Konrad Adenauer(1876 — 1967)
Konrad Adenauer
Allemagne, royaume de Prusse
6 min read
German statesman, first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1949 to 1963. A major figure in the rebuilding of post-war Germany, he anchored his country in the Western bloc and worked toward Franco-German reconciliation.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- First Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963
- Co-founder of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in 1945
- Architect of West Germany's anchoring in the Western bloc and its accession to NATO in 1955
- Signed the Élysée Treaty with Charles de Gaulle, sealing Franco-German reconciliation in 1963
- Oversaw the German “economic miracle” (Wirtschaftswunder) of the 1950s
Works & Achievements
By becoming the first chancellor, he laid down the institutions and democratic stability of the emerging West Germany.
A policy of Western integration culminating in NATO membership in 1955, a decisive Cold War choice.
Joining the ECSC and then signing the Treaties of Rome (EEC); Adenauer made Germany a pillar of a united Europe.
Committed the FRG to compensating Israel and Jewish victims, a major gesture of responsibility toward the Nazi past.
Secured the return of the last German soldiers held in the USSR and the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Together with de Gaulle, he sealed Franco-German reconciliation, a lasting foundation for cooperation in Europe.
A multi-volume account of his political action, a major source on the founding of the FRG.
Anecdotes
In 1917, while serving as deputy mayor of Cologne during the shortages of the First World War, Adenauer developed a sausage made from soy flour, nicknamed the "Kölner Wurst" or "peace sausage." He even filed for a patent, but the imperial administration rejected it on the grounds that a sausage without meat was not a sausage at all.
An inventor at heart, Adenauer patented a multitude of objects over the course of his life: a soy bread, a watering can, a built-in light for a darning egg, and even a device for catching insects. He loved tinkering with practical solutions to everyday problems.
Nicknamed "Der Alte" (the Old One), he became the first chancellor of West Germany at the age of 73 in 1949 and held the office until he was 87. In the Bundestag vote, he is said to have been elected by a single vote — his own, which he later admitted he had cast for himself.
In September 1955, Adenauer traveled to Moscow and secured from Khrushchev the release of the roughly 10,000 remaining German prisoners of war still held in the USSR, ten years after the end of the conflict. Their return was a moment of national emotion in Germany.
A keen gardener, he grew roses at his home in Rhöndorf, on the banks of the Rhine, and played Italian boules (bocce) to relax. He had even created his own variety of rose.
Primary Sources
The two governments recognize that close cooperation between the French Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany constitutes an essential step on the path toward a united Europe, which is the goal of both peoples.
The Federal Republic of Germany belongs, by its origins, its civilization, and its convictions, to the world of Western Europe. We wish to join the community of free peoples.
The foreign policy we had to pursue aimed to restore to Germany — defeated and occupied — its freedom and its place among the nations, through integration with the West.
Key Places
Adenauer's birthplace, where he served as mayor from 1917 to 1933. There he founded the university and developed the green belt.
A village on the banks of the Rhine where Adenauer lived, tended his roses, and died in 1967. His house is now a museum.
Provisional capital of West Germany and seat of the chancellery that Adenauer led from 1949 to 1963.
Where the Franco-German treaty was signed with Charles de Gaulle in January 1963.
Where, in 1955, Adenauer negotiated the release of the last German prisoners of war and the establishment of diplomatic relations with the USSR.
