Konrad Adenauer was a German statesman who served as the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. He was also the leader of the Christian Democratic Union from 1945 to 1966. Adenauer is widely regarded as one of the founders of the modern German state and is often referred to as the 'Father of the Nation'. Der Alte, meaning 'the old one' in German, was a nickname given to Adenauer due to his advanced age when he took office.