Berlin, June 16 (Antara/Xinhua) - Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl died at his home in Germany's Ludwigshafen on Friday at the age of 87, according to German local media Focus Online.
Kohl served as German chancellor between 1982 and 1998 and is well known as the "chancellor of unity," for his active political plan bringing west and east Germany together. Under heavy pressure in 1989, he negotiated with the leaders of the U.S, the former Soviet Union and secured a peaceful and stable Germany reunification, Deutsche Presse Agentur reported.
He is also hailed for his contribution to Europe integration, European single currency and market. He persuaded Germans to give up the then strong Deutsche Mark and adopted EURO.
As a leader for Christian Democratic Union(CDU), Kohl was seen as the mentor for Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In 2002, Kohl resigned from lower house of the parliament Bundestag and officially left politics.
He began fighting with illness after a fall and a head injury in 2008, since then he had to sit on a wheelchair and could barely speak. Kohl received a intestine surgery in 2015 since then his condition gradually worsened.
