Helmut Schmidt

Helmut Schmidt: Chancellor Pianist – 90th Birthday Jubilee Edition The "Chancellor & Pianist" edition pays tribute to Helmut Schmidt, the man and music lover. On the CD, Schmidt plays piano music by his favorite composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. The accompanying DVD contains the film "Helmut Schmidt außer Dienst" (Helmut Schmidt Off Duty), an intimate portrait of the former Chancellor and his wife, Loki Schmidt. Their conversations with Sandra Maischberger make the documentary a truly engaging experience. In 2008, it was awarded the Golden Camera in the "Best Information" category. Sandra Maischberger and Jan Kerhart had accompanied the former Chancellor for four years for this portrait. "In this profound long-term observation, the authors captured unique moments that make their film an important personal and political contemporary document," stated the Golden Camera jury. Helmut Schmidt, an SPD politician and publicist, served as the fifth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 to 1982. Prior to that, he was Chairman of the SPD parliamentary group from 1967 to 1969, Federal Minister of Defense from 1969 to 1972, Federal Minister of Economics and Finance from 1972 to 1974, and then briefly headed the Foreign Ministry. During his chancellorship, Helmut Schmidt continued the détente policy with the Eastern Bloc countries initiated by his predecessor Willy Brandt. His chancellorship was overshadowed by RAF terrorism, which culminated in the "German Autumn" of 1977. In 1982, Helmut Schmidt was succeeded as Chancellor by Dr. Helmut Kohl, and Schmidt retired from the Bundestag in 1986. Helmut Schmidt has been married to Hannelore "Loki" Schmidt for over sixty years. Loki and Helmut Schmidt have known each other since their youth and attended the same school class. Loki Schmidt studied education and worked as a teacher at Hamburg elementary and secondary schools from 1940 to 1974. Between 1974 and 1982, she performed ceremonial duties as the wife of the Federal Chancellor. On her 80th birthday, she was awarded the title of Professor by the University of Hamburg for her contributions to plant and nature conservation. Helmut Schmidt is a statesman and publicist recognized both at home and abroad, and as a sought-after conversationalist, he often appears in public. Helmut Schmidt, along with Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, is a recipient of the Adenauer-de Gaulle Prize for Franco-German cooperation. On June 8, 2007, he was awarded the Henry Kissinger Prize by the American Academy in Berlin. Since 1983, Schmidt has been a co-editor of the Hamburg weekly newspaper "Die Zeit."