Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

(1876–1967), Chancellor of the federal republic of germany ( frg ) (1949–63). He was a Catholic Rhinelander who became mayor of Cologne in 1917 and president of the Prussian State Council in 1920, and who retained both these positions until dismissed in 1933 by the Nazis (see nazism ). Though twice imprisoned under hitler , Adenauer survived the Third Reich to assume in 1946 the leadership of the recently established Christian Democratic Party (see christian democracy ), initially within the British occupation zone. He then played a central role in formulating an effective democratic constitution for the new FRG at large. Having become its founding Chancellor in the aftermath of the berlin blockade of 1948–9, he achieved re-election at the head of the Christian Democrats in 1953, 1957, and 1961. From 1951 to 1955 he also acted as foreign minister. During his long chancellorship Adenauer undertook the international rehabilitation of so-called west Germany by forging a closer relationship with France and other neighbors, for example via the Schuman Plan of 1950 (see schuman ) and the rome treaties of 1957. Such promotion of european integration to the west of the “iron curtain” developed alongside the strengthening of a domestic “social market economy,” in both of which policies he enjoyed skilful assistance from his eventual successor erhard . The FRG's accession to ... log in or subscribe to read full text