On this day, December 18, 1918 Willy Brandt was born in Lübeck in northern Germany.
He was the fourth chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany and the first member of Germany's oldest political party, the SPD to hold the post.
He was born Herbert Ernst Frahm but changed his name so as to avoid the Nazis. He left Germany and first went to Norway and then to Sweden.
He was chancellor between 1969 and 1974 when he had to resign when one of his closest aides, Günter Guillaume was exposed as a Stasi operative.
Brandt played a pivotal role in restoring good relations between Poland and Germany and was a central figure in strengthening European integration.
He was a Nobel Prize laureate.
Willy Brandt died in 1992.
The writer of this blog met Willy Brandt in 1975 near Bonn. An inspirational man.
During his time as chancellor and as foreign minister it was not uncommon for conservative Germans to criticise him for leaving Germany during the Hitler years.
He came on the world scene during his time as mayor of West Berlin, 1957 to 1966.
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