Maike Kohl-Richter has spoken for the first time since her husband's death seven months ago. She expressed frustration with the way she is portrayed in the press and over the behavior of Kohl's sons.
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Speaking with the German weekly magazine Stern, Maike Kohl-Richter defended herself against what she says have been repeated false accusations. The second wife of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl lamented the fact that Germany's media outlets have portrayed her as "a monster, that was keeping poor children from seeing their father and grandfather," adding: "I feel as if I have been declared fair game for hunting."
The reference was made in addressing the very public feud that took place between the Kohls and the ex-chancellor's sons from her first marriage, Walter and Peter. Pictures of Walter and his two children standing in front of the closed entrance gate to his father's villa after his death were widely disseminated across German media. Kohl-Richter had refused to allow them to enter, at which point the three were escorted away by police. The images quickly became part of the public's perception of what was a bitter family feud. Neither of Kohl's sons attended his funeral.
Maike Kohl-Richter, accompanied by Bill Clinton at her husband's funeralImage: Getty Images/S. Gallup
Reclusive marriage
After marrying the former chancellor in 2008, Kohl-Richter faced media accusations of attempting to "build a wall" around Helmut Kohl.
Kohl-Richter was named the sole heir to Kohl's estate. She noted that the relationship between Kohl and his sons had become estranged because the father was so disappointed by his sons' attempts to profit from their relationship, turning it into a "business model" and seeking media attention according to Kohl-Richter.
She also made clear that €1 million ($1.2 million) had been paid out to the sons and their families while Kohl was still alive in order to avoid an inheritance dispute.
Another issue that Maike Kohl-Richter addressed was that of the ex-chancellor's documents and records. She hinted that many of Kohl's files were likely in his villa in Oggersheim, southern Germany. Those documents have also been a bone of contention between the widow and her stepsons.
Kohl-Richter says that Kohl personally drafted a will in 2007 in which: "My husband made it clear that I was to be the sole legitimate heir and contact person with regard to his life's work." She says it was important to Kohl that his estate "not be broken up and that it be kept in a place that was accessible for serious research."
Kohl-Richter says that she has been conducting meetings as to what should happen with such documents but will make her decision with regard to a possible Helmut Kohl Foundation in peace and quiet. The sons have called for the documents to be housed on federal property and handled by the state rather than the family.
The German Federal Archives in Koblenz sent a written request to the widow shortly after her husband's death, asking her to hand over all documents from Kohl's 16 years as German chancellor. The archive made the request so that researchers could access documents pertaining to the transformative years in which Helmut Kohl led the country (1982-1998), overseeing German reunification in 1990. It is unclear just how many documents are in the ex-chancellor's villa.
Helmut Kohl: Man of history
By 1989, his political career was almost finished - but then Helmut Kohl "grabbed the mantle of history." His legacy as the sixth post-war German chancellor is primarily characterized by his domestic and European policy.
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Mourning in Strasbourg
Helmut Kohl played a significant part in the shaping of modern-day Europe. He extended the continent and opened up its borders, internal and external. His belief in and commitment to a united Europe was absolute, and for this he will never be forgotten. At his memorial service in Strasbourg, assembled heads of state expressed their gratitude.
Image: Reuters/A. Wiegmann
Ambitious career plans
He knew what he wanted early on. He never saw himself as the "grandson" of Konrad Adenauer, the first post-war German chancellor, but realized that the "old man's" influence could be useful. As a young politician in Rhineland-Palatinate, he invited Adenauer to address the regional CDU conference behind the back of the CDU state premier, Peter Altmeier. Adenauer came - a boost for Kohl.
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The politician at home
Kohl, a historian, was also a modernizer. He discovered the power of the media in the early 1970s, when he was still a local politician in Rhineland-Palatinate. He often opened up his home in Oggersheim to journalists. Their portraits of him as a father figure and family man helped establish his image. Kohl was ambitious and dynamic, and embodied the desire for advancement typical of his time.
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Chancellor!
