BERLIN (Reuters) – Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who led the country for eight years at the height of the Cold War, died yesterday at the age of 96, his office said.
Schmidt was West Germany’s second centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) chancellor from 1974 to 1982 and a leading proponent of European integration.
He became chancellor at a time of crisis for West Germany, replacing Willy Brandt, who had been forced to resign when his close assistant Guenter Guillaume was uncovered as a Stasi agency spying for the East German intelligence agency.
At the same time, Schmidt had to deal with the consequences of the 1973-74 oil crisis.
German media reported that Schmidt caught an infection after having surgery to remove a blood clot from his leg about two months ago. He died yesterday in his hometown of Hamburg.
In recent years, Schmidt, a chain smoker, was a frequent talk show guest and won more respect among many Germans as an elder statesman than he did when he led the country.
“We are mourning Schmidt and are proud that he was one of us. We will miss his powerful judgement and advice,” tweeted SPD leader and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.
Conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel was to make a statement later in the evening.
His death prompted tributes from across Europe.
