Bernhard Vogel, a prominent figure in German politics, began his career in the 1970s as the chairman of the CDU in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, following in the footsteps of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. His older brother, also a politician, pursued a parallel career with the SPD. Vogel holds the record for the longest-serving state premier, with a total of 23 years in office in Mainz and Erfurt, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).
Vogel served as the prime minister of Rhineland-Palatinate from 1976 to 1988 and later as the prime minister of Thuringia from 1992 to 2003. After his time in office, he became the long-time chairman and later honorary chairman, of the CDU-affiliated Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation. The current chairman of the foundation, Norbert Lammert, paid tribute to Vogel’s passing.
“Bernhard Vogel has given an example of democratic conflict culture through clear orientation and respect for the political opponent in Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia and has made a lasting contribution to the reunification of our federal state” Lammert said.
Vogel suffered a crushing defeat as prime minister in Rhineland-Palatinate in 1988, with the Spiegel commenting, “‘The veneer is peeling off in large flakes.’ The sudden fall of the Chancellor’s favorite, Bernhard Vogel, at the Rhineland-Palatinate party convention has weakened the already battered image of Helmut Kohl at the CDU’s grassroots.”
A year later, the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the end of the GDR. Despite all the criticism, Helmut Kohl became the Chancellor of a reunified Germany. His loyal companion, Bernhard Vogel, was rewarded with the prime minister’s post in Thuringia in 1992.