Wolfgang Schäuble's Memories: An Insider's Look at Five Decades of German Politics

Of course, political biographies tell us a lot about people who have written history or are currently doing so. But some biographies – and autobiographies – do even more. They take you right into the world of power, tell of fatal mistakes, of political sophistication and vulnerability. And sometimes also about how deeply the view of power changes over time. Eight ZEIT authors give their personal recommendations in the political features section.

A lot about this book is extraordinary, just the range of political decisions in which Wolfgang Schäuble was involved between 1972 and 2023 and which he describes in a gripping way. From Willy Brandt's Eastern Treaty (for which he secretly voted) to German unity (which he managed significantly) to the Islamic Conference and the Euro crisis - everywhere this man was not only a contemporary witness, but also an actor and driver. Schäuble's memoirs are a history book from the perspective of an insider and are therefore interesting.