Premier Helmut Schmidt Nationality German Role German Politician Succeeded by Jurgen Schmude | Preceded by Klaus von Dohnanyi Name Helmut Rohde Education University of Gottingen | |
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Born 9 November 1925 (age 98)
Hannover ( 1925-11-09 ) Political party Social Democratic Party Alma mater University of Gottingen Party Social Democratic Party of Germany | ||
Helmut Rohde (born 9 November 1925) is a German politician who served as federal minister of education and science from 1974 to 1978.
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Early life and education
Rohde was born in Hannover on 9 November 1925. His father, August, was a welder and a social democrat member of the independent trade union. Helmut fought in the German army in World War II and was prisoned until 1945 when he was freed.
He studied journalism after the war and graduated in 1947. In 1950, he began to study politics and business in a higher education institution in Wilhelmshaven, which later became part of the University of Gottingen.
Career
In 1945, Rohde became a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). After graduation he began to work as an editor at the German Press Agency's Hannover branch. His pseudonym in his writings was Achilles, the name of his grandfather. He served in the party's local organizations in Hannover in the 1950s and later served in its "working group for workers' questions". In 1957, he was elected to the Bundestag with the SPD from Hannover. From 1964 to 1965 he was also a member of the European Parliament.
He was appointed federal minister of education and science on 16 May 1974, replacing Klaus von Dohnanyi in the post. He served in the cabinet led by Prime Minister Helmut Schmidt. In 1975, Rohde became a member of the SPD's executive committee. Rohde's cabinet post ended on 16 February 1978 and another SPD politician, Jurgen Schmude, replaced him in the post. After leaving office he concentrated on his work in the SPD's working group for workers' questions.
In 1985, Rohde began to work as a lecturer at the Universities of Hanover and Bochum. In 1994, he was named as an honorary professor of the University of Bremen.
Later years
Rohde has been living in a nursing home near Bonn.