Helmut Schmidt was born in Hamburg and went to the Lichtwark School, a progressive institution. He later described himself as a "lazy" student who was yet a voracious reader. His high school was closed down under Nazi rule in 1937 and Schmidt was one of the last students to graduate. He is pictured above at the age of 14 in 1932.

They met each other at the age of 10 in school and apparently smoked their first cigarette together. Hannelore "Loki" Schmidt, who later became a teacher and a biologist, was more than just the wife of her prominent husband. She was highly engaged in politics and cut a popular figure alongside the Chancellor. They remained inseparable until Loki died in 2010; he passed away five years later.

Leaders of the FDP and SPD parties are shown here preparing the government's agenda in Bonn in 1969 that would underpin the new social-liberal coalition. Willy Brandt was to become Chancellor, while Helmut Schmidt, until then chairman of the Social Democratic parliamentary party, would be named Defense Minister of the German Federal Republic.

Schmidt, Herbert Wehner and party leader Willy Brandt puff away as they follow results on election night on November 19, 1972 in the SPD party headquarters. The trio was nicknamed the "Smoking Colts." On that election, the Social Democrats obtained the best results in the party's history.

Chancellor Willy Brandt (right) at an SPD board meeting in Berlin in 1973. Schmidt was Minister of Finance in Brandt's cabinet. The third man in this picture also made history shortly afterwards: Brandt's personal assistant, Günther Guillaume, turned out to be an East German spy. The scandal triggered Brandt's resignation and Schmidt became the new Chancellor on May 16, 1974.

The West German Chancellor, with his trademark sailor's cap, meets the head of East Germany, Erich Honecker, wearing a fur hat. Through his visit to the GDR in December 1981, Schmidt pursued a rapprochement policy. The two leaders are shown here waiting for the Bonn delegation in front of the the official GDR guesthouse, the Hubertusstock hunting lodge at lake Werbellinsee north of Berlin.

Schmidt is shown here departing from the 1981 meeting as the GDR's Erich Honecker offers him a cough candy. Upon his arrival in West Germany, Schmidt faced a series of demonstrations against the arms race between the East and the West as well as the nuclear rearmament of West Germany. Schmidt nevertheless won the general election of 1982 against Franz Josef Strauss (CSU).

Side to side in executive seats: Interior Minister Gerhard Baum and Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (both FDP) doze during a Bundestag debate next to Chancellor Schmidt. Disputes led the social-liberal coalition to collapse in the late summer of 1982. Helmut Kohl (CDU) replaced Schmidt as Federal Chancellor, and as the leader of a coalition between the Christian Democrats and the liberals.

"He sailed the way he drove a car — always close to the wind," once said SPD politician Hans Apel of his political colleague. Sailing was Schmidt's hobby. The Brahmsee Lake in Schleswig-Holstein was his favorite spot. This is where Schmidt, considered a workaholic, would relax and write his books.

The fall of 1977 marked the peak of Red Army Fraction (RAF) terror. Hanns-Martin Schleyer, president of Germany's peak employer and industry groups, was kidnapped and Lufthansa Flight 181 was hijacked. Schmidt ordered the storming of the aircraft to rescue the hostages, but took responsibility when senior RAF members committed suicide in their jail cells the next day and Schleyer was murdered.

Bach was a Schmidt favorite. He recorded his works with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and played with the Hamburg Philharmonic. Even while he was Chancellor, he would sit down at the piano at night and play Bach's fugues. "When he played the piano, he could shake off everything else," said the pianist Justus Franz of his prominent colleague. His wife Loki would listen at his side.

Soon after the end of his chancellorship, Schmidt retired from politics. He became co-editor and author for the weekly "Die Zeit" newspaper. He was involved in foundations, wrote books and gave lectures and received countless honors. The highly respected political figure died on November 10, 2015.

On December 23, 2018, Schmidt would have turned 100. Among events marking the anniversary, the Friedrich Ebert foundation in Bonn is holding the exhibition "Helmut Schmidt - the Chancellor Years" with photos by Jupp Darchinger. Hamburg is paying tribute to its prominent son with a light installation, while a Schmidt stamp has been issued along with a commemorative version of his skipper cap.

Former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt's breadth of knowledge was impressive, his analysis of global crises was profound, his world view often a measuring stick for the many readers of his commentaries. At book fairs and political podium discussions, all eyes and ears were on Schmidt. Everyone wanted to listen to him.

