Hans Matthöfer

Hans Matthöfer
Matthöfer in 1981
Federal Minister of Post and Communications
In office 28 April 1982 – 4 October 1982
Preceded by	Kurt Gscheidle
Succeeded by	Christian Schwarz-Schilling
Federal Minister of Finance
In office 16 February 1978 – 28 April 1982
Preceded by	Hans Apel
Succeeded by	Manfred Lahnstein
Federal Minister of Research and Technology
In office 16 May 1974 – 16 February 1978
Preceded by	Horst Ehmke
Succeeded by	Volker Hauff
Personal details
Born	(1925-09-25)25 September 1925 Bochum, Prussia, German Reich
Died	14 November 2009(2009-11-14) (aged 84) Berlin, Germany
Political party	Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)

Hans Hermann Matthöfer (25 September 1925 – 14 November 2009) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication. After his party lost power in 1982 he gave up all positions in the German government.

Biography

Born in Bochum in 1925, Matthöfer served an apprenticeship in commercial science before being drafted as a soldier in the Second World War between 1943 and 1945. In 1946 he passed his examination as an interpreter for the English language. Three years later Matthöfer studied successfully economics and social science at the University of Frankfurt/Main as well as Madison, Wisconsin. In 1953 he received his bachelor of economics.

After his return to Germany Matthöfer began work in the department of economics for the workers union IG Metall, followed by four years at the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation in Washington, D.C., and Paris. After his return to Germany he again worked for the IG Metall and developed a program for the education in companies as well as tariff policy. Between 1987 and 1997 he was president of the BGAG, an investment company owned by the workers union.

Matthöfer joined the Social Democratic party of Germany in 1950. Between 1973 and 1984 he belonged to the Social Democratic party's executive board, followed by a position as its treasurer between 1985 and 1987.

Literature

• Werner Abelshauser: Nach dem Wirtschaftswunder. Der Gewerkschafter, Politiker und Unternehmer Hans Matthöfer. Dietz, Bonn 2009, ISBN 978-3-8012-4171-1.
• Helmut Schmidt; Walter Hesselbach (Hrsg.): Kämpfer ohne Pathos: Festschrift für Hans Matthöfer. Bonn 1985.