Alois Mertes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Mertes in 1983 | |
| Member of theBundestag | |
| In office 1972–1985 | |
| Minister of State at theForeign Office | |
| In office 1982–1985 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1921-10-29)29 October 1921 Gerolstein, Germany |
| Died | 16 June 1985(1985-06-16) (aged 63) Bonn, Germany |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union (CDU) |
| Awards | Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany[1] – Commander's Cross |
Alois Mertes (29 October 1921 – 16 June 1985) was a German diplomat, politician and Minister of State at theForeign Office from 1982 until his death. He was a member of theChristian Democratic Union (CDU) from 1961 until his death.
After graduating from the Regino Gymnasium inPrüm in 1940, Mertes took part inWorld War II as a soldier. After his release from captivity, Mertes studied law, history and Romance languages and literature at the universities ofBonn and Paris. In 1948, he graduated with a state examination in history and French and received his doctorate in 1951 from the University of Bonn with a thesis entitledFrance's Opinion on the German Revolution in 1848.
In 1952 Mertes entered the diplomatic service of the Federal Republic of Germany, for which he worked at theConsulate General inMarseille and at the embassies in Paris (1958–1963) and Moscow (1963–1966).[2] He completed a study visit in 1968/69 at the Center for International Affairs atHarvard University, directed byHenry Kissinger, with the studyReflections on Détente: Russia, Germany, and the West.[3] After his return to Bonn, he took over the Department of European Security and Regional Disarmament at the Federal Foreign Office.
From 1969 to 1971, he was chairman of the Catholic League of New Germany.[4]
From 1969 to 1972, he held a lectureship in political science at theUniversity of Cologne.
In 1972, Mertes was state secretary andplenipotentiary of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government.
From 1972 until his death, he was a member of the GermanBundestag. Here he was chairman of the foreign policy working group of theCDU/CSU parliamentary group from 1980 to 1982.On 4 October 1982, he was appointed Minister of State at the Foreign Office in the federal government led byChancellorHelmut Kohl.[5]
Alois Mertes always entered the Bundestag as a directly elected member of parliament for the constituency ofBitburg.
Alois Mertes was married to Hiltrud Mertes née Becker since 1951. The marriage produced five children, includingMichael Mertes and theJesuitKlaus Mertes.
Mertes died four days after suffering a severe stroke during a panel discussion.[6][7]
In a series of eight "Alois Mertes Memorial Lectures" (1991–1999), theGerman Historical Institute inWashington had Mertes's many conceptual contributions to German foreign and security policy honored by renowned scholars of history, politics, and the humanities.
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