The archives of former European Commissioner Karl-Heinz Narjes have been deposited at the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) and are now available for consultation.
The new collection includes documents relating to his activities as Minister of Economic Affairs and Transport of the German state parliament of Schleswig-Holstein (1969-1972), highlighting his role in implementing regional economic and infrastructure policies. These archives include documents on regional elections, electoral programs, campaign strategies, as well as economic development and transport projects in the state. The collection also documents his involvement as a member of the Bundestag from 1972 to 1981, with archives detailing his election campaigns (1972, 1976, 1980), speeches, press releases, and notes, as well as files on his parliamentary activities, the economic and social debates of the time, and the positions taken by the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) / Christian Social Union (CSU).
The arrival of Narjes’ private papers at the HAEU constitutes a source of information for researchers in political and European history, particularly with regard to the CDU/CSU in that period. It provides access to original documents, allowing for the analysis of the debates and decisions that influenced Germany and Europe in the second half of the 20th century, particularly in the areas of the internal market, industrial policy, and international economic relations. Finally, these documents shed light on Karl-Heinz Narjes's involvement in the development of European economic and industrial policies, as well as his role in international relations and parliamentary discussions.
The collection consists exclusively of documents in German, and the inventory was carried out in that language to ensure the authenticity and consistency of the archives.
Born in 1924, Karl-Heinz Narjes's career was marked by the events of war and politics. After serving in the Kriegsmarine and a period of captivity in England (1944-1948), he studied law at the University of Hamburg, where he obtained his doctorate in 1952 with a thesis on customs and economic unions. In 1955, he joined the German diplomatic service before turning to European politics, where he played an important role in the development of the European Union's internal market and industrial policies. He became Chief of Staff to the President of the EEC Commission, Walter Hallstein, in 1963 and Director-General of Press and Information at the Commission of the European Community (EC) in 1968. He then left the Commission for a few years, during which he pursued a political career in Germany. In 1981, he returned to Brussels as Commissioner for the Internal Market, Customs Union, Industrial Innovation, Environment, Consumer Affairs, and Nuclear Safety (until 1984). From 1984 to 1988, he served as Commissioner for Industrial Policy, Research and Innovation, and Vice-President of the European Commission.
A recipient of the German Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class, Karl-Heinz Narjes left a valuable political and institutional legacy, now available to researchers thanks to this new archival collection.
Researchers who wish to do so may consult the archives relating to Narjes's career at the European Commission by contacting the Commission's Historical Archives through their website, here.