposal of German-German monetary union to the Government of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and negotiated the transitional agreement for the departure of the Soviet troops from East Germany under Theo Waigel.

Horst Köhler was Germany’s chief negotiator at the Inter-Governmental Conference which led to the Maastricht Treaty on European Economic and Monetary Union and the Personal Representative (Sherpa) to Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl during preparations for the G7 Economic Summits in Houston (1990), London (1991), Munich (1992) and Tokyo (1993).

In August 1993 Köhler left the Federal Government to serve as President of the German Savings Bank Association, where he remained until 1998. In this position, he worked particularly to strengthen the role of small- and medium-sized enterprises and municipalities.

In September 1998 Köhler was appointed President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London at the behest of Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl. This bank helps build market economies and democracies in the ex-communist eastern bloc countries.

In May 2000 Horst Köhler moved from London to Washington to serve as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at the request of Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. He instigated far-reaching reforms in IMF policy which included improving transparency in international monetary policy and within the IMF itself, increasing the efficacy of measures to prevent international financial crises and involving the IMF in the global fight against poverty.

In his activity as IMF Managing Director and in his public speeches, Köhler developed his concept for a political approach to globalization.

Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker honored Professor Köhler with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He has also received other distinguished awards, both at home and abroad.

(Source: www.bundespraesident.de)

Link

Website of the Federal President