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Georg Leber
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F039419-0005, Hannover, SPD-Bundesparteitag, Leber
Leber in 1973
Installed 7 July 1972
Term ended 1 February 1978
Predecessor Helmut Schmidt
Successor Hans Apel
Personal details
Born (1920-10-07)7 October 1920
Obertiefenbach (Beselich), Germany
Died 21 August 2012(2012-08-21) (aged 91)
Nationality German

Georg Leber (7 October 1920 – 21 August 2012)[1] was a German Trades Union leader and a politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

Biography[]

Leber was born in Obertiefenbach (Beselich). After serving in the Luftwaffe (the German air force) in World War II, he joined the SPD in 1947. In 1957, he was elected to the Bundestag, which he was a member of until 1983, representing Frankfurt am Main I.

In 1966, Leber was appointed minister for transportation for the grand coalition. He kept this position and became minister for postal service and long-distance communication under the joint SPD-FDP administration. In 1972, he gave up both positions and became minister of defence.[2] Under his ministership the Bundeswehr was expanded and the Universities of the Bundeswehr were founded in Munich and Hamburg. In 1978, he left his position after a controversy in the defense ministry involving eavesdropping.[3] From 1979 until 1983 he was the Deputy Speaker of the Bundestag.[4]

Leber quit politics in 1986, and with his wife retired to the Bavarian countryside.[4] He died in his hometown of Schönau on 21 August 2012.[4][5]

References[]

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
Helmut Schmidt
Federal Minister of Defence (Germany)
1972–1978
Succeeded by
Hans Apel
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