Biography

• Born on 17th November 1901 in Mainz.
• Studied Law and Political Science in Bonn, Munich and Berlin; was conferred a doctorate in 1925 (LLD). After qualifying as a university lecturer (1929) he lectured as Professor at Rostock University until 1941 and afterwards at Frankfurt University (1941–1944), where he was at the same time Director of the Institute for Comparative Law and Economic Law.
• After military service and a period as a prisoner of war in the USA (1944–1946) he was Rector of the University of Frankfurt am Main until 1948. Afterwards he lectured for one year as visiting professor at Georgetown University (USA).
• He was Head of the German delegation at the negotiations for the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (Schuman Plan Conference 1950); in 1950 he became State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery. As State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry (1951–1958) he played an active role in the negotiations for establishing the European Economic Community. In 1958 he was appointed first President of the Commission of the European Economic Community; he held this office until 1967. He played a decisive role in the building up and development of the Common Market and the European institutions.
• From 1969 to 1972 he was a Member of the German Bundestag.
• Died on 29th March 1982.