Willy Brandt with His Successor, Helmut Schmidt (May 16, 1974)

In April 1974, Günter Guillaume, an aide in the Chancellor’s Office, was exposed as an East German spy. In response, Willy Brandt resigned as Federal Chancellor on May 6th. The decision was prompted by his alleged vulnerability to blackmail in the wake of the affair, but also by the general fatigue he was experiencing after a long term in office. In this photograph, Brandt (right) congratulates his freshly elected successor, the energetic and competent Minister of Finance Helmut Schmidt. Photo by Kurt Rohwedder.

print version     return to image list

previous image      next image

© Bildarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz