Angela Merkel: Germany's First Female Chancellor

Angela Merkel's Early Life and Career

Angela Dorothea Merkel was born on July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, West Germany. She studied physics at the University of Leipzig, where she met her future husband, Joachim Sauer. After graduating, she worked as a research chemist at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin.

Political Career

Merkel entered politics in 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. She joined the Democratic Awakening party, which later merged with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She served as Minister for Women and Youth under Chancellor Helmut Kohl from 1991 to 1994.

In 2000, Merkel was elected leader of the CDU. She became the first female chancellor of Germany in 2005 and served in that role until 2021. During her time as chancellor, she oversaw Germany's response to the global financial crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis. She also played a leading role in the European Union's efforts to address the refugee crisis.

Merkel is known for her pragmatic and cautious approach to politics. She is widely respected for her leadership and her commitment to European unity.

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