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Information on the German Presidents

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Please start with the sound file. The notes below are referenced in the sound file.

1981 Ludwig Fels: Love: a Horrible Thing. First performance of Karl-heinz Stockhausens: Light cycle, Thursday. Meeting of Helmut Schmidt and Erich Honecker (Information in English.) Greece becomes a E.C. member. Ronald Reagan becomes the U.S. president. Assassination attempt on Ronld Reagan. Assassination attempt on John Paul II. Assassination of Anwar al-Sadat. Saandra Day O'Connor becomes the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. MTV is founded. Steven Spielberg: Raiders of the Lost Ark.

1982 Rainer Werner Fassbinders last film: Querelle. Werner Herzogs Film: Fitzcarraldo. First performance of Peter Handke's: Above the Villages. Helmut Kohl becomes the West German chancellor. War between Great Britain and Argentina. Michael Jackson: Thriller.

1983 Gerhard Köpf: Always Distant. Herbert Achternbuschs Film: Ghost. Film version of Michael Endes novel: The Never Ending Story. First AIDS case in Germany reported. The U.S.S.R. shoots down a Korean civilian aircraft. U.S. troops conquer Grenada. Ronald Reagan suggests the S.D.I.
	The Never Ending Story: Text by Michael Endes, Film by Wolfgang Petersen at Bavaria Studios

1984 In West Germany: strike in the metal and printing industry (35 hour week). Resignation of economics minister Otto Graf Lambsdorff. Richard von Weizsäcker becomes the president of West Germany. Madonna: Like a Virgin.

1985 Gerhard Köpf: The Expanse. Franz Xaver Kroetz: Farmers Die. Ronald Reagan visits Germany (controversy concerning a cemetary in Bittburg). Boris Becker wins for the first time in Wimbledon (the youngest winner ever.) Michail Gorbatschow becomes the head of the U.S.S.R (glasnost and Perestroika become policy). Summit meeting of Gorbatschow and Reagan. Rock Hudson dies of AIDS. Garison Keillor: Lake Wobegon Days.

1986 Günter Grass: Die Counsel; Doris Dörrie: Men (Film). Spain and Portugal become EC members. Atomic power plant accident in Tschernobyl. U.S. air attack on Libya. A hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic is discovered.

1987 State visit by Erich Honecker in West Germany. The young private pilot, Mathias Rust flies over Soviet territory and lands his Cessna on Red Square in Moscow.

1988 Günter Grass: Showing Tongues. Christa Wolf is given the Büchner Prize. Manuel Noriega is arrested. Kristin Otto (East Germany) is the first woman to win 6 gold metals at the Olympics. Dustin Hoffman: Rainman. Salman Rushdie: Satanic Verses.

1990 Lothar de Maizier becomes the president of East Germany. Germany is reunited on October 3. Helmut Kohl becomes the chancellor of united Germany. Iraq attacks Kuwait. Germany wins the soccer World Cup. Death of Bruno Kreisky. Lech Welesa becomes the president of Poland. Nelson Mandela is released from prison. Boris Yeltsin becomes the president of the Russian Republic.

1991 Maastricht Treaty. Death of Max Frisch. RAF-Terrorists murder Treuhand chief Detlef Rohwedder. Richard Ernst wins the Nobel Prize. Bert Sakmann wins a Nobel Prize. Decision: Berlin will be the German capital. Death of Klaus Barbie. Death of Ernst Krenek

1992 Günter Grass: Unkenrufe. Death of Willy Brandt; Death of Marlene Dietrich; Death of Karl Carstens. Completion of the unification of the European market. Bill Clinton becomes the American president despite some evidence of sexual indiscretions.

1994 German elections. Helmut Kohl remains chancellor. Roman Herzog becomes the German president. Juta Limbach becomes the first woman president of the German Supreme court. Opening of a megadisco in the Munich airport. The last Russian troops leave East Berlin and the territory of the former East Germany. Bayer corporation buys back the U.S. rights to its name (after they had been taken 75 years earlier). Michael Schumacher becomes the first German Formula 1 champion. Erich Honecker goes into exile in Chilie. Disneyfilm: The Lion King.

