Hans-Ulrich Klose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hans-Ulrich Klose
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| Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office 26 October 1998 – 17 October 2002 |
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| Deputy | Carl-Dieter Spranger |
| Preceded by | Karl-Heinz Hornhues |
| Succeeded by | Volker Rühe |
| Vice President of the Bundestag | |
| In office 10 November 1994 – 26 October 1998 |
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| President | Rita Süssmuth |
| Preceded by | Renate Schmidt |
| Succeeded by | Anke Fuchs |
| Leader of the Social Democratic Party in the Bundestag | |
| In office 12 November 1991 – 10 November 1994 |
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| Chief Whip | Peter Struck |
| Preceded by | Hans-Jochen Vogel |
| Succeeded by | Rudolf Scharping |
| First Mayor of Hamburg | |
| In office 12 November 1974 – 25 May 1981 |
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| President | Walter Scheel Karl Carstens |
| Chancellor | Helmut Schmidt |
| Second Mayor | Dieter Biallas Helga Elstner |
| Preceded by | Peter Schulz |
| Succeeded by | Klaus von Dohnanyi |
| Hamburg Senator for the Interior | |
| In office 10 October 1973 – 12 November 1974 |
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| First Mayor | Peter Schulz |
| Preceded by | Heinz Ruhnau |
| Succeeded by | Werner Staak |
| Member of the Bundestag for Hamburg-Bergedorf-Harburg |
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| In office 22 September 2002 – 22 September 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency created |
| Succeeded by | Metin Hakverdi |
| Member of the Bundestag for Hamburg-Harburg |
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| In office 6 March 1983 – 22 September 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Herbert Wehner |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 June 1937 Breslau, Germany |
| Died | 6 September 2023 (aged 86) |
| Citizenship | German |
| Nationality |  Germany |
| Political party | SPD |
| Alma mater | University of Hamburg |
Hans-Ulrich Klose (born 14 June 1937 – died 6 September 2023) was an important German politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Klose served as the First Mayor of Hamburg, a major German city, from 1974 to 1981. He was also a long-time member of the German Federal Parliament, known as the Bundestag.
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Early Life and Education
Hans-Ulrich Klose was born in Breslau, which was part of Germany at the time. After World War II, his family moved to Bielefeld. In 1957, he finished high school. He then went on to study law at the University of Freiburg and the University of Hamburg. After finishing his law studies in 1965, he started working as a lawyer in Hamburg.
Political Journey
Starting in State Politics
Klose joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1964. His political career began in 1970 when he became a member of the Hamburg Parliament. He quickly rose through the ranks. By 1972, he was the main leader of the SPD group in the Hamburg Parliament.
In October 1973, Klose became the Minister of the Interior for Hamburg. This role meant he was in charge of things like police and public safety for the city.
Becoming Hamburg's First Mayor
Just one year later, on 12 November 1974, Hans-Ulrich Klose became the First Mayor of Hamburg. He was only 37 years old, which was quite young for such an important job. During his time as Mayor, he was seen as a key figure in the more progressive side of his party. He served as Mayor until 1981. He resigned after a disagreement within his party about a new power plant project.
Serving in the German Parliament
In 1983, Klose was elected to the Bundestag, which is the German Parliament. He represented the SPD party. He took over this role from another important politician, Herbert Wehner.
Key Roles in the Bundestag
From 1987 to 1991, Klose worked as the treasurer for the SPD party. This meant he managed the party's money. He was part of the party's main leadership team.
From 1991 to 1994, Klose became the leader of the SPD group in the Bundestag. This made him the leader of the opposition, meaning he led the main party that was not in power. In this role, he worked with leaders from other parties on important laws, like changes to Germany's rules for people seeking asylum.
Before the 1994 elections, Klose was part of his party's "shadow cabinet." A shadow cabinet is a group of politicians from the opposition party who prepare to take on government roles if their party wins. Klose was the shadow minister of defence. After his party lost the election, he stepped down from his leadership role. Instead, he was chosen as one of the Vice Presidents of the German Bundestag.
In 1998, Klose became the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. This committee deals with Germany's relationships with other countries. From 2002, he served as its vice president. He also led the German-American Parliamentary Friendship Group, which worked to strengthen ties between Germany and the United States.
In 2010, Germany's Foreign Minister asked Klose to become the government's coordinator for German-American affairs. This was a special appointment because Klose was from the opposition party. He held this position until 2011.
After leaving politics in 2013, Klose became a senior advisor for the Robert Bosch Foundation.
Other Activities
Hans-Ulrich Klose was involved in several other important organizations:
- CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg: He was a member of their Board of Trustees, helping with humanitarian aid.
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES): He was a member of this foundation, which promotes democracy and education.
- Green Helmets: He was on the Board of Trustees for this organization.
- Otto von Bismarck Foundation: He was a member of the Board of Trustees for this historical foundation.
- Progressives Zentrum: He was part of this group, which focuses on progressive ideas.
Awards and Recognition
In March 2013, a group called the Congressional Study Group on Germany gave Klose a special award. It was called the International Statesmanship Award. He received it for his long-standing work in making the relationship between the United States and Germany stronger.
Personal Life
Hans-Ulrich Klose was married to his third wife, who is a doctor, starting in 1992. He had two daughters and two sons from his first two marriages. He passed away on 6 September 2023.
