Horst Ehmke

Infobox_Politician

---

name = Horst Ehmke
birth_date = birth date and age|1927|2|4|mf=y
birth_place = Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk)
office = Minister of Justice
term_start = March 26 1969
term_end = October 22 1969
predecessor = Gustav Heinemann
successor = Gerhard Jahn
office2 = Head of the Bundeskanzleramt
term_start2 = October 22 1969
term_end2 = December 15 1972
predecessor2 = Karl Carstens
successor2 = Horst Grabert
office3 = Minister of Post and Communications
term_start3 = December 15 1972
term_end3 = May 7 1974
predecessor3 = Lauritz Lauritzen
successor3 = Kurt Gscheidle
party = SPD
occupation = Lawyer

Prof. Dr. Horst Paul August Ehmke (born February 4, 1927) is a politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

Life

Ehmke was born in the Free City of Danzig, where he passed his Abitur [ [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,463828,00.html] ] . In 1944 Ehmke became a member of the Nazi Party [ [http://www.welt.de/politik/article1026806/Weitere_Prominente_in_der_Nazi_Kartei.html] ] . After escaping to western Germany he studied Law and Economics in Göttingen and Political science and History at Princeton University (U.S.) from 1949 to 1950. In 1952, he promoted as Dr. iur., and in 1956, he passed his final examinations. In these years, he was the assistant of Adolf Arndt, member of the Bundestag (SPD). From 1956 to 1960, Ehmke became a member of the Ford Foundation in Cologne and Berkeley. After passing his Habilitation in 1960, he became extraordinary Professor at the University of Freiburg. From 1963 on, Ehmke was ordinary Professor and held the chair of Law at this university. Since 1974, he is accredited as a lawyer.

Ehmke is married and has two children.

Political career

Since 1947, Ehmke has been a member of the SPD, where he was a member of the directorate from 1973 to 1991. He was a member of the Bundestag from 1969 to 1994 for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Here, he was assistant director of the SPD-faction from 1977 to 1990.

Ehmke was Minister of Justice in 1969, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany and Head of the Bundeskanzleramt from 1969 to 1972 and Federal Minister for Research and Technology as well as Federal Minister for Post and Communications from 1972 to 1974.

9/11

Regarding the events on 9/11, Ehmke said, "Terrorists could not have carried out such an operation with four hijacked planes without the support of a secret service." [http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,,1266511,00.html]

Writings

* "Grenzen der Verfassungsänderung", 1953
* "Politik der praktischen Vernunft – Aufsätze und Referate", 1969
* "Politik als Herausforderung. Reden – Vorträge – Aufsätze 1968–1974", 1974
* "Politik als Herausforderung. Reden – Vorträge – Aufsätze 1975–1979", 1979
* "Beiträge zur Verfassungstheorie und Verfassungspolitik", 1981
* "Mittendrin – Von der Großen Koalition zur Deutschen Einheit", 1994After retiring, Ehmke also wrote detective stories revolving around politics:
* "Global Players", 1998
* "Der Euro-Coup", 1999
* "Himmelsfackeln", 2001
* "Privatsache", 2003
* "Im Schatten der Gewalt", 2006

References

External links

* [http://www.theaterscene.net/ts/articles.nsf/FI/D0B199D2608DB91A85256FF100517682 Interview about the play Democracy] 2005, on Broadway about Willy Brandt

Persondata
NAME= Ehmke, Horst
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Ehmke, Horst Paul August
SHORT DESCRIPTION= politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Lawyer
DATE OF BIRTH= February 4, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH= Danzig (Gdańsk)
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=