Eckhard “Ecki” Seeber, Helmut Kohl’s long-time chauffeur, died at the age of 87

Eckhard "Ecki" Seeber, who was former Chancellor Helmut Kohl's chauffeur for many years and was considered his close confidant, died on Monday at the age of 87. This Tuesday would have been his 88th birthday, as his daughter told the dpa news agency in Ludwigshafen. Der Spiegel had previously reported on it.

Seeber was Kohl's chauffeur for around four decades and drove him a total of more than five million kilometers. After Kohl's death in June 2017, Seeber also took part in the memorial service.

Seeber himself is said to have once described his job as follows: “The boss makes the policy and I drive.”