Helmuth Kern

Helmuth Kern at a lecture in 2008

Senator Kern with the former member of parliament Friedrich Dethlefs (1980s)

Helmuth Kern (born December 4, 1926 in Hamburg ; † November 8, 2016 there ) was a German politician ( SPD ) and Senator for Economic Affairs of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

Life

The son of a businessman and a teacher was drafted as an air force helper and in the armed forces after graduating from high school in 1944 . After the end of the war, he began studying history, German and literature at the University of Hamburg in 1946 , which he did not graduate, however, and completed a commercial training at the same time. During his studies, Kern belonged to the inner circle around the then federal chairman Helmut Schmidt at the Hamburg SDS .

From 1950 Kern worked as a commercial employee, authorized signatory and managing director of various paper processing companies and fishing companies. From 1957 to 1982 the SPD member belonged to the Hamburg parliament . In 1966 he became Senator for Economics and Transport under First Mayor Herbert Weichmann and held this office until 1976. From 1971 to 1972, Kern was also second mayor. During his ten-year tenure as Senator for Economics, several large-scale projects such as the expansion of the Port of Hamburg, the construction of the Köhlbrand Bridge and the New Elbe Tunnel as well as the organization of the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) also included the settlement of several large companies .

After leaving the Senate, Kern was Chairman of the Management Board of Hamburger Hafen und Lagerhaus AG (HHLA) from 1976 to 1991 . In 1992, the Hamburg Senate awarded him the Mayor Stolten Medal for his services . His work in the port of Hamburg earned him the nickname “Mr. Port ”.

From 1996 to 2006 he was treasurer of the Hamburg donation parliament . Kern volunteered at the Ohnsorg Theater for 30 years . On the occasion of his departure as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ohnsorg-Theater GmbH, he was made an honorary member of the theater in 2013.

Hamburg's long-standing Senator for Economic Affairs and Transport, Helmuth Kern, died at home in Hamburg on the night of November 8th to 9th, 2016.

literature

International Biographical Archive 48/1996
Uwe Rohwedder: Helmut Schmidt and the SDS. Bremen 2007, ISBN 978-3-86108-880-6 , p. 32 f., 99 f.

Web links

Commons : Helmuth Kern - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Stern interview with Helmuth Kern
Kern, Helmuth . In: Martin Schumacher (Ed.): MdB - The People's Representation 1946–1972. - [Kaaserer to Kynast] (= KGParl online publications ). Commission for the History of Parliamentarism and Political Parties e. V., Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-00-020703-7 , pp. 602 , urn : nbn: de: 101: 1-2014070812574 ( kgparl.de [PDF; 508 kB ; accessed on June 19, 2017]).

Individual evidence

^ Obituaries: Helmuth Kern. In: Der Spiegel . No. 46/2016 of November 12, 2016, p. 149.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Senate mourns: The former Hamburg Senator for Economic Affairs Helmuth Kern is dead. In: hamburg.de. November 9, 2016, accessed February 2, 2017.
↑ The Hamburg accolade. In: Abendblatt.de. February 19, 1992, accessed August 28, 2019.
^ Premiere at the Ohnsorg Theater: "Eight Froons" and one dead. In: shz.de. April 16, 2013, accessed August 28, 2019.

personal data
SURNAME	Kern, Helmuth
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Mr. Hafen (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German politician (SPD), MdHB
DATE OF BIRTH	4th December 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH	November 8, 2016
Place of death	Hamburg

[1] Obituaries: Helmuth Kern. In: Der Spiegel . No. 46/2016 of November 12, 2016, p. 149.

[HHDE-2] Senate mourns: The former Hamburg Senator for Economic Affairs Helmuth Kern is dead. In: hamburg.de. November 9, 2016, accessed February 2, 2017.

[3] The Hamburg accolade. In: Abendblatt.de. February 19, 1992, accessed August 28, 2019.

[4] Premiere at the Ohnsorg Theater: "Eight Froons" and one dead. In: shz.de. April 16, 2013, accessed August 28, 2019.