Third Kohl cabinet

The third cabinet led by Helmut Kohl was sworn in on March 12, 1987. The cabinet was formed after the 1987 elections. This cabinet oversaw the German Reunification. It laid down its function on January 17, 1991, after the formation of the Cabinet Kohl IV, which was formed following the 1990 elections.

The cabinet had the following composition:

• Helmut Kohl (CDU) – Chancellor
• Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) – Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) – Minister for Special Affairs and Chief of the Chancellery
• Manfred Wörner (CDU) – Minister of Defense
• Friedrich Zimmermann (CSU) – Minister of the Interior
• Gerhard Stoltenberg (CDU) – Minister of Finance
• Hans Engelhard (FDP) – Minister of Justice
• Martin Bangemann (FDP) – Minister of Economics
• Norbert Blüm (CDU) – Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
• Ignaz Kiechle (CSU) – Minister of Food, Agriculture, And Forestry
• Jürgen Warnke (CSU) – Minister of Transport
• Oscar Schneider (CSU) – Minister of Construction
• Rita Süssmuth (CDU) – Minister of Youth, Family, Women, and Health
• Heinz Riesenhuber (CDU) – Minister of Research and Technology
• Jürgen Möllemann (FDP) – Minister of Education and Science
• Hans Klein (CSU) – Minister of Economic Cooperation
• Walter Wallmann (CDU) – Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation, and Reactor Security
• Christian Schwarz-Schilling (CDU) – Minister of Posts and Communications
• Dorothee Wilms (CDU) – Minister of Intra-German Relations

Composition of the cabinet changed six times:

• April 22, 1987 – Klaus Töpfer (CDU) succeeds Wallmann as Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation, and Reactor Security.
• May 18, 1988 – Rupert Scholz (CDU) succeeds Wörner as Minister of Defense.
• December 9, 1988 – Helmut Haussmann (FDP) succeeds Bangemann as Minister of Economics.
• April 21, 1989 – major reshuffle: Rudolf Seiters (CDU) enters the Cabinet as Minister for Special Affairs and Chief of the Chancellery, replacing Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU). Schäuble becomes Minister of the Interior, replacing Friedrich Zimmermann (CSU). Zimmermann becomes Minister of Transport, replacing Jürgen Warnke (CSU). Warnke becomes Minister of Economic Cooperation, replacing Hans Klein (CSU). Klein becomes (second) Minister for Special Affairs with the function of Government Spokesman-in-chief, replacing Friedhelm Ost (not of Cabinet rank). In addition Gerda Hasselfeldt (CSU) replaces Oscar Schneider (CSU) as Minister of Construction.
• October 3, 1990 – Five East German Ministers – Lothar de Maizière (CDU), Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU), Günther Krause (CDU), Rainer Ortleb (FDP), and Hans Joachim Walther (DSU) – enter the cabinet as Ministers for Special Affairs (adding one other party to the coalition).
• December 19, 1990 – De Maizière leaves the cabinet.

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