100th birthday of Carlo Schmidt - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1996 - 100 Pfennig

Carlo Schmid, born on December 3, 1896 in Perpignan (southern France), Social Democratic politician, scholar and writer, was one of the »Founding Fathers« of the Federal Republic of Germany and was at the same time one of the most famous personalities of the post-war period. In 1945, he became chairman of the State Secretariat for the French-occupied Württemberg-Hohenzollern, later head of state or deputy state president of this country. When dealing with the occupation authorities, Schmid, who came from a German-French home, played an important role as an intermediary. As a member of the Parliamentary Council 1948/49 he had a significant influence on the drafting of the Basic Law. In the SPD, whose federal executive he was from 1947 to 1973, he supported the development of a left-wing People's Party. From 1949 to 1972 he was a member of the German Bundestag and until 1966 chairman and vice chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. From 1949 to 1966 and from 1969 to 1972 Schmid served as Vice President of the German Bundestag. He campaigned early for the European unification, as the basis of which he looked at Franco-German cooperation. From 1966 to 1969 he was a member of the Government of the Grand Coalition as Federal Councilor, in 1969 he took over the office of coordinator for German-French relations. Schmid, who possessed a brilliant rhetorical talent, was active in addition to his political work and scientific and journalistic, u.a. he translated French literature into German. Carlo Schmid died on December 11, 1979 in Bonn. (Text: Archive of Social Democracy of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Bonn)