Henry A. Kissinger – historical figure of American diplomacy, Nobel Peace Prize laureate for Vietnam, but controversial political figure – died yesterday, Wednesday, at his residence in Connecticut at the age of 100.

Kissinger was born in Germany as Heinz Alfred Kissinger (Heinz Alfred Kissinger) to German Jewish parents. Together with his parents, in 1938 they escaped to the USA, to New York under the threat of the Nazi regime.

From a World War II refugee – at the age of 15 – he became the US Secretary of State and a leading diplomatic mediator during the second half of the 20th century.

The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, today praised the late Henry Kissinger.

“Henry Kissinger shaped American foreign policy like few others. His commitment to the transatlantic friendship between the US and Germany was important as well he always remained close to his German homeland. The world is losing a great diplomat,” Soltz wrote in a social media post today.

During the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford he dominated as one of the leading proponents of the policy of detente – easing tensions with Russia.

Critics point out that many of this Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s victories were short-lived and that he was a key player behind the scenes of many American foreign policy machinations, including supporting dictators from Latin America to Asia.