Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt died on 10 November 2015 at the age of 96.
Helmut Schmidt was Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 to 1982.
During his period in office extreme left-wing RAF terrorists kidnapped and murdered Hanns Martin Schleyer, President of the Employers' Federation. In the same year (1977) Palestinian supporters of the RAF hijacked the Lufthansa aircraft 'Landshut'.
Helmut Schmidt gave the order for the elite GSG9 troops to storm the aircraft; all hostages were freed. The 'German Autumn' of 1977 is held to be one of the most serious crises in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The signing of the Helsinki Final Act is seen as a highlight of rapprochement between East and West during the Cold War.
In 1975 Helmut Schmidt and Valéry Giscard d Estaing co-hosted the first annual global economic summit, which later became known as the G7 or G8. In 1978 the summit was held for the first time in the Federal Republic of Germany.
After a constructive vote of no confidence in 1982, Helmut Kohl replaced Helmut Schmidt as Chancellor.
'The pilot leaves the ship' - as the headlines read. Helmut Schmidt leaves the plenary chamber of the German Bundestag after losing the vote of no confidence.
Helmut Schmidt was married to his wife Hannelore, or "Loki" as she was known, for 68 years. She died in 2010.
The unmistakable trade mark of Helmut Schmidt - no appearance was complete without his much loved methol cigarattes.
"I always saw him as an authority – as somebody whose advice and whose judgement meant a lot to me," said the Chancellor, in a tribute to the former Chancellor.