Germany mourns: Former president Horst Köhler dies at 81
The presidential office in Berlin announced that Horst Köhler, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany, passed away early Saturday morning at the age of 81.
Horst Köhler, a well-known financial expert, was Germany's President from 2004 to 2010. According to the current president's office, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, he died in Berlin on Saturday morning after a short illness.
At the time of his death, Köhler was surrounded by family. The CDU politician was 81 years old.
Horst Köhler, a financial expert and former President of Germany, has died at the age of 81.
Köhler also served as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. His contributions to international finance were significant, and his expertise in this field was widely recognized.
He left behind a rich professional and personal legacy. He held the presidency until May 31, 2010. Köhler prepared and conducted many international economic negotiations, including meetings of the G7 countries and the monetary union between East and West Germany. He also negotiated the financial terms for withdrawing the Soviet Army from Germany.
He was born in Skierbieszów near Zamość into a farming family as one of eight children. His parents were Bessarabian Germans and lived in Riscani before World War II, which was then part of Romania, now Moldova.
As a result of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact agreements, Bessarabia was annexed by the USSR, and the German population was relocated to the Reich as part of the so-called Heim ins Reich action. That's how the family ended up in Skierbieszów.
In 1945, they had to flee again from the Red Army. They settled near Leipzig, where they took over a small farm. Eight years later, the Köhler family escaped from West Berlin to West Germany.
After four years in refugee camps, the Köhler family settled in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg. Horst Köhler graduated from high school there, and after completing 18 months of mandatory and 6 months of extended military service, he began his university studies.
In 1969, he graduated in economics and political science from Tübingen. From 1969 to 1976, he worked academically at his alma mater, and in 1977, he earned a doctorate in economics.
