Politics · Media · 1913–1992

Willy Brandt — Age, Birthday & Biography

Born: 18 December 1913 · Died: 8 October 1992 · Age at death: 78

How old was Willy Brandt when he died?

Willy Brandt died aged 78. He was born on 18 December 1913 and died on 8 October 1992.

Former Mayor of West Berlin who became chancellor, knelt at the Warsaw Ghetto memorial and won the Nobel Peace Prize

Did you know?He lived in exile in Norway and Denmark during the Nazi era, working as a journalist under a pseudonym to escape persecution.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth18 December 1913
  • Date of death8 October 1992
  • Age at death78
  • Cause of deathColorectal cancer
  • NationalityGerman
  • BirthplaceMeierstraße, Germany
  • Occupationjournalist, politician, autobiographer

Editor's Take:

Willy Brandt reshaped Germany's place in Europe after the war. Born Herbert Frahm, he fled the Nazis in 1933 and worked against them from Norway. As mayor of West Berlin he stood firm when the Wall went up in 1961. As chancellor from 1969 he reached out to the Soviet bloc in a policy called Ostpolitik. In Warsaw in 1970 he knelt in silence at the memorial to the Ghetto uprising, a gesture seen around the world. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971.

Key Milestones

  1. 1957: West Berlin – mayor
  2. 1961: Berlin Wall – crisis
  3. 1969: Chancellor – elected
  4. 1970: Warsaw – kneels

Willy Brandt (German:; born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm; 18 December 1913 – 8 October 1992) was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and concurrently served as the chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Willy Brandt: The Chancellor of Ostpolitik

German chancellor, 1913–1992

Willy Brandt was born Herbert Frahm in Lübeck on 18 December 1913.

He fled to Norway in 1933.

He was mayor of West Berlin from 1957.

He became chancellor in 1969.

Career highlights

  1. 1957West Berlin: mayor
  2. 1961Berlin Wall: crisis
  3. 1969Chancellor: elected
  4. 1970Warsaw: kneels
  5. 1971Nobel Peace Prize: awarded

Did you know?He resigned in 1974 after an aide was revealed as an East German spy.

Age at death
78
Would be
112
Years since death
34

Explore Willy Brandt's birthday

Questions people ask

Frequently asked questions

When is Willy Brandt's birthday?
Willy Brandt's birthday is December 18. He was born on December 18, 1913 in Meierstraße, Germany.
How old was Willy Brandt when he died?
Willy Brandt died on October 8, 1992, aged 78.
Who shares a birthday with Willy Brandt?
Famous people who share Willy Brandt's December 18 birthday include Joseph Stalin, Steven Spielberg, Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera and Billie Eilish.

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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026