Gerhard Konow

Gerhard Konow (16 March 1929 – 17 May 1997) was a German politician and jurist.

Early life and education Konow was born in Szczecin on 10 March 1929. He studied law and political science at the Universities of Kiel and Marburg from 1948 until 1957 and followed the subsequent legal preparatory service.

Political career Konow worked in the State Chancellery of Hesse until 1970, first as a consultant and from 1965 as head of department. In August 1970 he moved to the German Chancellery as department head. At the same time, he took on the role of official representative of Berlin at federal level. Since the SPD withdrew from government responsibility in the following snap election to the Abgeordnetenhaus on 10 May 1981, Konow's senatorial office also ended on 11 June 1981 when his successor Norbert Blüm took office. As a senator, Konow was also a full member of the German Bundesrat from 27 January to 11 June 1981.

In September 1981, Konow was again employed by the SPD-led federal government: until 31 March 1982, he was head of the transport policy department in the Federal Ministry of Transport; on 1 April he was appointed State Secretary of this ministry. In 1983, he moved to the Ministry of Science and Research, where he served until his retirement in 1994. This was followed by work as a consultant and representative of the North Rhine-Westphalia state government for the 'Science City of Bonn'.

Death Gerhard Konow died in Bonn, a few years after his retirement, on 17 May 1997 at the age of 68.

Non-partisanship Although Gerhard Konow was exclusively employed in SPD-led governments during his career, he remained non-party throughout his life. At the beginning of his term as head of the German Chancellery, he emphasized that he was “not a so-called one, but a truly non-party person."