Karl-Hermann Flach
Encyclopedia
Karl-Hermann Flach was a German
journalist
of the Frankfurter Rundschau
and a politician of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).
Flach became member of the liberal LDP (in the Soviet zone of Germany) and worked in 1948/1949 for the LDP newspaper Norddeutsche Zeitung in Schwerin
. In October 1949 he fled to West-Berlin and became a member of the FDP. In 1949-1953 he studied political science.
In 1956 he started to work for the federal headquarters of the party and had important campagne jobs in 1957 and 1961. But in 1962 he left the party organisation for the Frankfurter Rundschau, a leading newspaper then considered liberal. From 1971 on he worked again for the FDP, this time als secretary-general of chairman Walter Scheel
. Being elected to the Bundestag
in 1972 he became vice chairman of the Bundestag party.
Flach died at the age of 44 in 1973 after having suffered a stroke a month before.
Flach belonged to the left wing of his party and is considered an important contributor to social liberalism
. He was one of the authors of the left liberal Freiburger Thesen, a programmatic paper the party accepted at its congress in October 1971. They stand for the turn to the left the party started in 1968 to become more independent from the conservatives and have a coalition with the social democrats (1969-1982).
He has been honoured with several prizes for his work as a journalist. Later came a foundation and a prize named after him.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
of the Frankfurter Rundschau
Frankfurter Rundschau
The Frankfurter Rundschau is a German daily newspaper, based in Frankfurt am Main. It is published every day but Sunday as a city, two regional and one nationwide issues and offers an online edition as well as an e-paper...
and a politician of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).
Flach became member of the liberal LDP (in the Soviet zone of Germany) and worked in 1948/1949 for the LDP newspaper Norddeutsche Zeitung in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
. In October 1949 he fled to West-Berlin and became a member of the FDP. In 1949-1953 he studied political science.
In 1956 he started to work for the federal headquarters of the party and had important campagne jobs in 1957 and 1961. But in 1962 he left the party organisation for the Frankfurter Rundschau, a leading newspaper then considered liberal. From 1971 on he worked again for the FDP, this time als secretary-general of chairman Walter Scheel
Walter Scheel
Walter Scheel is a German politician . He served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966, Foreign Minister of Germany and Vice Chancellor from 1969 to 1974, acting Chancellor of Germany from 7 May to 16 May 1974 , and finally as President of the Federal...
. Being elected to 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...
in 1972 he became vice chairman of the Bundestag party.
Flach died at the age of 44 in 1973 after having suffered a stroke a month before.
Flach belonged to the left wing of his party and is considered an important contributor to social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
. He was one of the authors of the left liberal Freiburger Thesen, a programmatic paper the party accepted at its congress in October 1971. They stand for the turn to the left the party started in 1968 to become more independent from the conservatives and have a coalition with the social democrats (1969-1982).
He has been honoured with several prizes for his work as a journalist. Later came a foundation and a prize named after him.
See also
- Contributions to liberal theoryContributions to liberal theoryIndividual contributors to classical liberalism and political liberalism are associated with philosophers of the Enlightenment. Liberalism as a specifically named ideology begins in the late 18th century as a movement towards self-government and away from aristocracy...