Chair of the West German Free Democratic Party (FDP) 1974-85, foreign minister 1974-92. A skilled and pragmatic tactician, Genscher became the reunified Germany's most popular politician. Born in Halle, East Germany, Genscher settled in West Germany 1952. He served as interior minister 1969-74 and then as foreign minister, committed to Ostpolitik and European cooperation. As FDP leader, Genscher masterminded the party's switch of allegiance from the Social Democratic Party to the Christian Democratic Union, which resulted in the downfall of the Helmut Schmidt government 1982.