As the son of a teacher, Helmut Schmidt (second from right) was ambitious in his youth. He looked up to Hannelore (known as Loki), the self-confident girl in the middle. Schmidt attended school in Hamburg and graduated in 1937.

Even as a child, Schmidt enjoyed playing chess. He was a strategic thinker, which would later be one of his biggest strengths as a politician and chancellor of Germany. Schmidt managed to stay calm in crisis situations, including the 1962 flood in Hamburg.

Helmut Schmidt married his childhood sweetheart, Hannelore (Loki) Glaser, in 1942 - in the middle of World War II. Just prior to their wedding, Schmidt had been sent to the eastern front in the winter of 1941. In April 1945, at the end of the war, he was taken prisoner by the Brits, but freed again in August of that year. In 1946, Schmidt joined the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

The ambitious young politician rose up the political ranks. He had a talent for passionate political speeches, like this one in 1968 at a party gathering in Frankfurt. He actively disputed with his political opponents - even in his own party.

As an expert in transportation and military affairs, Helmut Schmidt quickly developed a reputation as a strong politician. In 1961, he left the parliament (Bundestag) to become Police Senator in Hamburg. In 1962, he dealt with the flood catastrophe that hit northern Germany - and became Interior Senator. In 1964, chancellor candidate Willy Brandt invited him onto his campaign team.

A passionate politician, Helmut Schmidt was also a talented public speaker. He was precise and clear, and known for his refined and convincing approach to rhetoric. He didn't spare his political opponent, but attacked with verbal respect. Schmidt valued preparation and well thought out speech manuscripts - but also didn't shy away from spontaneous arguments.

Film star Hardy Krüger was a welcome guest in the capital city of Bonn. He was frequently invited to Chancellor Willy Brandt's garden parties. Here in 1971, he's pictured with fellow guest Helmut Schmidt. Krüger played in the 1957 war film "The One That Got Away," about an officer who escapes from British captivity as a POW. It's a topic that was of personal interest to Schmidt.

The German Bundestag, the parliament, was Schmidt's second home. On May 17, 1974, he was sworn in as chancellor. It was a moving moment in his life. On July 1, 1999, the parliamentarians met here in Bonn for the last time, though Berlin had officially become the capital of reunified Germany in 1991.

Helmut Schmidt always took his wife Loki with him on his trips abroad. Both of them enjoyed getting to know foreign cultures - and official protocols. At a state visit to China in 1975, they traveled to the famous "Forbidden City" in Beijing.

All German chancellors have had their portraits painted by an artist of their choice. Chancellor Schmidt paid a visit to painter Oskar Kokoschka in Switzerland, who had also painted Konrad Adenauer. Though Kokoschka sketched Schmidt, the chancellor ultimately chose a different artist.

Helmut Schmidt was not into black suits. He hated everything vaguely reminding him of a uniform ever since his time as a young officer during the Third Reich. Even for major official political events, such as here at the G7 summit of international leaders in Venice, he picked rather light-colored clothes. His wife Loki was in charge of choosing his ties.

Helmut Schmidt could spend hours reflecting on his strategic chess moves, which he would often play with Loki. A typical northern German teapot, along with candied sugar and cream, could always be found right by the chess board. The politician loved to play chess to relax and train his brain. Listening to music was another of his favorite pastimes.

Schmidt also loved to play the piano. After retiring from politics, the music-lover could devote more time to his hobby. He even performed as a soloist at a concert in Zurich in 1983. Some of his old friends were also famous pianists, such as Leonhard Bernstein and Justus Frantz.

Even after leaving office in 1982, former Chancellor Schmidt remained involved in political discussions. He became the co-editor of the renowned German weekly "Die Zeit" in 1983. The editorial meetings were memorably fueled by his ideas and debates. He also wrote books and articles on different political issues. His opinions were appreciated worldwide, especially by young people.

His portrait is part of the official gallery of the Federal Chancellery, which is also opened to the public. The East German painter Bernhard Heisig created this striking depiction of the former chancellor - without forgetting the mandatory cigarette. The SPD politician Helmut Schmidt was Chancellor of the Federal Republic Germany from 1974 to 1982 and remains highly respected to this day.