Berlin [Germany], February 1 : Former German President Horst Kohler passed away at the age of 81 in Berlin after a short illness, the office of current German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement on Saturday.
"It is with deep sadness that the office of former Federal President Horst Kohler, on behalf of the Kohler family, announces that former Federal President Prof. Dr. Horst Kohler passed away early today morning at the age of 81 in the circle of his family in Berlin after a short, serious illness," the statement said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Kohler a "committed politician."
In a post on X, Scholz said, "With the death of former Federal President Horst Kohler, Germany loses a committed politician who dedicated his life to a more just world."
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}Mit dem Tod des früheren Bundespräsidenten Horst Köhler verliert Deutschland einen engagierten Politiker, der sich Zeit seines Lebens für eine gerechtere Welt eingesetzt hat. pic.twitter.com/5yx0zHEDKv— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 1, 2025
Notably, from July 2004 to May 2010, Horst Kohler was the ninth Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany. In his inaugural speech, he advocated an understanding of Germany as a "land of ideas" that would shape its own future in a united and self-confident manner and act as a force for good in the world. One of his key domestic policy issues was how to create and secure sustainable jobs in Germany.
The German President's Office statement further said, "In terms of foreign policy, Kohler campaigned for a fair globalization that takes the well-being of all people into account and warned against financial capitalism that does not see itself as bound by any rules. He never tired of pointing out the importance and potential of the African continent for global development. He felt that dealing with Africa was not only wise and forward-looking but also ethically necessary: For me, the humanity of our world will be decided by the fate of Africa, said Horst Kohler when he took office."
Born in 1943 in Skierbieszow, Poland, as the seventh of eight children, Kohler ended up in Ludwigsburg after his family fled the advancing Soviet troops. He studied economic science in Tubingen and gained a doctorate. He worked for the Economic Affairs Ministry in Bonn from 1976 and later became State Secretary at the Finance Ministry. In 2000, he was made Managing Director of the IMF in Washington.
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