Editing Hans-Dietrich Genscher (section)

=== Political career ===
In 1952, Genscher [[Republikflucht|fled]] to [[West Germany]], where he joined the [[Free Democratic Party of Germany|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP). He passed his second state examination in law in [[Hamburg]] in 1954 and became a solicitor in [[Bremen (city)|Bremen]]. During these early years after the war, Genscher continuously struggled with illness. From 1956 to 1959 he was a research assistant of the FDP parliamentary group in Bonn. From 1959 to 1965 he was the FDP group managing director, while from 1962 to 1964 he was National Secretary of the FDP.<ref name="Günsche-2016"/>

In [[1965 West German federal election|1965]] Genscher was elected on the North Rhine-Westphalian FDP list to the [[Bundestag|West German parliament]] and remained a member of parliament until his retirement in 1998.<ref name="Deutscher Bundestag-2016">{{cite web|title=Bundestag trauert um Hans-Dietrich Genscher|url=http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2016/kw13-lammert-genscher/417022|publisher=Deutscher Bundestag|access-date=1 April 2016|language=de|date=1 April 2016}}</ref> He was elected deputy national chairman in 1968. From 1969 he served as minister of the interior in the SPD-FDP coalition government led by [[Chancellor of Germany (Federal Republic)|Chancellor]] [[Willy Brandt]].<ref name="Günsche-2016"/>

In 1974 he became foreign minister and [[Vice Chancellor of Germany|vice chancellor]], both posts he would hold for 18 years.<ref name="Günsche-2016"/> From 1 October 1974 to 23 February 1985 he was Chairman of the FDP. It was during his tenure as party chairman that the FDP switched from being the junior member of social-liberal coalition to being the junior member of the 1982 coalition with the CDU/CSU. In 1985 he gave up the post of national chairman.<ref name="Hofmann-1992">{{cite news|last1=Hofmann|first1=Gunter|title=Der "Mister Mitte" der Republik|url=http://www.zeit.de/1992/19/der-mister-mitte-der-republik/komplettansicht|newspaper=Die Zeit|access-date=1 April 2016|language=de|date=1 May 1992}}</ref> After his resignation as Foreign Minister, Genscher was appointed honorary chairman of the FDP in 1992.<ref>{{cite news|title=Porträt: Jahrzehnte prägte Genscher die deutsche Politik|url=http://www.zeit.de/news/2016-04/01/parteien-bundesregierung-wuerdigt-genscher-als-grossen-staatsmann-01123805|newspaper=Die Zeit|access-date=1 April 2016|language=de|date=1 April 2016}}</ref>