Schmidt, Horst

Doctor, politician

Born: 05.06.1925 in Sprendlingen

died: 04.10.1976 near Neu-Isenburg

After studying medicine in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main, Horst Schmidt obtained his doctorate in 1950 with his thesis "The importance of blood replacement by reinfusion in tubal pregnancy". He then worked as a junior doctor in Langen and Offenbach, and later as a specialist in pulmonary medicine in Winterkasten in the Odenwald and Offenbach. From 1955, he was in charge of tuberculosis care at the Offenbach health authority. In 1957, he was appointed Medical Councillor and in 1959, he was appointed to the Presidium of the Hessian State Health Council.

He combined his medical work with health and party political commitment at an early stage. In 1951, shortly after completing his doctorate, he joined the SPD and from 1955, as Chairman of the Working Group of Social Democratic Doctors in Hesse, he bundled specific reform interests. He was first elected to the German Bundestag in 1961 and represented the Offenbach constituency for three legislative periods.

In 1969, he was appointed as a minister in the Hessian state government and given the portfolio for labor, social affairs and healthcare. During his term of office as Minister of Health and Social Affairs, he was particularly committed to the further development of inpatient care and, in this context, also supported the city of Wiesbaden's plan to build a new hospital on the Freudenberg. His tragic death in a traffic accident took his life shortly before the ground-breaking ceremony for this project took place. In recognition of his health policy successes and his commitment to the new building on the Freudenberg, the inpatient complex was given the name Dr. Horst Schmidt Clinics after its completion in 1982.