Death of Veteran German Politician Wolfgang Schäuble at 81

German media reported today, Wednesday, that veteran politician Wolfgang Schäuble has passed away at the age of 81. Schäuble served as a member of the German parliament (Bundestag) for more than half a century. The German Press Agency mentioned that Schäuble died late last night, Tuesday. He dedicated most of his career to efforts for the reunification of his country and later served as Minister of Finance during Chancellor Angela Merkel's tenure amid the Eurozone debt crisis. Schäuble had been a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union party, which Merkel is also part of, since 1965 and became a parliament member in 1972, making him one of the longest-serving German politicians. He had been wheelchair-bound since 1990 due to a gunshot wound from an assailant that left him disabled and nearly killed him.