Born Dec. 23,1918, in Hamburg. Statesman of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Schmidt graduated with a degree in political economy from the University of Hamburg in 1949. In 1946 he had joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDPG). Schmidt served as a deputy to the Bundestag from 1953 to 1962 and was elected again in 1965. He was chairman of the Social Democratic faction in the Bundestag from 1967 to 1969; he had become vice chairman of the SDPG in 1968. In a coalition government formed by the SDPG and the Free Democratic Party, Schmidt held the posts of minister of defense (1969–72), minister of economics and finance (1972), and minister of finance (1972–74). Schmidt became federal chancellor in May 1974.