1996 Sarah Kirsch wins the Büchner Prize. The German phyusicist Walter Oelert succeeds in creat antimater atoms. Sadam Hussein has his two sons in law shot. Jan Philipp Reemtsma is kidnaped. European Commisson forbids the import of British Beef due to mad cow disease. Germany wins the European soccer championship. On October 30 Helmut Kohl surpasses Konrad Adenauer's time in the office of chancellor. New shop closing laws--German stores may stay open until 8:00 P.M. Deutsche Telekom shares go onto the open market. German spelling reform (to go into force after August 1998 for schools, universities and civil service offices). The Düsseldorf airport burns.

1998 Federal elections in September. Gerhard Schröder defeats Helmut Kohl. Hans Küng wins the Theodor Heuss Prize for ethics. The Dutch Wim Duisenberg is elected first president of the European central bank. Elfriede Jelinek wins the Büchner Prize. Martin Walser wins the the Peace Prize of the German book industry. Sibylle Lewitscharoff wins the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize. Daimler-Benz merges with Chrysler. VW buys Rolls-Royce. The German spelling reform goes into effect in August.

1999 The Euro becomes the common European currency, but the actual money will not be put into circulation until 2002. Oskar Lafontaine resigns from his position as minister of finance and SPD party head. For the first time since 1945 German military units engage in combat in Serbia. The steel giants Krupp and Thyssen merge. Die Deutsche Bank takes over the American bank, Bankers Trust. There is great concern about the ability of world computers to make the transition to the new millenium. Günter Grass publishes his book My Century. Günter Grass wins the Nobel Prize for Literature. Fritz Stern wins the Peace Prize of the German Book industry. Ignatz Bubis dies. He is buried in Israel. Map of Europe , Flag of the European Union

2000 Paul Spiegel is elected the new head of the Congress of Jews in Germany replacing Ignatz Bubis. Due to a scandal and investigation of donations to the CDU party, Helmut Kohl gives up his position of honorary head of the CDU party. In Austria a collation is formed between the ÖVP and the FPÖ. The film director Billy Wilder is presented with the cross of merit of Germany. Volker Braun wins the Georg Büchner Prize for literature. Angela Merkel becomes the new head of the CDU. Gregor Gysi steps down from the leadership of the PDS. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger publishes Der Geist der Liturgie: Eine Einführung. The film director Wolfgang Peterson releases the movie, The Perfect Storm. The first cases of mad cow disease are diagnosed in German cattle. The first 15 women pass the test for armed service in the German military. The city of Aachen gives its Charlemagne prize to President William Clinton. He is the first American president to win the prize. The German multimedia company, Bertelsmann, purchases the music system, Napster.

2001 Pope John Paul II names two German cardinals, Karl Lehmann and Johann Degenhardt. Daimler's new partner Chrysler has heavy financial problems in the first quarter. New leadership and the new car model, the PT Cruser bring Chrysler to a better position by the end of the year. Jürgen Habermas wins the Peace Prize of the German book Industry. The Mayor of Berlin, Ebehard Diepgen (CDU) looses a vote of confidence. The new Mayor of Berlin is Klaus Wowereit (SPD). The wife of former chancellor, Helmut Kohl commits suicide. The new Archbishop of Fulda is installed, Heinz Josef Algermissen. Emilie Schindler, the wife of Oskar Schindler of Schindler's List dies. German born Wolfgang Ketterler wins the Nobel Prize for physics. Pope John Paul II declares the Germans Nikolaus Groß and Maria Euthymia Üffig "blessed". Two trucks collide head on in the Gotthard Tunnel. 11 People die in the fire.

2002 The Euro is introduced as the official currency of the European Union. The actress Hildegard Knef dies on February 1. Günter Grass publishes a new novel, Im Krebsgang. Martin Walser publishes The Death of a Critic. Marian Gräfin Dönhoff dies. German soldiers join the battle in Afghanistan against the forces of Bin Laden. Hans-Georg Gadamer dies. The author Luise rinser dies. The film director Billy Wider dies. The Charlemagne prize of the city of Aachen is given to an object, the Euro. Cardinal Johannes Joachim Degenhardt, archbishop of Paderborn dies. Floods in Germany and Austria in August. Switzerland joins the UN. Federal elections in Germany; Schröder remains the chancellor in a close election. Paul Spiegel is elected for a second three year term as president of the Association of Jews in Germany. Kardinal Joseph Ratzinger is named the Dean of the College of Cardinals. The first magnetic hover train starts operations in China.

