Overview
- Germany marks the statesman’s 150th birthday on Jan. 5 with fresh appraisals of his legacy.
- As the first postwar chancellor, he governed for 14 years and set the course with Westbindung, rearmament debates, the social market economy, and European integration.
- Historians highlight social measures such as the Lastenausgleich and 1950s pension reforms that expanded material security and bolstered loyalty to the young republic.
- Scholarly assessments describe his rule as centralized and at times authoritarian, including depictions of a “half‑autocratic” system and a style far from consensus politics.
- Analyses emphasize that his tenure ended only after he was effectively pushed from office, handing power to Ludwig Erhard.