II.

Childhood and Education

Helmut Josef Michael Kohl was born on April 3, 1930, in the industrial city of Ludwigshafen on the Rhine River, in what is now the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. He was raised in a household and community that stressed Roman Catholic and conservative values. As a boy Kohl was shaped by the experience of World War II (1939-1945). He lived through several years of devastating bombings of his home city by the Allies (the countries that fought against Germany) and then suffered the loss of his older brother, who was killed in action. Kohl never saw military action, but the war left him with a deep commitment to prevent future European conflict.

Five years after the war's conclusion, Kohl passed the Abitur, Germany’s college entrance exam, and began his studies at the universities of Frankfurt and Heidelberg. He was awarded a doctorate in history from the latter institution in 1958. Kohl married Hannelore Renner in 1960 and the couple had two children.