Konrad Adenauer – Three and a Half Lives. A Biography
A mighty chancellor whose impact on Germany is still felt to this day
Konrad Adenauer played a huge role in successfully establishing democracy in Germany after 1945. His decisions in the drawing up of the Constitution, in dealing with the country’s Nazi past, in introducing the social market economy, and in founding a Christian-democratic party have shaped the country of today. Adenauer led Germany out of international exile, both in Europe and on the global stage. Yet, he also caused an existential threat to this young democracy, with illegal party financing and his use of the secret services to spy on a rival party, the SPD. Friedrich Kießling paints a picture of a man with two faces, who held enormous power and knew how to wield it: for the country, for his party, and not least of all – for himself.
- January 2026: 150th birthday of the founding father of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Leading contemporary historian: The first scholarly biography in over 30 years
- Adenauer’s decisions continue to shape Germany and Europe today
Friedrich Kießling, born in 1970, is Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Bonn. He has researched and taught in London, Vienna and Dresden, among other places. One focus of his work is the aftermath of National Socialism in the Federal Republic.
.jpg "Friedrich Kießling")
