View source for Georg Leber

{{Short description|German politician (1920–2012)}}
{{Expand German|topic=bio|Georg Leber|date=August 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Georg Leber
| image               = Verteidigungsminister Georg Leber.jpg
| image_upright       = 0.9
| caption             = Leber in 1974
| office              = [[Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)|Federal Minister of Defence]]<br>([[West Germany]])
| term_start          = 7 July 1972
| term_end            = 1 February 1978
| chancellor          = [[Willy Brandt]]<br/>[[Helmut Schmidt]]
| predecessor         = [[Helmut Schmidt]]
| successor           = [[Hans Apel]]
| office2             = [[Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs (Germany)|Federal Minister of Transport]]<br>([[West Germany]])
| term_start2         = 1 December 1966
| term_end2           = 7 July 1972
| chancellor2         = [[Kurt Georg Kiesinger]]<br/>Willy Brandt
| predecessor2        = [[Hans-Christoph Seebohm]]
| successor2          = [[Lauritz Lauritzen]]
| office3             = [[Federal Ministry of Post and Telecommunications|Federal Minister of Post and Telecommunications]]<br>([[West Germany]])
| term_start3         = 21 October 1969
| term_end3           = 7 July 1972
| chancellor3         = Willy Brandt
| predecessor3        = [[Werner Dollinger]]
| successor3          = [[Lauritz Lauritzen]]
| office4             = Vice [[President of the Bundestag]]<br>([[West Germany]])
| term_start4         = 12 September 1979
| term_end4           = 29 March 1983
| president4          = [[Richard Stücklen]]
| office5             = Member of the German [[Bundestag]]
| term_start5         = 15 October 1957
| term_end5           = 29 March 1983
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1920|10|07|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [[Beselich|Obertiefenbach (Beselich)]], [[Weimar Republic|Germany]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2012|08|21|1920|10|07|df=yes}}
| death_place         = [[Schönau am Königssee]]
| party               = [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD)
| relations           = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| profession          = [[Bricklayer]]
| signature           = 
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
| allegiance          = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch              = [[Luftwaffe]]
| rank                = [[Unteroffizier]]
| battles             = [[World War II]]
}}
'''Georg Leber''' (7 October 1920 – 21 August 2012)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pressrelations.de/new/standard/result_main.cfm?aktion=jour_pm&comefrom=scan&r=505257|title=Früherer Bundesvorsitzender der Baugewerkschaft und Bundesminister a.D. verstorben|work=IG Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt|date=22 August 2012|access-date=22 August 2012|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023060514/http://www.pressrelations.de/new/standard/result_main.cfm?aktion=jour_pm&comefrom=scan&r=505257|archive-date=23 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> was a German [[Trades Union]] leader and a politician in the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD).

==Biography==
Leber was born in [[Beselich|Obertiefenbach (Beselich)]], [[Hesse]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The German Federal Government |date=1970 |publisher=Nordpress Verlag |page=33 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_German_Federal_Government/dHHEAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Georg+Leber+%22Obertiefenbach%22&dq=Georg+Leber+%22Obertiefenbach%22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref> After serving as [[radio operator]] in the [[Luftwaffe]] (the German air force) in [[World War II]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Henkels |first1=Walter |title=Neue Bonner Köpfe |date=1975 |publisher=Econ-Verlan |isbn=978-3-430-14301-1 |page=204 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Neue_Bonner_K%C3%B6pfe/xGYTAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Georg+Leber+%22Funker%22+Luftwaffe&dq=Georg+Leber+%22Funker%22+Luftwaffe&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2 January 2025 |language=de}}</ref> he joined the SPD in 1947.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lewis |first1=Derek |last2=Zitzlsperger |first2=Ulrike |title=Historical Dictionary of Contemporary Germany |date=18 October 2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4422-6957-6 |page=394 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Historical_Dictionary_of_Contemporary_Ge/QnIpDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Georg+Leber+SPD+%221947%22&pg=PA394&printsec=frontcover |access-date=2 January 2025 |language=en}}</ref> In 1957, he was elected to the [[Bundestag]], which he was a member of until 1983, representing [[Frankfurt am Main I (electoral district)|Frankfurt am Main I]].

In 1966, Leber was appointed minister for transportation for the [[grand coalition]]. He kept this position and became minister for postal service and long-distance communication under the joint SPD-[[Freie Demokratische Partei|FDP]] administration.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-Verteidigungsminister Georg Leber gestorben |url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/ex-verteidigungsminister-georg-leber-gestorben-a-851514.html |access-date=2 January 2025 |work=Der Spiegel |date=22 August 2012 |language=de}}</ref> In 1972, he gave up both positions and became [[Federal Minister of Defence (Germany)|minister of defence]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5P1jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-eYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2767,4916033&dq=georg-leber&hl=en|title=Spy ring hearing|date=15 December 1977|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=6 March 2011}}</ref> Under his ministership the [[Bundeswehr]] was expanded and the [[University of the German Federal Armed Forces|Universities of the Bundeswehr]] were founded in [[Munich]] and [[Hamburg]]. In 1978, he left his position after a controversy in the defense ministry involving [[eavesdropping]].<ref name="CorporationCorporation1978">{{cite book|author=Crowell-Collier Educational Corporation|title=Year book covering the year ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CnkxAQAAIAAJ|year=1978|publisher=Crowell-Collier Educational Corp.|page=266}}</ref> From 1979 until 1983 he was the [[Presidium of the Bundestag (Germany)|Deputy Speaker of the Bundestag]].<ref name=dw12>{{cite news|title=Former German Defense Minister Leber dies|url=http://www.dw.de/former-german-defense-minister-leber-dies/a-16184548|access-date=13 September 2013|newspaper=Deutsche Welle|date=22 August 2012}}</ref>

Leber quit politics in 1986, and with his wife retired to the Bavarian countryside.<ref name=dw12/> From 1990 to 1993, he was a member of the [[Advisory Board]] of the [[Bertelsmann Stiftung]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/about-us/who-we-are/chronicle|publisher=Bertelsmann Stiftung|title=Chronicle|access-date=22 May 2020}}</ref>

Leber died in his hometown of [[Schönau am Königsee|Schönau]] on 21 August 2012.<ref name=dw12/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Georg Leber ist tot|url=https://www.bgland24.de/bgland/region-berchtesgaden/schoenau-koenigssee-ex-verteidigungsminister-georg-leber-bgland24-2470601.html|date=22 August 2012|website=bgland24.de|language=de|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Georg Leber}}

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{{succession box|
| title  = [[Federal Minister of Defence (Germany)]]
| before = [[Helmut Schmidt]]
| after  = [[Hans Apel]]
| years  = 1972–1978
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes
|title=Georg Leber navigational boxes
|list =
{{Cabinet Kiesinger}}
{{Cabinet Brandt I}}
{{Cabinet Brandt II}}
{{Cabinet Schmidt I}}
{{Cabinet Schmidt II}}
{{Defence Ministers of Germany}}
{{GermanTransportMinisters}}
{{Members of the 3rd Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 4th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 5th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 6th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 7th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 8th Bundestag}}
{{Members of the 9th Bundestag}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leber, Georg}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Politicians from Hesse-Nassau]]
[[Category:Defence ministers of Germany]]
[[Category:Transport ministers of Germany]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for Hesse]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1980–1983]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1976–1980]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1972–1976]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1969–1972]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1965–1969]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1961–1965]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag 1957–1961]]
[[Category:Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany]]
[[Category:Luftwaffe personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Members of the Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party of Germany]]
[[Category:Vice presidents of the Bundestag]]


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