Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
from 1974 to 1992, making him the
country's longest serving minister.
Best remembered for his speech from the balcony of the West German
embassy in Prague, where he announced that thousands of East Germans
refugees were allowed to go to West Germany.
During World War 2, Genscher belonged to the Hitlerjugend, afterwards joined
the Nazi Wehrmacht. When the war ended, he surrendered to Allied troops near the Elbe River
defenses.
Chairman of the West German Free Democratic Party (FDP) (1974-1985).
Politician (Federal Republic of Germany).
Federal German Minister of the Interior (1969-1974).
Honorary citizen of Halle (Saale) (1991) and Berlin (1993).