Quick Facts
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| Profession | Politicians |
Being the most powerful woman in the world, German Chancellor, Angela Merkel has proven that there is power in being a woman and even more so, in being a woman who can put aside her softer side and lead with strength and might. She believes gender doesn’t stop one’s appetite for success and she could not have been more right. In a world where the debate about feminism is driving women to greater extremes, it is refreshing to see one who has achieved more through her actions rather than mere words.
Angela Merkel’s Biography
Born as Angelina Dorothy Merkel into a clergy’s home in Hamburg West Germany, on 17th July 1954, young Angela and her family moved to East Germany when her father was called into the pastorate in Perleberg. She was nicknamed ‘Kasi’ as a kid which was a pet derivation from her surname and she also bears the nickname ‘Muti’. Her father, Horst Kasner was a clergyman and Lutheran pastor, a native of Berlin while her mother, Herlind was a teacher of English and Latin. Horst Kasner died in 2011.
Angela wasn’t an only child, she has two younger siblings; Marcus Kasner who is a physicist and Irene Kasner who is an occupational therapist. Merkel is of Polish ethnicity, however, there were controversies about it until it was cleared in 2013.
Many have wondered if the political spirit and strength Merkel has originated from her paternal father, Ludwik Kazmierczak, who was a policeman and one of the few who struggled for German independence in the early 20th century. Ludwik was known as Kazmierczak, however, he later changed the name to Kasner. Ironically, Merkel’s maternal grandparents, Willi Jentzsch and Gertrud Alma were also politicians.
Merkel’s family was originally Catholic, however, they converted to practicing Lutheranism. She grew up at Templin, the countryside north of East Berlin, and attended Karl Marx University, Leipzig, where she studied Physics for five years. She obtained a doctorate degree in quantum Chemistry in 1986 and at the same time worked as a research scientist until 1989.
Angela Merkel’s Body Measurements
Angela Merkel is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs around 60kg. Her hair color is light brown and has a pair of blues eyes. Moreover, she loves watching soccer, cooking, and baking but the most powerful woman in the world fears dogs.
Husband and Family Life
Angela Merkel has been married twice, she was first married at the age of 23 to Ulrich Merkel who was a physics student in 1977, however, their union ended in divorce in 1982 with no children. She met her second husband, Joachim Sauer, a quantum chemist and a professor in 1981. They got married privately on the 30 December 1998. Merkel has no biological children of her own, but her husband Sauer has two sons from his initial union as it was also not his first attempt at matrimony.
Angela Merkel’s Political Career
Merkel is currently the Chancellor of Germany and leader of the center-right Christain Democratic Union since 2000. She is a member of the European Union and one of its top leading voices, she is as such considered the leader of the Free world.
Merkel started her political career whilst at the university when she joined a few students who initiated and created their own clubs or reconstruction of the Moritzbastei. After her many first political forrays in school, Merkel later joined the free German youth sponsored by the socialist unity party of Germany.
Merkel’s journey into world politics began fully in 1989 after the Revolution, when she was selected to serve as the spokesperson for East German’s first democratically elected Government of 1990 which was led by Lothar de Maiziere. Subsequently, after Germany was united in the same year, she was elected into Bundestag for the state of Mecklenburg Vorpommern. She has remained in that position ever since, being re-elected to stay.
Her portfolio expanded in 1991 when she was appointed to be the Federal Minister for Women and Youth in Helmut Josef Kohl’s government. This was mostly because Kohl being the chancellor, trusted her capabilities. She was one of the youngest cabinet ministers during Lothar’s tenure and she was often referred to as Lothar’s girl. In 1994, having proven her worth in government, Merkel scored the position of Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. By now, her power and influence had increased so that in 1998, her party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) contested for the federal election but lost and she was elected secretary-general of the party. A record of a funding scandal roared up in 1999 and brought about controversies in leadership for CDU which made Merkel opt for the position of being the leader of the party and she eventually won to become the first female to lead the party.
In the 2005 election, Merkel was appointed Germany’s first female Chancellor at the head of a grand coalition where she challenged chancellor Gerhard Schroder of the SPD and won. In 2009, she formed a coalition government between CDU and the Free Democratic Party; and a second grand coalition with the social democratic party. 2007 saw the popular political icon became the president of the European Council and was of great help towards the negotiation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the Berlin declaration. Just when it seemed like she should have had enough, Angela Merkel was re-elected to continue her leadership of the CDU party on 14 March 2018.
In all this time, Merkel took a keen interest in economic growth and development and has managed several financial crises involving both the European Union and also at the international level. She is seen as a sound decision-maker and a great adviser in terms of finance. Currently a senior G7 leader, she earned another plus when she became the longest-serving female leader/head of government in the European Union on March 26, 2014.
Among her many achievements, Angela Merkel propounded that Germany phases out nuclear power and created the relationship between the Germans and the Americans coming out in favor of US invasion on Iraq. She accused the Iran Chancellor of anti-Americanism and frowned at the support of accession for Turkey to the European Union, supporting a favored partnership instead.
For all her great works, the political icon has received National honors, Foreign honors, honorary degrees, awards, and recognition.
What is Angela Merkel’s Net Worth?
Starting in 2021, Angela Merkel has an estimated net worth of $11.5 million.
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