2003 SARS epidemic. Germany starts its term as a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. Germany opposes U.S. attack on Iraq. The last production site of the original VW Beetle in Mexico ceases production of the Beetle. The Austrian, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in Terminator 3 and considers candidacy for governor of California. Strike of Metal Workers Union (IGM) in Eastern Germany.

Gerhard Schröder resigns as head of the SPD party and is replaced by Franz Müntefering. For the first time since the war a German representation is located in Kaliningrad (Königsberg). The German film Gegen die Wand wins the golden Bear at the Berlinale film festival. Pope John Paul II is awarded the Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen for his contributions to European unity. Heinz Fischer is elected the new president of Austria. Horst Köhler becomes the new president of Germany. The philosopher Jürgen Habermas is 75 years old. The Austrian Elfriede Jelinek is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The German constitutional court declares that German universities may charge tuition. The German boxing champion, Max Schmeling dies. The 13th of February is the 60 anniversary of the fire bombing of Dresden. 2005 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Albert Einstein. It is the 200th anniversary of the death of the writer, Friedrich Schiller. The actor, Harald Junke dies. Pope John Paul II dies and the German cardinal, Josef Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI. Dieter Zetsche becomes the head of DaimlerChrysler. The first head of the European Bank, Wim Duisenberg dies. Pope Benedict XVI celebrates World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany. Simon Wiesentahl dies. Angela Merkel is elected the first woman chancellor of Germany.

Ayyub Axel Köhler becomes the chair of the central council of Muslims in Germany. Bird flu in Germany. Chancellor Schröder publishes his memories, Decisions. Angela Merkel visits George Bush in Washington and Bush visits Germany. Germany is the world soccer champion. The Pope, Benedict XVI (Josef Ratzinger) visits Germany and gives an address at the University of Regensburg which becomes highly controversial in the Muslim world. The head of the central council of Jews in Germany, Paul Spiegel dies and is succeeded by Charlotte Knobloch. The German astronaut, Thomas Reiter spends sichs months on the space station. The formula 1 champion, Michael Schumacher retires. Pope Benedict XVI travels to Turkey.

Romania and Bulgaria become members of the EU. The value added tax in Germany is raised to 19%. Benedict XVI publishes his book, Jesus of Nazareth. The G8 meets in Heiligendamm, Germany (near Rostock). The Austrian born governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger turns 60. The German women's' soccer team wins the world championship for the second time. There is an assassination attempt on German president, Horst Köhler. Algela Merkel wins the Leo Baeck Prize for her efforts to promote positive relations between Jews and non-Jews. Franz Müntegering retires from his positions as Minister of labor and Vice Chancellor. The composer Karlheinz Stockhausen dies.

Kardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz resigns as chair of the German bishops' conference. His successor is Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg. The folk singer Wolf Biermann is given the Theodor-Lessing Prize for promotion of understanding beweeen Germany and Israel. Wolfgang Wagner steps down as head od the Bayreut Festival. Angela Merkel receives the Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen for her efforts on behalf of European harmony. Former Chancellor, Helmut Kohl marries Maike Richter. U. S. presidential candidate, Obama visits Berlin. 200, 000 attend his address.

20 anniversary year of the fall of the Berlin Wall. 200 birthday of composer Felix Mendelssohn. 250 birthday of writer Friedrich Schiller. 600th anniversary year of the founding of the University of Leipzig. Continuing global recession. Swine flu affects the entire world. President Obama attends a NATO conference in Baden-Baden, Germany. The Conficker Worm threatens the Internet. Horst Köhler is reelected as German president. President Obama visits Buchenwald and Dresden; Angela Merkel is reelected chancellor.


Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger	Cardinal Karl Lehmann	Kardinal Johannes Degenhardt


Production of the Beetle ceases in 2003	Austrian, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Terminator


Paul Spiegel	Ignatz Bubis	Billy Wilder


Jürgen Habermas	Hans-Georg Gadamer	Martin Walser