Klaus Schütz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Klaus Schütz
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Klaus Schütz in 1969
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| Governing Mayor of Berlin (West Berlin) |
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| In office 19 October 1967 – 2 May 1977 |
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| President | Heinrich Lübke Gustav Heinemann Walter Scheel |
| Chancellor | Ludwig Erhard Kurt Georg Kiesinger |
| Preceded by | Heinrich Albertz |
| Succeeded by | Dietrich Stobbe |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Klaus Schütz
17 September 1926 Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| Died | 29 November 2012 (aged 86) Wilmersdorf, Berlin, Germany |
| Resting place | Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf |
| Political party | SPD |
| Spouse | Adelheid |
Klaus Schütz (born September 17, 1926 – died November 29, 2012) was an important German politician. He was the Mayor of West Berlin from 1967 to 1977. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up and War Service
Klaus Schütz was born in Heidelberg, Germany, on September 17, 1926. He grew up in Berlin. In 1944, after finishing high school, he joined the army. He was an anti-aircraft helper during World War II. Near the end of the war, he was badly hurt in Italy. This injury caused his right arm to be paralyzed for the rest of his life.
University and Student Politics
After the war ended, Schütz started studying history and German. He went to the Humboldt University in Berlin. He joined a group for social democratic students. From 1947, he was part of the student council.
Later, he became a delegate for the Young Socialists in Wilmersdorf. This group was part of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). In 1948, some students were expelled from Humboldt University. This university was in the Soviet-controlled part of Germany. Schütz and other student council members left in protest. They moved to the Free University, which was in the American sector. In 1949, he also studied political science at Harvard University in the United States.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
After his studies, Schütz came back to Berlin. He worked as an assistant at the Free University. In 1951, the Young Socialists in Berlin chose him as their leader. He was strongly supported by Willy Brandt, who later became a very famous politician. Schütz took over Brandt's role in the Wilmersdorf SPD.
From 1955 to 1957, Schütz was a member of the Berlin House of Representatives. Then, from 1958 to 1961, he was a member of the German Bundestag (the German parliament). In the 1961 election, he led Willy Brandt's election campaign. When Willy Brandt became Foreign Minister, Schütz became a State Secretary in the Foreign Office.
In 1967, the mayor at the time, Heinrich Albertz, resigned. This happened after a student was shot during a protest. Schütz was then elected mayor by the Abgeordnetenhaus (Berlin's parliament).
Mayor of Berlin
As mayor, Klaus Schütz led Berlin during a time of less tension in the Cold War. This period was called Détente. A big step was the Four-Power Agreement signed in Berlin. This agreement confirmed the rights of the four main powers (USA, UK, France, Soviet Union) over Berlin and Germany. It also made travel and communication easier between East and West Berlin. This brought many good changes for people in West Berlin.
Six months later, the Basic Treaty was signed. This treaty meant that West and East Germany officially recognized each other as separate countries for the first time. West Germany also changed its foreign policy, moving towards Ostpolitik, which meant building better relations with Eastern European countries.
In the 1971 West Berlin state election, Schütz's SPD party lost some votes. However, they still won more than half the votes (50.4 percent). The SPD then ended its partnership with the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and governed alone. But there were still disagreements within the party. In 1975, the SPD lost its majority in the Abgeordnetenhaus. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) became the largest party. Schütz then formed a new partnership with the FDP.
However, his government faced problems and scandals. When a senator had issues with his income, Schütz decided to resign. On May 2, 1977, he stepped down as mayor. Soon after, he also left his leadership role in the SPD party in Berlin.
After Being Mayor
After leaving his role as mayor, Klaus Schütz became the German Ambassador to Israel. He served there from 1977 to 1981. Later, he managed the Deutsche Welle broadcasting company. He also became the director of the State Broadcasting Corporation in North Rhine-Westphalia.
After he retired, Schütz moved back to Berlin in 1992. He worked on writing projects and became the president of the German Red Cross in Berlin.
Death
Klaus Schütz passed away on November 29, 2012, in Berlin. He was 86 years old and died from pneumonia.
Personal Life
Klaus Schütz married Adelheid (1924–2006) in 1952. Her father was a parson (a type of church minister).
Awards
Klaus Schütz received several important awards for his work:
- 1972: Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- 1975: Large Cross of Merit with star and shoulder ribbon
- 2006: Order of Merit of the State of Berlin
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