210,809 profiles ranked

Walter Scheel

President of West Germany (1974-1979) · Germany · Politicians · Lived 1919 to 2016 · aged 97

Walter Scheel is read about 510 times a day, in 66 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 19 October 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 364 days, one point a day.

Something wrong?
Compare

West Germany's foreign minister during détente, then president - the FDP leader who helped steer Ostpolitik and briefly held the chancellorship when Willy Brandt fell.

PoliticiansPoliticianPoliticsGermanyEurope20th Century

A life in dates

2016Died24 August 20162009Order of Merit of North Rhine-WestphaliaAward2000Reinhold Maier MedalAward1979Royal Order of the SeraphimAward1978Honorary Citizen of BonnAwardHonorary Doctor of the University of AucklandAward1977Charlemagne PrizeAwardCollar of the Order of Isabella the CatholicAward1976Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of FinlandAward1975Honorary Doctor of the University of MarylandAward1974Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyAward1973Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyAward1971Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicAward1970Knight Grand Cross of the Order of VasaAward1969Tie Man of the YearAward1919Born8 July 1919

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1989-047-20, Walter ScheelBundesarchiv Bild 146-1989-047-20, Walter Scheel2023 Interior of Riddarholmskyrkan (15)2023 Interior of Riddarholmskyrkan (15)Alain Poher, Walter Scheel, Ismail Haji Bashir, and Yussuf Ismail Samantar, 1961Alain Poher, Walter Scheel, Ismail Haji Bashir, and Yussuf Ismail Samantar, 1961Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051367-0005, Orden Bundespräsident Walter ScheelBundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051367-0005, Orden Bundespräsident Walter ScheelBundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051367-0008, Orden Bundespräsident Walter ScheelBundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051367-0008, Orden Bundespräsident Walter ScheelBundespräsident-Walter-Scheel-Haus in Bad KrozingenBundespräsident-Walter-Scheel-Haus in Bad KrozingenEhrengrab Potsdamer Chaussee 75 (Niko) Walter ScheelEhrengrab Potsdamer Chaussee 75 (Niko) Walter Scheel

Awards

Order of Merit of North Rhine-Westphalia2009
Honorary Citizenship2006
Reinhold Maier Medal2000
Royal Order of the Seraphim1979
Honorary Citizen of Düsseldorf1979
Grand Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword1978
Honorary Citizen of Bonn1978
Honorary Doctor of the University of Auckland1978
Charlemagne Prize1977
Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic1977
Honorary Citizenship1976
Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland1976
Honorary Doctor of the University of Maryland1975
Orden wider den tierischen Ernst1974
Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany1974
Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany1973
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic1971
Theodor Heuss Award1971
Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic1970
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Vasa1970
Tie Man of the Year1969
Honorary Citizen of Berlin
Honorary doctor of the Heidelberg University
Honorary Doctor of the University of Bristol
Honorary Doctor of Georgetown University
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Order of the Chrysanthemum

In their orbit

Spouse: Mildred Scheel

About this person

Walter Scheel was born 8 July 1919 and joined the Nazi Party before the war ended; in 1946 he entered the Free Democratic Party instead. He served as Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development from 1961 to 1966, then led the FDP from 1968 to 1974. As Willy Brandt's foreign minister and vice chancellor, Scheel advanced the opening to the East. When the Guillaume Affair brought Brandt down in May 1974, Scheel became acting chancellor for nine days. He was elected President of West Germany shortly after and served until 1979. He died 24 August 2016.

Country
Germany
Category
Politicians
Type
Politician
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1919 to 2016 · aged 97

Politicians from Germany 6

Ronald Gläser61.2Martin Schulz61.1Petra Kelly61.2Princess Sophie of Bavaria61.1Thomas de Maizière61.3August Bebel61.1

Fame.am measures public visibility signals. It does not measure human value, talent, morality, or credibility.