On October 1, 1982, Kohl realized his ultimate political dream. The simple provincial boy became chancellor, succeeding the "world statesman" Helmut Schmidt (SPD). In this period Kohl was the target of mockery and ridicule in left-wing social circles, where he was nicknamed "The Pear." Many people underestimated his high political professionalism and tenacity. Kohl's true moment was yet to come.
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A sense of symbolism
A gesture for the history books: September 22, 1984, in a military cemetery near Verdun. Who held out the hand to whom? It was French President Francois Mitterand, and Helmut Kohl was happy to take it. The photograph capturing this moment amid the graves of German and French soldiers has long since become an icon of contemporary history.
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1989: Almost the end of his career
Kohl's political fate was almost sealed at the CDU party conference in September 1989. Although his health was not good, he just managed to ward off a "coup" by prominent party colleagues. Shortly beforehand, he had received information that Hungary was about to open its borders to thousands of East German refugees. The coup had failed, and a new political opportunity presented itself.
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'If the historical hour allows …'
On December 19, 1989, the German question was still undecided. Kohl was in Dresden. Rumors were rife. He planned to make a speech outside the Frauenkirche. Would he say what so many were longing to hear? He hesitated, before finally stating that the goal was "the unity of our German nation." In an emotional atmosphere, before thousands of people, his was a measured speech that avoided extremes.
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The signature cardigan
Between July 14 and 16, 1990, the die was finally cast in favor of German unity - outward unity, at least. Kohl and his foreign minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, were in Moscow and the Caucasus, Gorbachev's home. They were discussing the question of a unified Germany's membership of NATO - to which Gorbachev agreed. It was the last, and biggest, political hurdle on the path to unification.
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Man of action
Helmut Kohl never lacked the ability to assert himself. Nicknamed "the black giant" on account of his height (1.93 meters, 6'4") and political orientation, he had no problems defending himself. When demonstrators in Halle pelted him with eggs on May 10, 1991, his bodyguards had difficulty restraining him - Kohl waded into the crowd to confront them himself.
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The Europeanization of Germany
For Helmut Kohl, Europe was not just a policy field: It was the issue dearest to his heart. German unification had been negotiated but not yet formally declared when, on a visit to Bonn, the EU Commission President Jacques Delors presented Kohl with a map of Europe – with all of unified Germany as a member state.
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Family life
In 2001, after years of illness, Kohl's wife Hannelore took her own life. After her death, the family fell apart. A part of the reason was that Kohl the politician left little room for Kohl the private man. "I do not exaggerate when I say that my father's public office could be felt in even the farthest reaches of his private life," his son Walter wrote in "Leben oder gelebt werden."
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Maike Richter-Kohl
The second woman at Kohl's side - who he married in 2008 - remains a controversial figure. The 53-year-old economist has been accused of trying to claim sole prerogative of interpretation regarding Kohl's life, and of being behind the rift between Kohl and his two sons. "She cares for, protects and controls him," the Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote in 2012.
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Kohl's most important personnel decision
If a person made a positive impression on him, Kohl remembered them. Angela Merkel drew his attention early in her career, and, as "Kohl's girl," enjoyed his protection for years. But when Kohl refused to reveal the origin of millions of marks paid into a CDU slush fund, the two became estranged. Kohl's last will and testament precluded Merkel making a speech at any official German state ceremony.
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Bowing in 'gratitude and humility'
The ceremony in Strasbourg was not, however, a German state one - it was a "European" ceremony. Kohl's political comrades came from all over the world to take their leave of the chancellor of national and European unity. And German Chancellor Angela Merkel also spoke, saying: "Thank you for the opportunity that we, as Germans and Europeans, received through you."
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Euler
Final resting place
Helmut Kohl's final resting place is in the cemetery of the Speyer Cathedral. He chose to be buried here instead of with his late wife, Hannelore, in the family grave in Ludwigshafen. This decision, as well as the family quarrel before the commemoration ceremony, may become part of how Kohl is remembered in years to come.
