Klaus Kinkel
Encyclopedia
Klaus Kinkel is a German
civil servant, lawyer, and politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). He served as Federal Minister of Justice
(1991–1992), Foreign Minister
(1992–1998) and Vice Chancellor of Germany (1993–1998) in the government of Helmut Kohl
. He was also chairman of the liberal Free Democratic Party from 1993 to 1995. Previously, he was President of the Federal Intelligence Service
(1979–1982).
As Foreign Minister, Kinkel took a clear stance to end the atrocities committed during the Yugoslav wars
of the 1990s, and proposed the creation of the ICTY.
, Baden-Württemberg
, into a Catholic family. He took his Abitur
at the Staatliches Gymnasium Hechingen and studied law at the universities of Tübingen, Bonn and Cologne. He became a member of A.V. Guestfalia Tübingen, a Catholic student fraternity that is member of the Cartellverband
. Kinkel took his first juristic state exam at Tübingen, the second in Stuttgart and earned a doctorate of law in 1964.
, until he was employed at the Federal Ministry for the Interior in 1968. There, he was personal secretary for the Federal Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher
, from 1970 to 1974, and eventually the head of the Minister's bureau. After Genscher was appointed Foreign Minister in 1974, Kinkel had senior positions in the Foreign Ministry, as head of the Leitungsstab and the Planungsstab.
.
.
From 1993 to 1995 he was chairman of the FDP.
. The former President of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milošević
, claimed during his trial in the Hague, that Kinkel's policy was based on a long-standing objective of German foreign policy and the German liberal party in particular to erase Serbia from the map, citing statements by Kinkel that Germany had to accomplish in Yugoslavia what it had "failed to accomplish twice before," and that "the Serbs should be brought to their knees". In 1992, he proposed the creation of the ICTY.
In 1992, he announced Germany's wish for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
, the Parliament of Germany, from 1994 to 2002. From 1998 to 2002, he was deputy chairman of the FDP faction. Kinkel was elected from the state of Baden-Württemberg.
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...
civil servant, lawyer, and politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). He served as Federal Minister of Justice
Federal Ministry of Justice (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of Justice is a federal ministry in Germany.Under the federal system of Germany, individual states are most responsible for the administration of justice and the application of penalties. The Federal Ministry of Justice devotes itself to creating and changing law in the...
(1991–1992), Foreign Minister
Foreign Office (Germany)
The Foreign Office is the foreign ministry of Germany, a federal agency responsible for both the country's foreign politics and its relationship with the European Union. From 1871 to 1919, it was led by a Foreign Secretary, and since 1919, it has been led by the Foreign Minister of Germany...
(1992–1998) and Vice Chancellor of Germany (1993–1998) in the government of Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
. He was also chairman of the liberal Free Democratic Party from 1993 to 1995. Previously, he was President of the Federal Intelligence Service
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
(1979–1982).
As Foreign Minister, Kinkel took a clear stance to end the atrocities committed during the Yugoslav wars
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
of the 1990s, and proposed the creation of the ICTY.
Education
The son of a doctor, he was born in MetzingenMetzingen
Metzingen is a Swabian city with about 22,000 inhabitants, in the state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany, south of Stuttgart.-History:The city is mentioned for the first time in documents from 1075...
, Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, into a Catholic family. He took 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...
at the Staatliches Gymnasium Hechingen and studied law at the universities of Tübingen, Bonn and Cologne. He became a member of A.V. Guestfalia Tübingen, a Catholic student fraternity that is member of the Cartellverband
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen
The Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen or Cartellverband is a German umbrella organization of Catholic male student fraternities .-Foundation:...
. Kinkel took his first juristic state exam at Tübingen, the second in Stuttgart and earned a doctorate of law in 1964.
Early career as a civil servant
He was first employed as a civil servant in the state of Baden-WürttembergBaden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, until he was employed at the Federal Ministry for the Interior in 1968. There, he was personal secretary for the Federal Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Hans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
, from 1970 to 1974, and eventually the head of the Minister's bureau. After Genscher was appointed Foreign Minister in 1974, Kinkel had senior positions in the Foreign Ministry, as head of the Leitungsstab and the Planungsstab.
President of the Federal Intelligence Service
From 1979 to 1982 he was president of the Federal Intelligence ServiceBundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
.
Secretary of state
From 1982 to 1991, he was secretary of state in the Federal Ministry of Justice.Cabinet member and party chairman of the FDP
He became a member of FDP in 1991. He was Federal Minister of Justice from 18 January 1991 to 18 May 1992, and was then Minister of Foreign Affairs to 26 October 1998. From 21 January 1993, he was also Vice Chancellor of Germany. He resigned as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor after the government's defeat in the 1998 federal electionGerman federal election, 1998
A German federal election was conducted on September 27, 1998, to elect members to the 14th Bundestag, the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany.- Issues and campaign :...
.
From 1993 to 1995 he was chairman of the FDP.
Tenure as Foreign Minister
During his tenure as Foreign Minister, he made substantial efforts to end the atrocities committed by Serbs in the Yugoslav WarsYugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of wars, fought throughout the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 1995. The wars were complex: characterized by bitter ethnic conflicts among the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, mostly between Serbs on the one side and Croats and Bosniaks on the other; but also...
. The former President of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
, claimed during his trial in the Hague, that Kinkel's policy was based on a long-standing objective of German foreign policy and the German liberal party in particular to erase Serbia from the map, citing statements by Kinkel that Germany had to accomplish in Yugoslavia what it had "failed to accomplish twice before," and that "the Serbs should be brought to their knees". In 1992, he proposed the creation of the ICTY.
In 1992, he announced Germany's wish for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
Member of Parliament
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...
, the Parliament of Germany, from 1994 to 2002. From 1998 to 2002, he was deputy chairman of the FDP faction. Kinkel was elected from the state of Baden-Württemberg.