Heinz Schwarz

Heinz Schwarz (24 July 1928 – 6 March 2023) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) who was a long-time member of the state parliament of Rhineland-Palatinate, serving as the state's minister of the interior. From 1976 to 1990, he was a member of the Bundestag.

Life and work Schwarz was born in Leubsdorf on 24 July 1928, the son of a vintner and innkeeper. In 1944 he began a commercial apprenticeship at the Kreissparkasse in Neuwied, but was drafted as an Airforce auxiliary (Luftwaffenhelfer). After World War II, he completed his commercial education in 1947. He trained as a banker until 1947, and then worked in his parents' vineyard and at times as an industrial labourer. He owned two companies in his hometown, an antique shop and a company that imported raw materials.

Public positions

Schwarz was mayor of Bad Hönningen from 1964 to 1971. His tenure ended when he was elected to the Bundestag, and he was succeeded by .

Personal life and death Schwarz was married; the couple's son Stefan Schwarz also became a politician.

Schwarz died on 6 March 2023, at age 94. He was the last living member of the 1959 Landtag. Malu Dreyer, minister-president of Rhineland-Palatinate, said "Heinz Schwarz was a politician out of deep conviction. As a Rhenish Catholic who lived through the Second World War, he was concerned with a better future for our country, in which people build bridges for a firm democracy." (""). 1986: Commander Cross of the Order of Merit 1989:

Publications

Publications by Schwarz as author or editor are held by the German National Library:

Memorial Schwarz donated a memorial monument at the Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, where he had served as Luftwaffenhelfer. The plaque, on the east bank of the river in Erpel, quotes Konrad Adenauer: "Friede ohne Freiheit ist kein Friede" ("Peace without freedom is no peace").