Obituary of Helmut Schmidt 1918 – 2015

The Last Invincible has gone to walk the Path with the Giants The news of […]

11/11/2015

The Last Invincible has gone to walk the Path with the Giants

The news of his death has brought a long pause around the world. Helmut Schmidt, the former German Chancellor and an iconic figure of European Social Democracy passed away. At the age of 96 he, the Last Invincible of a generation that restored the progressive movement after the tragedy of the Second World War, has now joined his Comrades walking away on the Path of Giants of our history.

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