A Raging Battle over Kohl’s Legacy

Angela Merkel, current Chancellor of Germany, was not prepared for the news that Helmut Kohl had died. Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998, Kohl’s death is stirring much controversy. No German chancellor since WWII has been buried without the current chancellor speaking. Kohl’s widow has plans for a European funeral in Strasbourg rather than a German ceremony. This decision left open the possibility that Merkel would not be offered the opportunity to speak. Kohl and Merkel’s relationship deteriorated significantly when Merkel stabbed Kohl in the back years earlier over a party-donor scandal. While Kohl apparently mellowed significantly with age, his widow seems dedicated to bearing the torch of his revenge.

In addition to these political squabbles, Kohl’s widow may find herself subject to suit regarding a number of files that allegedly disappeared at the end of Kohl’s term as chancellor. Seemingly obsessed with controlling her husband’s legacy, Kohl’s widow has a hoard of files and papers, some of which arguably belong to the German government, that she is using as reference to write about her late husband. While a suit is not likely, there are a number of highly sensitive documents that academics and the public would like to see.

See A Raging Battle over Kohl’s Legacy, Spiegel Online, June 23, 2017.

Special thanks to Joel C. Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.