Successful policies for over 50 years

The CDU was founded a people's party after the cruelties of World War II by Protestant and Catholics, by women and men, by rich and poor, by people from all kinds of background.

Our policy is based on Christian values. Their intellectual and political roots lie in the social ethics of the Christian churches, and in the liberal tradition of European enlightenment. The founders of the CDU laid the foundations of Christian Democratic policies by emphasising their belief in Man's inalienable freedom and dignity.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was founded in 1945 by people who wanted to shape Germany's future with a Christian, non-denominational people's party. The main founding members were Andreas Hermes, Jakob Kaiser, Karl Arnold, Ernst Lemmer, Helene Weber, Gebhard Müller, Heinrich Krone, Leo Schwering, Christine Teusch, and last, but not least, Konrad Adenauer. Thus a new kind of party came into being in Germany uniting Catholics and Protestants, Conservatives and Liberals, proponents of Christian social ideals, and men and women from various regions, social classes, and democratic traditions.

The CDU developed on the provincial level, before the national party was set up. We are still proud of that federal (decentralised) heritage, and we believe that strong federal (decentralising) structures are good for Germany as well. Initially founded by men and women of honour, the CDU in the Soviet Occupation Zone – later, in 1949, called the GDR - was gradually transformed to an ally of the Communist regime. Quite a number of member at the grassroots of the CDU could preserve their moral integrity and continued to adhere to the founders' ideals.

The building of the Federal Republic of Germany is connected with the CDU and her first leader Konrad Adenauer. The CDU had prepared and implemented all main political decisions of that young German democracy. Konrad Adenauer's policy of reconciliation with France and the Jewish people, of European integration and Transatlantic partnership have made Germany an internationally highly respected and reliable partner.

Ludwig Erhard and the CDU introduced the economic and social model of the "Social Market Economy" in Germany that helped to create an rapid economic development called the "German economic miracle". "Prosperity for all" was not only a title of a book by Ludwig Erhard, but became reality. The creation of a modern welfare system, especially the introduction of a "dynamic pension", combined economic efficiency, wealth creating, and social justice. Helmut Kohl reinvigorated this economic approach of deregulation, tax reductions, privatisation, and the introduction of the old age care insurance.

Germany entered a new era with her unification on October 3, 1990. This day could only become true because of the desire of the people of Eastern Germany for freedom, democracy, and national unity. In the fall of 1989 their call in Leipzig, Dresden and elsewhere turned from " we are the people" to "we (the Germans) are one people". Our policy of European integration and Transatlantic partnership has earned us the confidence of our friends and partners who therefore supported our national aim of unification.

When the opportunity arose, Helmut Kohl seized the day and united our divided country peacefully. Our vision of Christian Democratic policies came true: freedom for all German citizens.

After we have achieved a unified country in legal terms, it remains our aim to achieve a unified Germany also in psychological, economic, social, and cultural terms. We want to achieve that aim with flexibility, courage, solidarity, and a public spirit. We have to learn to respect different experiences and ways of living. We want to be, as the great German writer Thomas Mann put it, German Europeans and European Germans.

Building on our ideals and 50 years of unparalleled success, we want to continue to serve our country in the 21st century.