Basic Information
Name: Helmut Kohl
Nickname: Birne (that means "pear" in German…and it's not intended as a compliment)
Born: April 3, 1930
Died: N/A
Nationality: German
Hometown: Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
WORK & EDUCATION
Occupation: German statesman: Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 (he was the Chancellor of West Germany from 1982 until East and West reunited—and it felt so good)
Education: University of Heidelberg: history and political science undergraduate degrees in 1956, doctorate in 1958
FAMILY & FRIENDS
Parents: Hans Kohl and Cäcilie (Schnur) Kohl
Siblings: He had an older brother who died during WWII as a teenage soldier; he also had another older sibling
Spouses: Hannelore Renner (died in 2001); Maike Richter
Children: Two sons, both of whom severed contact with him
Friends: Francois Mitterand (then-President of France), Shimon Peres (then-PM of Israel), President GW Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev
Foes: Titanic (German satirical magazine); Wolfgang Schauble (just for a little while, though); Angela Merkel (also just for a little while); Helmut Schmidt (who really didn't get along with a whole lot of people anyway)
Analysis
Helmut Kohl had a tough job.
He was the Chancellor of West Germany, the democratically-elected leader of a Western country that was surrounded by communists, protected by capitalists, and had been forcefully split off from its eastern half.
We don't even think Mike Rowe would've taken this one on.
But Kohl was more than willing, because he had a vision. He had devoted his career to the integration of Europe and reunification of his country. His economic and political views echoed those of Ronald Reagan, so no one was shocked when they started hanging out.
And no one was surprised when, after Germany reunified in 1990, Kohl was elected Chancellor of Germany in a landslide victory.
But despite his success as a politico, Helmut was also known for his…oh, what's the word for someone who consistently finds himself in the middle of embarrassing situations…missteps. Yeah, let's go with missteps.
Those missteps are one reason he'd earned himself the nickname "Birne" from the press and his critics: in Germany (as in the rest of the world), pears aren't really known for thinking things through all that well.
One of his more pear-like moments occurred in 1985, when President Reagan came to town for a visit.
As a demonstration of unity between the U.S. and West Germany, Kohl suggested he and Reagan meet at a German cemetery to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the end of WWII. Unfortunately, Kohl chose a cemetery where a bunch of Nazi SS soldiers were buried (apparently he hadn't known that part), so the visit was shrouded in controversy. Even the Ramones got in on it.
Everyone's a critic, and no one is immune. Not even pears.