Helmut Kohl Biography

Birth of Helmut Kohl

Graduates with a doctorate

Elected to the Landtag of the Rhineland Palatinate

Appointed Minister President

Appointed Regional Party Chairman

Appointed Federal Chairman of the CDU

Appointed Chancellor of Germany, 1st term

Helmut Schmidt is defeated in a vote of no confidence & replaced by Helmut Kohl

Attends his first European Council as chancellor while the Community addresses budgetary and institutional questions.

Increases support in the general election

Hosts the European Council as leaders adopt the Solemn Declaration on European Union.

Reports to the Bundestag on the Stuttgart European Council and its declaration on European Union.

Reports to the European Parliament on Stuttgart and stresses implementation of stronger European political cooperation.

Represents Germany as leaders seek a durable settlement of Community budget disputes and institutional reform.

Reagan visits the Bitburg Nazi cemetery with Chancellor Helmut Khol

Kohl represents West Germany in the member-state settlement admitting Spain and Portugal.

Leads West Germany when the five founding states sign the Schengen Agreement on the gradual removal of controls at their common borders.

Represents Germany as the Milan European Council considers institutional reform and completion of the internal market.

Heads the German government as Spain and Portugal join the European Communities, expanding membership to twelve.

Heads the German government when Germany joins the first group of states signing the Single European Act.

Heads the German government when the Single European Act enters into force and strengthens the internal-market programme.

Hosts the European Council as leaders discuss monetary integration and the next stage of the internal market.

West German Chancellor Helmut Kohls Christian Democratic Union suffers a major setback in West Berlin municipal elections

Represents Germany as leaders approve launching the first stage of economic and monetary union in July 1990.

The Berlin Wall opens marking the fall of the East German regime

The German Democratic Republic collapses

Represents Germany as leaders consider monetary union, political change in Europe and future treaty negotiations.

Gorbachev agrees to East & |West Germany having a single NATO force

Campaigns in the east, a resounding victory for the CDU

Agrees West Germany's acceptance of the 1945 Potsdam settlement

Gorbachev agrees to East & |West Germany having a single NATO force

Gorbachev agrees to East & |West Germany having a single NATO force

Agrees West Germany's acceptance of the 1945 Potsdam settlement

Supervises the re-unification of Germany

Represents Germany at the special European Council discussing German unification and the changing political order in Europe.

Heads the German government when the five original Schengen states sign the convention implementing border-free travel arrangements.

During the Schengen process, Kohl leads Germany when the implementing Convention establishes detailed rules for a border-free Schengen area. German officials emphasise reliable information-sharing between national authorities.

The German Democratic Republic ceases to exist at midnight

The German Democratic Republic ceases to exist at midnight

The German Democratic Republic ceases to exist at midnight

Represents Germany as leaders advance preparations for the second stage of economic and monetary union.

East & West Germany sign the re-unification Treaty

East & West Germany sign the re-unification Treaty

Germany & Poland sign a Treaty confirming their border at the Oder-Neisse line

Germany & Poland sign a Treaty confirming their border at the Oder-Neisse line

Germany & Poland sign a Treaty confirming their border at the Oder-Neisse line

Kohl helps lead Germany as Italy signs its agreement to accede to the Schengen Convention. Bonn also backs intensive police cooperation between participating states.

Returned as Chancellor in a re-united Germany

Appointed Chancellor of Germany, 2nd term

Backs simultaneous negotiations on political union and economic and monetary union.

The German Parliament votes to move the Government to Berlin

Kohl represents Germany as Spain and Portugal sign Schengen accession agreements. German officials emphasise reliable information-sharing between national authorities.

Takes Germany's position to Luxembourg as leaders examine the two intergovernmental conferences.

Represents Germany as the Maastricht European Council opens the decisive negotiations on European Union.

Takes Germany's position into the opening day of the Maastricht European Council.

Supports the final Maastricht settlement establishing the route toward economic and monetary union.

Kohl helps represent Germany when Greece signs its Schengen accession instruments. German policy links open internal borders with stronger external controls.

Joins the Edinburgh summit while Germany supports a settlement capable of keeping Maastricht ratification on track.

Represents Germany as leaders formulate conditions that future candidate countries must meet before joining the European Union.

Leads Germany when it submits its Maastricht ratification notification to the Italian depositary.

Leads Germany when the Maastricht Treaty takes legal effect and establishes the European Union.

Heads the German government when the Maastricht Treaty enters into force and the European Union is established.

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr outside NATO on peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr troops on NATO peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr outside NATO on peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr troops on NATO peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr outside NATO on peace-keeping missions

Helmut Kohls CDU-CSU & FDP coalition wins a 10 seat majority

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr troops on NATO peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr outside NATO on peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr troops on NATO peace-keeping missions

The Constitutional Court allows Bundeswehr outside NATO on peace-keeping missions

Represents Germany as leaders discuss enlargement, institutional development and preparation for the next intergovernmental conference.

Elements of the 10th Panzers parade down the Champs-Elysees on Basstille day

Kohl & Chirac meet & confirm their committment to a single currency in the EU

Kohl oversees preparations for the planned operational removal of internal Schengen border controls. Germany supports freer travel alongside common security and visa rules.

Hosts the European Council as leaders develop a pre-accession strategy for Central and Eastern European applicant states.

Kohl leads Germany through the first day of operational Schengen, when routine checks cease at participating internal frontiers. German policy pairs open travel with stronger external controls.

Meets Jacques Chirac before the Madrid European Council and reaffirms commitment to the planned single currency.

The full and formal agreement is signed by French President Jacques Chirac, US President Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister John Major, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin

Represents Germany as leaders agree the timetable for monetary union and choose euro as the single currency's name.

In Germany, Kohl leads Germany as Denmark, Finland and Sweden sign agreements joining Schengen. Germany supports freer travel alongside common security and visa rules.

Presents the Joint Initiative for More Jobs in Eastern Germany

Represents Germany as European leaders begin the Amsterdam summit that reaches political agreement on treaty reform.

Greater citizenship and rights of individuals, more democracy & increased powers for the European Parliament, a new title on employment & an EU Community area of freedom, security and justice

The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty.

The beginnings of a common foreign EU and security policy (CFSP) and the reform of the institutions in the run-up to enlargement. Substantial changes to the Treaty on European Union, EU, which had been signed at Maastricht in 1992.

During the Schengen process, Kohl backs Amsterdam's decision to place the Schengen acquis within the institutions of the European Union. The German approach combines mobility with coordinated frontier safeguards.

Supports launching the Union's enlargement process with countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus.

Represents Germany when leaders decide that eleven member states meet the conditions to adopt the euro from 1999.