Wolfgang Schaeuble, a stalwart in German politics and a symbol of fiscal discipline in the eurozone, was laid to rest at the age of 81 on Friday after succumbing to illness. Schaeuble, a minister under chancellors Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel, played a pivotal role in German reunification in 1990.
Schaeuble, who passed away on December 26 after a prolonged illness, was honored in a funeral service held in a church in his hometown of Offenburg in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. During the ceremony, regional prime minister Winfried Kretschmann hailed Schaeuble as a "passionate democrat" and "a convinced European."
Prominent members of Schaeuble's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) attended the service, with CDU leader Friedrich Merz describing the late politician as a "role model" who "had written history" in his eulogy. Former chancellor Merkel did not attend the funeral but was set to participate in a state tribute for Schaeuble in Berlin on January 22, according to her spokesperson.
Known as the "pitiless" guardian of Germany's budget during his eight-year tenure as finance minister under Merkel, Schaeuble held a tough stance, especially during the Greek debt crisis.
Despite facing criticism, he insisted on stringent conditions for any German bailout contribution.
Born in Freiburg in 1942, Schaeuble was the longest-serving member of the Bundestag, having been in office since 1972. His political career flourished under conservative leader Kohl, with whom he oversaw Germany's national reunification.
However, a tragic assassination attempt in 1990 left him severely injured, leading to the use of a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
After a period in the political wilderness following a slush-fund scandal that marred Kohl's reputation in the 1990s, Schaeuble staged a comeback in the early 2000s. While Merkel did not support him for the role of federal president, he became her interior minister in 2005 and finance minister in 2009.
Schaeuble served as the president of the Bundestag from 2017 until 2021 and remained a member of parliament until his passing. He is survived by his wife and their four children.
