FC: RIP Helmut Kohl

[91Joe95]

87 years old.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/wo...or-reunited-Germany-dies/stories/201706160169

 

[Media Fan]

The irony of today's German prosperity is that his predecessor, Gerhard Schroder/ a Socilal Democrat, lead the effort to free the aGerman economy, which believe it or not had been the poor man of Europe. I.e. Hartzler reforms. Kohl, another quality leader, followed through and look now.

 

[TheGLOV]

I always liked the guy.

 

[kgilbert78]

I wept the night the Wall came down. But I'd also been behind it a couple of times. Now I have friends who were from East Berlin. Their granddaughter has never known a Wall or two Germany's. She was born that year.

 

[Pardlion]

87 years old.

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/wo...or-reunited-Germany-dies/stories/201706160169

Liked him. I studied abroad when he was president. His nickname was Birne ("pear ass")

 

[kgilbert78]

Liked him. I studied abroad when he was president. His nickname was Birne ("pear ass")

Where did you study?

I was in Cologne, 1978.

Schmidt was chancellor then--and I actually got to see him give a campaign speech in Hannover for the Lower Saxony state parliament candidate. Totally lucked out--just happened to be there at the right time--we were only about 50-100 ft away. Saw him many, many years later in a roundtable discussion at tOSU with, as I recall, Oscar Arias and Kissinger.