Klaus von Dohnanyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Klaus von Dohnanyi
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von Dohnanyi in 2018
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| First Mayor of Hamburg | |
| In office 24 June 1981 – 8 June 1988 |
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| President | Karl Carstens Richard von Weizsäcker |
| Chancellor | Helmut Schmidt Helmut Kohl |
| Preceded by | Hans-Ulrich Klose |
| Succeeded by | Henning Voscherau |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 June 1928 Hamburg, Germany |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
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Klaus Karl Anton von Dohnanyi was born on June 23, 1928. He is a German politician. He belongs to the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as the mayor of Hamburg from 1981 to 1988. As of 2025, he is the oldest living former leader of a German state government.
Klaus's Early Life and Education
Klaus von Dohnanyi was born in Hamburg, Germany. His mother was Christine von Dohnanyi. His father, Hans von Dohnanyi, was a lawyer. His uncle was Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a famous theologian. Klaus's grandfather was Ernst von Dohnányi, a well-known Hungarian composer. Both his father and uncle were part of the German Resistance. They were executed in 1945. Klaus also has a younger brother, Christoph, who is a conductor. He has a sister named Barbara too.
Klaus studied law at the University of Munich. He also studied in the United States. He attended Columbia, Stanford, and Yale universities. After his studies, he started working. He joined the Max Planck Institute. Later, he worked for Ford Motor Company. He was in charge of the Planning Division in Detroit and Cologne. From 1960 to 1967, he was a managing partner. He worked at an institute in Munich. This institute focused on market research and management.
Klaus's Political Journey
In 1969, Klaus von Dohnanyi was elected. He became a member of the German Bundestag. This is the German Parliament. He represented the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. He worked in the Economics ministry. He served as a state secretary. Later, he became the Federal Minister of Education and Science. He held this position until 1981.
In 1981, Dohnanyi was elected First Mayor of Hamburg. This is his home city. As First Mayor, he also became the Minister-President of Hamburg. Hamburg is one of the federal States of Germany. He served two terms as First Mayor. His time in office was from June 24, 1981, to June 8, 1988.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany became one country again. This was called German reunification. Dohnanyi helped with the changes in East Germany. From 1993 to 1996, he was a special adviser. He advised on market economy and state matters. He worked with the Treuhandanstalt and BvS. These companies were in charge of selling state-owned businesses. These businesses were from the former East Germany. Dohnanyi is also a member of the Konvent für Deutschland. This is a group that shares ideas across different political parties.
In 2004, Dohnanyi helped lead a special group. This group presented a report to Minister Manfred Stolpe. The report gave ideas for improving development in eastern Germany.
Other Activities
Klaus von Dohnanyi has been involved in many other activities. Here are a few examples:
- He was a member of the Board of Trustees for AIESEC Germany.
- He was a member of the Senate for the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
- He was on the Advisory Board for the Bertelsmann Stiftung from 1989 to 1998.
- He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES).
- He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Hamburger Theaterfestival.
See also
In Spanish: Klaus von Dohnanyi para niños
