Horst Ehmke
Encyclopedia
Horst Paul August Ehmke is a German lawyer, law professor and politician of the Social Democratic Party
(SPD). He served as Federal Minister of Justice (1969), Chief of Staff at the German Chancellery
and Federal Minister for Special Affairs
(1969–1972) and Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Post (1972–1974).
, where he passed his Abitur
. In 1944, at the age of 17, Ehmke was enrolled as a member of the Nazi Party, although when this became public knowledge in 2007 as part of a media investigation of Nazi archives, he stated that he had made no application and was previously unaware of the enrollment. Following the Expulsion of Germans after World War II
he came as a refugee
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 Professor
of public law
at the University of Freiburg
, where he became the Dean. 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 three children.
from 1969 to 1994 for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
. Here, he was deputy whip of the SPD faction from 1977 to 1990.
Ehmke was Federal Minister of Justice from to March to October 1969 before becoming Chief of Staff at the German Chancellery
from 1969 to 1972 under Chancellor Willy Brandt
, being simultaneously the Federal Minister for Special Affairs
. After the West German federal election, 1972 he moved to become Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Post, until he was replaced in May 1974 by Hans Matthöfer
.
After retiring, Ehmke also wrote detective stories revolving around politics:
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD). He served as Federal Minister of Justice (1969), Chief of Staff at the German Chancellery
German Chancellery
The German Chancellery is a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The chief of the Chancellery holds the rank of either a Secretary of State or a Federal Minister ...
and Federal Minister for Special Affairs
Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
A Federal Minister for Special Affairs is a federal minister without portfolio of Germany.Currently, the title is commonly given to the head of the Chancellery to provide him with a vote in cabinet meetings...
(1969–1972) and Federal Minister for Research, Technology, and Post (1972–1974).
Life
Ehmke was born in the Free City of DanzigFree City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
, where he passed his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
. In 1944, at the age of 17, Ehmke was enrolled as a member of the Nazi Party, although when this became public knowledge in 2007 as part of a media investigation of Nazi archives, he stated that he had made no application and was previously unaware of the enrollment. Following the Expulsion of Germans after World War II
Expulsion of Germans after World War II
The later stages of World War II, and the period after the end of that war, saw the forced migration of millions of German nationals and ethnic Germans from various European states and territories, mostly into the areas which would become post-war Germany and post-war Austria...
he came as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
to western Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He studied Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in Göttingen and Political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) 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
Adolf Arndt
Karl Otto Adolf Arndt was a German politician and a member of the SPD.- Life :Born in Königsberg as the son of the Law professor Gustav Adolf Arndt, he moved to Berlin very early with his family. There, he passed his Abitur at the Kaiserin-Augusta-Gymnasium...
, member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
(SPD).
From 1956 to 1960, Ehmke became a member of the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
and Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. After passing his Habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
in 1960, he became Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of public law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
at the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
, where he became the Dean. From 1963 on, Ehmke was ordinary Professor and held the chair of Law at this university. Since 1974, he is accredited as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
.
Ehmke is married and has three children.
Political career
Since 1947, Ehmke has been a member of the SPD, where he was a member of the executive board from 1973 to 1991. He was a member of the BundestagBundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
from 1969 to 1994 for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. Here, he was deputy whip of the SPD faction from 1977 to 1990.
Ehmke was Federal Minister of Justice from to March to October 1969 before becoming Chief of Staff at the German Chancellery
German Chancellery
The German Chancellery is a federal agency serving the executive office of the Chancellor, the head of the German federal government. The chief of the Chancellery holds the rank of either a Secretary of State or a Federal Minister ...
from 1969 to 1972 under Chancellor Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
, being simultaneously the Federal Minister for Special Affairs
Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany
A Federal Minister for Special Affairs is a federal minister without portfolio of Germany.Currently, the title is commonly given to the head of the Chancellery to provide him with a vote in cabinet meetings...
. After the West German federal election, 1972 he moved to become Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Post, until he was replaced in May 1974 by Hans Matthöfer
Hans Matthöfer
Hans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
.
Views
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."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, 1994
After 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
External links
- Interview about the play Democracy 2005, on Broadway about Willy Brandt