Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel
5.8
Angela Merkel photo 1 Angela Merkel photo 2 Angela Merkel photo 3 Angela Merkel photo 4
Comments (5)
Name:
Angela Merkel
Real name:
Angela Dorothea Merkel
Who is:
, ex-Chancellor of Germany
Birth date:
(70 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Hamburg, West Germany
Height:
5'8 ft ()
Weight:
143 lb (65 kg)
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
Links:

Photos: Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel photo 1
Angela Merkel photo 2
Angela Merkel photo 3
Angela Merkel photo 4
+30 Photos

Biography of Angela Merkel

Angela Dorothea Merkel (née Kasner) is an influential European politician and the head of the Federal Government of Germany who became the country's first female Chancellor. Under her leadership, Germany gained economic strength, and she herself became a symbol of stability in Europe and a key figure in addressing the most challenging issues in European politics: from managing the refugee crisis to uniting the continent in the face of disagreements with then-President of the United States, Donald Trump.

"Dubbed "The European Iron Lady" by the media, she secured her fourth term as Chancellor, outlasting even Margaret Thatcher's 11-year run as Prime Minister. In 2021, Merkel decided not to run for a fifth term, and Olaf Scholz became the new Chancellor of Germany.
Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel

Childhood and Youth

The future champion of Western liberalism was born on July 17, 1954, in West Germany. When Angela was just an infant, her family relocated to East Germany after her father, Lutheran clergyman Horst Kasner, was offered a pastorate in Perleberg. A Berlin native, he had Polish roots. Angela's mother, Gerlinda Kasner (née Jentzsch), was an English and Latin teacher from the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).
Angela Merkel as a child
Angela Merkel as a child
In 1957, the family moved to Templin, a small town 90 kilometers north of Berlin, where they welcomed a son, Markus, and younger daughter, Irene. Her father took charge of the local pastors' college.
Angela Merkel during her school years
Angela Merkel during her school years
From 1961 to 1973, Angela was a student at a polytechnic secondary school. True to form as a clergyman's daughter, she was modest and quiet, delighting her family with excellent grades. She particularly excelled in natural sciences and foreign languages, while also being a pioneer, Beatles fan, and active member of the Free German Youth.
Young Angela Merkel
Young Angela Merkel
After graduation, she enrolled at the University of Leipzig, choosing to study physics. There, she once again proved herself an outstanding student. She went on to work at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of East Germany, earning her doctorate in natural sciences in 1986.

Career Path

As the Berlin Wall fell in this historic moment, the young scientist joined the popular political movement "Democratic Awakening," made up primarily of church leaders. In 1990, she joined the East German government office and participated in numerous meetings preparing for eastern Germany's integration. In August, "Democratic Awakening" became part of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merkel became part of the Christian Democratic Union
Merkel became part of the Christian Democratic Union
After the reunification of Germany, she became a member of the Bundestag for the CDU. Helmut Kohl quickly recognized her exceptional potential. When forming his new government, he appointed her Minister for Women and Youth. She was soon elected as the deputy chairman of the CDU and in 1993 became the party leader in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. A year later, Merkel became the Minister for the Environment.
Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl
Angela Merkel and Helmut Kohl
In 1998, when Kohl lost the elections, Merkel became the CDU Secretary-General. When a party financing scandal compromised her mentor, she didn't defend him but publicly criticized him instead—a show of integrity that drew mixed reactions.
Angela Merkel became the first female leader of a German party
Angela Merkel became the first female leader of a German party
In 2000, Kohl's successor, Wolfgang Schäuble, announced his resignation, and she was elected to succeed him, becoming the first female leader of a German party. In 2005, she was chosen as the chairwoman of the CDU/CSU bloc and nominated for the position of Chancellor. As a result of the parliamentary election, she became the country's first female Chancellor. Moreover, at 51, she was the youngest and the first person from East Germany to reach the pinnacle of power.
Angela Merkel has repeatedly demonstrated her remarkable political talent
Angela Merkel has repeatedly demonstrated her remarkable political talent
She would go on to repeatedly showcase her remarkable political skills. Under her leadership, Germany's economy weathered a severe Europe-wide crisis. During the period from 2006 to 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Angela Merkel as the leading figure in its list of the world's most powerful women.

In foreign policy, she worked to maintain balanced relationships with all partners while prioritizing cooperation with the United States. She showed unwavering resolve on critical decisions, tackling issues from Greece's sovereign debt crisis to Brexit and refugee integration. She built solid working relations with Russia, despite having criticized Schröder's overly cozy relationship with Putin.
Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin
Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin
In 2014, Merkel condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea, backed Western sanctions against Russia, and joined efforts to resolve the Eastern Ukraine conflict. Despite strained relations with Russia, she traveled to Moscow for the 70th Victory Day anniversary to honor those who liberated the world from Nazism.
The DW Interview with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
In the 2017 parliamentary elections, Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc secured a decisive victory, despite her reputation taking a hit from the 2015-2016 refugee crisis.

Personal Life

In 1977, under the socialist regime, Angela Merkel married physics student Ulrich Merkel. But after five years, they split up. She later called the marriage a mistake.
Angela Merkel and her first husband
Angela Merkel and her first husband
Her second husband is chemistry professor Joachim Sauer. They met in 1981, became a couple, and married at the end of 1998. She kept her surname this time, which journalists say was because of its appealing sound. Merkel has no children of her own, but her husband has two sons from a previous marriage.
Angela Merkel and Joachim Sauer
Angela Merkel and Joachim Sauer
In 2013, nude photos of Merkel from the 1960s surfaced online. Far from damaging her reputation, they actually boosted her popularity by sparking public interest in her personal story. In Germany, nudism is widespread and popular.
Angela Merkel (left) in her youth with friends on a nudist beach
Angela Merkel (left) in her youth with friends on a nudist beach
In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, excels at cooking, passionately follows football as an honorary member of Energie Cottbus, and fears dogs after being attacked in 1995. The family is known for living modestly, with just an apartment and a small country house. The couple vacations in Austria or Italy, staying in moderately priced accommodations.

Angela Merkel Now

Back in 2018, Merkel announced she wouldn't run for a fifth term as Germany's Chancellor and would step down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union. Political analysts tied her decision to the CDU's declining popularity and its coalition troubles with the Social Democrats—in parliamentary elections, the parties lost 11% of their vote share compared to 2013.
Pomp and punk as Germany's Angela Merkel gets military tribute
On December 3, 2021, Angela Merkel officially stepped down as Germany's Chancellor. The day before stepping down, after 16 years in office, she was honored with a ceremony that featured the punk hit "Du hast den Farbfilm vergessen" by Nina Hagen. The new Chancellor of Germany became Social Democrat Olaf Scholz. Merkel says she's enjoying retirement and has no plans to return to politics.
Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz
Angela Merkel and Olaf Scholz
  • Merkel is not self-centered, a good strong politician that Germany needs
    2021-05-10 08:33:36
  • Well done Merkel, she even has an approach to children. I watched the video here, she is very professional.
    2021-05-05 12:41:20
  • The iron lady of our time, who has achieved a lot. Respect to Angela Merkel
    2021-04-22 10:37:54
  • The only woman is a chancellor who possesses an unreal inner strength.
    2021-04-18 16:05:15
  • Merkel is a strong leader! Even the President of Germany is not visible on the news, only she.
    2021-02-28 16:19:15
5