Deceased at the age of 81 Former Federal President of Germany Horst Köhler is dead

German media are unanimously reporting that Horst Köhler, German Federal President from 2004 to 2010, has died at the age of 81.

Former German President Horst Köhler is dead. He died early on Saturday morning at the age of 81 after a short, serious illness, as announced by the Office of the Federal President in Berlin. Köhler was elected head of state on May 23, 2004 and confirmed in office five years later.

However, he resigned unexpectedly on May 31, 2010. In a letter of condolence to his widow Eva Luise Köhler, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to the deceased as "a stroke of luck for our country". He emphasized: "We can only be deeply grateful that we were able to experience Horst Köhler as the ninth President of the Federal Republic of Germany. He has given a lot to this country."

First time no party politician as Federal President

Köhler is the first time that no party politician has held the highest office in the state. The economics graduate began his career as a civil servant in the Federal Ministry of Economics in 1976 and in 1990, after various other positions, became State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance, which was then headed by Theo Waigel (CSU). Among other things, Köhler was Germany's chief negotiator for the Maastricht Treaty on European Monetary Union.

In 1993, he moved into the world of finance, first as President of the German Savings Banks and Giro Association, then as President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. In 2000, he became head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Resignation just one year after re-election

In 2004, Köhler became the ninth Federal President, succeeding Johannes Rau. The Federal Assembly re-elected him in 2009. His resignation with immediate effect just one year later was unique in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.

This was triggered by an interview on Deutschlandradio Kultur, which Köhler had given on the flight back from a visit by German soldiers to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan. In it, he justified foreign deployments of the German Armed Forces with the protection of German economic interests.

Critics accused him of justifying the Afghanistan mission, which Köhler denied. He saw his office irreparably damaged by the criticism and drew the consequences.

An uncomfortable president in domestic politics

In terms of domestic policy, Köhler repeatedly caused surprises - and resentment in the government camp. In 2006, for example, he refused to sign the law on the privatization of air traffic control and later the Consumer Protection Act.

The decision in 2005 to dissolve the Bundestag and call new elections was constitutionally sensitive. Prior to this, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) had tabled a vote of confidence in the Bundestag with the aim of losing it.

Africa as a great passion

At an international level, Köhler was primarily concerned with Africa, both as head of the IMF and even more so as Federal President. He persistently campaigned for an equal partnership with the neighboring continent. He remained faithful to this even after leaving the highest office of state - including as UN Special Representative for the Western Sahara conflict from 2017 to 2019.

Köhler hardly ever commented on current domestic political issues after his resignation. In 2021, he showed that climate protection was an important issue for him when he took over the patronage of the first nationwide citizens' council for climate policy. A foundation set up by Köhler and his wife promotes research into rare diseases.

Federal President Steinmeier pays tribute to Köhler

In his letter of condolence, Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier recalled that Köhler was virtually unknown to a wider public when he was elected head of state in 2004, but quickly gained a great deal of recognition and sympathy.

"It was above all his approachability, his infectious laughter and his optimism, his belief in the strength of our country and in the energy and creativity of its people that won him so many hearts," Steinmeier wrote. "But it was also his often clear and by no means always comfortable admonitions and speeches that brought him recognition." Köhler had "often rendered outstanding services to our country".

Steinmeier emphasized Köhler's advocacy of fair dealings with Africa - "the continent to which his heart belonged and which he knew so well". Köhler was deeply convinced that Europe had to put aside its colonial ways of thinking and treat African countries as equal partners in order to tackle global challenges together with them. "He was way ahead of his time," Steinmeier wrote.