Hans-Dietrich Genscher
Hans-Dietrich Genscher, 2013
Vice-Chancellor of Germany
In office 1 October 1982 – 17 May 1992
Preceded by	Egon Franke
Succeeded by	Jürgen Möllemann
In office 17 May 1974 – 17 September 1982
Preceded by	Walter Scheel
Succeeded by	Egon Franke
Foreign Minister of Germany
In office 1 October 1982 – 17 May 1992
Preceded by	Helmut Schmidt (acting)
Succeeded by	Klaus Kinkel
In office 17 May 1974 – 17 September 1982
Preceded by	Walter Scheel
Succeeded by	Helmut Schmidt (acting)
Minister of the Interior of Germany
In office 22 October 1969 – 16 May 1974
Preceded by	Ernst Benda
Succeeded by	Werner Maihofer
Personal details
Born	(1927-03-21)21 March 1927 Reideburg, Germany
Died	31 March 2016(2016-03-31) (aged 89) Wachtberg, Germany
Political party	Free Democratic Party of Germany (1952–2016)
Other political affiliations	Nazi Party (1945) Liberal Democratic Party of Germany (GDR) (1946–52)
Spouse(s)	Barbara Schmidt Genscher
Occupation	Politician

Hans-Dietrich Genscher (21 March 1927 – 31 March 2016) was a German politician.

Genscher was born at Reideburg, near Halle. Genscher served in World War II from 1943 to 1945. He joined the Nazi Party at the age of 18. After the war, he studied economics and law in Halle and Leipzig. He joined the East German Liberal Democratic Party (LDPD) in 1946.

In 1952, Genscher fled to West Germany. There he joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP). He passed his second state examination in law in Hamburg in 1954. After that, he became a solicitor in Bremen.

In 1965, Genscher was elected to the Bundestag, the West German parliament for the first time. From 1969 to 1974, he was Federal Minister of the Interior under Chancellor Willy Brandt.

Genscher was Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 under Helmut Schmidt. Two weeks later, he began to serve in the same positions under Helmut Kohl. He served the second time from 1982 to 1992. He was Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor.

Genscher died at his home in Wachtberg, Germany from heart failure on 31 March 2016, aged 89.^[1]

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