Background
KOLBOW, Walter was born on April 27, 1944 in Spinal, Drau, Austria.
captain lawyer politician secretary Soldier
KOLBOW, Walter was born on April 27, 1944 in Spinal, Drau, Austria.
Afterwards, Kolbow studied law at the University of Würzburg and the „Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften“ in Speyer.
He was Parliamentary State Secretary (1998-2005) in the Federal Ministry of Defense, as well as deputy chairman of Social Democratic Party of Germany Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag (2005-2009). After primary school in Ingolstadt and Ochsenfurt (Bavaria), his Abitur at Röntgen-Gymnasium Würzburg in 1964 Kolbow served the compulsory military duty until 1966 at the German Air Force. Today he is Captain of the reserve.
In 1970 he obtained the „Erstes Juristisches Staatsexamen“ and in1974 the „Zweites Juristisches Staatsexamen“.
The year after, Kolbow started working for the local administration of Frankfurt. Between 1978 and 1980 he did scientific research for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Today Kolbow is counsel of the Berlin Consulting Group supporting public and private institutions in the field of health in Europe. Furthermore, Walter Kolbow is married and has two children.
Kolbow joined the Social Democratic of Germany (Social Democratic Party of Germany) in 1967.
Until 2008 he was chairman of the regional section of Unterfranken (Bavaria). Today he is its honorary chairman. Besides, Kolbow is chairman of the “Commission on Security and Bundeswehr Issues” which gives advice to Social Democratic Party of Germany´s federal steering committee.
Between 1994 until 1998 Kolbow was chief responsible for defense matters of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Paralemtary Group.
As a result of the Federal elections of 1998 he joined the Federal Government and was appointed as State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense until 2005. Within this period of time he was Germany´s “Humanitarian Representative to Macedonia” coordinating humanitarian aid in Macedonia.
Moreover, Kolbow is well respected for his commitment for injured German soldiers because of radar radiation and posttraumatic stress disorder (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). In addition to that, he was vice chairperson of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Paralemtary Group, responsible for foreign and development politics, defense matters and human rights since 2005.
After 29 years of parliamentary work Kolbow retired from the German Bundestag in 2009.
2009 Constitutional Medal in silver
2009 "Honoris Causa"-Medal for being "Upfront with the audience“ by Carneval Club Versbach (Würzburg)
2009 Honorary Ring of the City of Würzburg
2012 Grand Merit Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Protestant
Between 1972 until 1976 Kolbow was member of the city council of Ochsenfurt, as well as between 1978 until 1981 of Würzburg. Since 1980 he was Member of the German Bundestag.