Norbert Blüm: social affairs minister in the government of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, 1982–1998

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Abstract

This article examines the political career and legacy of Norbert Blüm, a prominent German politician who served as Federal Minister for Labour and Social Affairs in the government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl for 16 years. Entering working life at an early age, Blüm pursued higher education through perseverance and determination. A committed Catholic, he became a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) while maintaining a distinct left-leaning stance within the party. As demonstrated in this study, Blüm did not regard Christian socialism as an abstract concept but as a guiding principle, advocating for social justice within a party traditionally aligned with the interests of big capital. This ideological position often put him at odds with the CDU leadership, particularly with party chairman and, from 1982, Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Despite their strained relationship, Blüm’s leadership of the CDU’s Social Committees in the 1970s played a crucial role in securing the support of working-class voters, an essential factor in the party’s competition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The study draws on German sources made available by the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich. In addition to exploring Blüm’s political career, the article examines his personal life and civic engagement with key social issues, including mass migration, unemployment, pensioners’ welfare, and youth policy. Even after retiring from high-level politics, Blüm remained an active public figure, frequently attracting attention through his speeches, writings, and public interventions.

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Boris V. Petelin

Cherepovets State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: pbwtscherepowez@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6644-5932
Scopus Author ID: 57215036067

доктор исторических наук, профессор кафедры истории и философии

Russian Federation, Cherepovets

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