Georg Leber

Georg Leber
Leber in 1974
Federal Minister of Defence
(West Germany)
In office
7 July 1972 – 1 February 1978
ChancellorWilly Brandt
Helmut Schmidt
Preceded byHelmut Schmidt
Succeeded byHans Apel
Federal Minister of Transport
(West Germany)
In office
1 December 1966 – 7 July 1972
ChancellorKurt Georg Kiesinger
Willy Brandt
Preceded byHans-Christoph Seebohm
Succeeded byLauritz Lauritzen
Federal Minister of Post and Telecommunications
(West Germany)
In office
21 October 1969 – 7 July 1972
ChancellorWilly Brandt
Preceded byWerner Dollinger
Succeeded byLauritz Lauritzen
Vice President of the Bundestag
(West Germany)
In office
12 September 1979 – 29 March 1983
PresidentRichard Stücklen
Member of the German Bundestag
In office
15 October 1957 – 29 March 1983
Personal details
Born(1920-10-07)7 October 1920
Obertiefenbach (Beselich), Germany
Died21 August 2012(2012-08-21) (aged 91)
Schönau am Königssee
Political partySocial Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
ProfessionBricklayer
Military service
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch/serviceLuftwaffe
RankUnteroffizier
Battles/warsWorld War II

Georg Leber (7 October 1920 – 21 August 2012)[1] was a German Trades Union leader and a politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

Biography

Leber was born in Obertiefenbach (Beselich), Hesse.[2] After serving as radio operator in the Luftwaffe (the German air force) in World War II,[3] he joined the SPD in 1947.[4] In 1957, he was elected to the Bundestag, which he was a member of until 1983, representing Frankfurt am Main I.

In 1966, Leber was appointed minister for transportation for the grand coalition. He kept this position and became minister for postal service and long-distance communication under the joint SPD-FDP administration.[5] In 1972, he gave up both positions and became minister of defence.[6] Under his ministership the Bundeswehr was expanded and the Universities of the Bundeswehr were founded in Munich and Hamburg. In 1978, he left his position after a controversy in the defense ministry involving eavesdropping.[7] From 1979 until 1983 he was the Deputy Speaker of the Bundestag.[8]

Leber quit politics in 1986, and with his wife retired to the Bavarian countryside.[8] From 1990 to 1993, he was a member of the Advisory Board of the Bertelsmann Stiftung.[9]

Leber died in his hometown of Schönau on 21 August 2012.[8][10]

References

  1. ^ "Früherer Bundesvorsitzender der Baugewerkschaft und Bundesminister a.D. verstorben". IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (in German). 22 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  2. ^ The German Federal Government. Nordpress Verlag. 1970. p. 33. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  3. ^ Henkels, Walter (1975). Neue Bonner Köpfe (in German). Econ-Verlan. p. 204. ISBN 978-3-430-14301-1. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  4. ^ Lewis, Derek; Zitzlsperger, Ulrike (18 October 2016). Historical Dictionary of Contemporary Germany. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 394. ISBN 978-1-4422-6957-6. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  5. ^ "Ex-Verteidigungsminister Georg Leber gestorben". Der Spiegel (in German). 22 August 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  6. ^ "Spy ring hearing". The Sydney Morning Herald. 15 December 1977. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  7. ^ Crowell-Collier Educational Corporation (1978). Year book covering the year ... Crowell-Collier Educational Corp. p. 266.
  8. ^ a b c "Former German Defense Minister Leber dies". Deutsche Welle. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  9. ^ "Chronicle". Bertelsmann Stiftung. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  10. ^ "Georg Leber ist tot". bgland24.de (in German). 22 August 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2020.

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