Ludwig Erhard was born in Fürth, Kingdom of Bavaria on 4 February 1897. His father Wilhelm Erhard (b. 1859) was a Catholic clothing store proprietor, while his mother Augusta was a Protestant. Ludwig had two brothers and a … See more

In 1916, during World War I, Erhard volunteered for the German military. He was referred to the 22nd Royal Bavarian Artillery Regiment … See more

After the war Erhard became an economic consultant. Under the Bizone established by the American and British administration in 1947, he led the Sonderstelle Geld und Kredit ("Special Office for Money and Credit"), an expert commission preparing the currency reform … See more

After the resignation of Adenauer in 1963, Erhard was elected chancellor with 279 against 180 votes in the Bundestag on 16 October. In 1965, he was re-elected. From 1966 to 1967, he also headed the Christian Democratic Union as de facto chairman, despite the fact that … See more

After his graduation they moved to Fürth and he became an executive in his father's company in 1925. Erhard spent the next three years as a mostly unemployed academic. His … See more

In the first free elections following the Nazi era, Erhard stood for election in a Baden-Württemberg district and was elected. He was appointed Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, a … See more

On 26 October 1966, Minister Walter Scheel (FDP) resigned, protesting against the budget released the day before. The other ministers who … See more