Angela Merkel

Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021 (born 1954) · Germany · Politicians

Angela Merkel is read about 6,070 times a day, in 173 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 15 October 2026

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She held power longer than anyone in Europe except Helmut Kohl, steering Germany through financial collapse, a refugee surge, and the dissolving of Cold War certainties - a quantum chemist from the East who became the continent's default crisis manager.

Politicians Politician Politics Physics Founders Chemistry Germany Europe

A life in dates

2026Distinguished Member of the European Order of MeritAward2023Honorary Doctorate from Sciences PoAward2022Nansen Refugee AwardAward2021Grand Collar of the Order of Prince HenryAwardHonorary Doctor of Johns Hopkins UniversityAwardOrder of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st ClassAward2020Henry A. Kissinger PrizeAward2019Honorary Doctor of Harvard UniversityAward2017“Climate change is an issue determining our destiny as mankind - it will determine the well-being of all of us.”In their words15 November 2017Cited in: Damian Carrington, "Climate change will determine humanity's destiny, says Angela Merkel", , 15 November 2017 (page visited on 15Read the whole statement

Eugen Bolz PrizeAwardOrder of Vytautas the GreatAward2015Financial Times Person of the YearAwardTime Person of the YearAward2014“I understand why he has to do this; to prove he's a man... He's afraid of his own weakness. Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. All they have is this.”In their words1 December 2014As quoted in "The Quiet German" (1 December 2014), by George Paker, The New Yorker.Read the whole statement

“This is a good day for the world's children.”In their words10 October 2014Reaction to the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize announcement CTV News, (10th October 2014)Read the whole statement

Presidential Medal of DistinctionAward2013Indira Gandhi Peace PrizeAward2011“History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom.”In their words7 June 2011Remarks by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel in an Exchange of Toasts on June 07, 2011.Read the whole statement

“Also today, the yearning for freedom may well make totalitarian regimes tremble and fall.”In their words7 June 2011Remarks by President Obama and Chancellor Merkel in an Exchange of Toasts on June 07, 2011.Read the whole statement

2009“Freedom is the very essence of our economy and society. Without freedom the human mind is prevented from unleashing its creative force.”In their words4 November 2009Remarks by German Chancellor Angela Merkel before a joint session of Congress on November 04, 2009.Read the whole statement

2007President-in-Office of the European CouncilOffice2005Federal Chancellor of GermanyOffice2005-20212002Chairman of the CDU/CSU Bundestag fractionOffice2002-20052000Leader of the Christian Democratic UnionOffice2000-20181998Secretary General of the CDUOffice1998-20001994Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear SafetyOffice1994-1998More about this1993Party Chairman of the CDU Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaOffice1993-20001991Federal Minister for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and YouthOffice1991-19941954Born17 July 1954

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Angela Merkel. Tallinn Digital Summit

15 Schuchardt Merkel

Angela Merkel - kanclerz Niemiec

Angela Merkel war Kandidatin für den Klimavollfosten des Monats beim Klimamontag (51238407266)

Arnulf Rating live 2022

Briefe an Regierungsmitglieder und Politiker*innen in der Oposition bzgl. Einhaltung des 1,5°-Ziels (50708854691)

Carte des pays visités par Angela Merkel de 2005 à 2021

In their own words 10

Angela Merkel

10 statements, newest first

Climate change is an issue determining our destiny as mankind - it will determine the well-being of all of us.
Nov 15, 2017, Cited in: Damian Carrington, "Climate change will determine humanity's destiny, says Angela Merkel", , 15 November 2017 (page visited on 15, Own words
German law takes precedence over sharia. The full face veil should be banned, wherever legally possible.
Dec 6, 2016, "Angela Merkel calls for burka ban in Germany", The Telegraph (6 December 2016)., Own words
I understand why he has to do this; to prove he's a man... He's afraid of his own weakness. Russia has nothing, no successful politics or economy. All they have is this.
Dec 1, 2014, As quoted in "The Quiet German" (1 December 2014), by George Paker, The New Yorker., Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Distinguished Member of the European Order of Merit2026

Honorary Doctorate of the Weizmann Institute of Science2025

Grand Cross special issue of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, special issue, Frank-Walter Steinmeier2023

State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst2023

Bavarian Order of Merit, Markus Söder2023

Honorary Doctorate from Sciences Po2023

Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize2022

Nansen Refugee Award, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees2022

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class, Kersti Kaljulaid2021

Honorary Doctor of Johns Hopkins University2021

Supreme Order of the Renaissance, Abdullah II of Jordan2021

Order of Liberty, Volodymyr Zelenskyy2021

Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Philippe of Belgium2021

Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, Emmanuel Macron2021

Knight Grand Cross in the Order of the Netherlands Lion2021

Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry2021

European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma2021

Decoration for Exceptional Merits2021

Henry A. Kissinger Prize2020

Buber Rosenzweig Medal, Deutscher Koordinierungsrat der Gesellschaften für Christlich-Jüdische Zusammenarbeit2020

Honorary Doctor of Harvard University2019

Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross, Andrej Kiska2019

Honorary Citizen of Templin2019

Order of the Three Stars, Raimonds Vējonis2019

Honorary Doctor of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven2017

Honorary doctors of Ghent University2017

Order of Vytautas the Great, Dalia Grybauskaitė2017

Eugen Bolz Prize2017

Honorary doctor at the Nanjing University2016

Four Freedoms Award - Freedom Medal, Roosevelt Foundation2016

Abraham Geiger Prize2015

Time Person of the Year, Time2015

Order of the Republic2015

Grand Cross of Honor for Services to the Republic of Austria, Werner Faymann2015

Financial Times Person of the Year2015

Honorary Doctor of Comenius University2014

Presidential Medal of Distinction, Shimon Peres2014

Ehrenplakette des Bundes der Vertriebenen, Federation of Expellees2014

Wilhelm Leuschner Medal2014

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize2013

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Angela Merkel

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About this person

Born in Hamburg in 1954, Merkel was raised in East Germany after her family moved when she was an infant. She earned a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986 and worked as a research scientist until the Revolutions of 1989 pulled her into politics, briefly serving as deputy spokeswoman for East Germany's first democratically elected government. After reunification in 1990, she entered the Bundestag under the wing of Helmut Kohl, rising through ministerial posts before becoming the CDU's first female leader in 2000. Elected chancellor in 2005, she led Germany through four terms and three grand coalitions, navigating the 2008 financial crisis, the eurozone meltdown, and the 2015 migrant wave while advancing renewable energy and blocking NATO expansion into Ukraine and Georgia. She stepped down in 2021, her legacy later shadowed by questions over her Russia policy and the weakening of the Bundeswehr before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Country

Germany

In common with Angela

Nadja UhlAlso in 300 Worte Deutsch (2015)

Pegah FerydoniAlso in 300 Worte Deutsch (2015)

Christoph Maria HerbstAlso in 300 Worte Deutsch (2015)

François HollandeBoth received Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

Jens StoltenbergBoth received Henry A. Kissinger Prize

Simone VeilBoth received European Civil Rights Prize of the Sinti and Roma

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