Background
Sommer, Theo was born on June 10, 1930 in Constance, Germany. Son of Theo and Else Sommer.
Sommer, Theo was born on June 10, 1930 in Constance, Germany. Son of Theo and Else Sommer.
Student, Tübingen University, Sweden. Student, University Chicago. Student Henry Kissinger summer seminar, Harvard University, 1960.
Doctor of Laws (honorary), University Maryland, 1982.
Local editor Schwäbisch-Gmünd, 1952—1954. Political, foreign editor Die Zeit, Hamburg, Germany, 1958, deputy editor-in-chief, 1968, editor-in-chief, 1973—1992, public, 1992—2000, editor-at-large, since 2000. Chief of planning staff Ministry of Defense, Bonn, 1969—1970.
Member German Armed Forces Structure Commission, 1970—1972, International Commission on Balkans, 1995—1996, Indiana International Commission on Kosovo, 1999—2000. Deputy chairman Commission on Future of Bundeswehr, 1999—2000. Lecturer international relations University Hamburg, 1967—1970.
Commentator German television, radio. Member Indo-German Consultant Group, since 1992, German co-chair, since 1996. Member German-Japanese Dialogue Forum, since 1993, Trilateral Commission, 1974—1993.
Member steering committee Bilderberg Meetings, 1975—1989, Königswinter Conference, 1962—1992. Member advisory council Medienstadt Leipzig, 1992—1996. Member German advisory committee German Marshall Fund of the United States, 1989—1997.
Author: Germany and Japan Between the Powers, 1962, The Chinese Card, 1979, Alliance in Disarray?, 1982, Look Back Into the Future, 1984, Journey to the other Germany, 1986, Toward the Future, 1999, Phoenix Europe. The European Union: Its Progress, Problems and Prospects, 2000. Editor: Denken an Deutschland, 1966, Schweden-Report, 1974.
Member Bertelsmann Foundation, 1988—1996. Member of Honorary member Trilateral Communications, Honorary member Association of Anciens, Advisory Council Military History Institute, Council German-Turkish Foundation (board member since 1998), Königswinter Conference, International Institute for Strategic Studies (member council 1963-1976, 1978-1987), German Foreign Policy Association.
Married Elda Tsilenis, 1952. 2 children; married Heide Grenz, 1976. Married Sabine Grewe, 1988.