This is an edited version of Luke Harding's world dispatch which you can read in full here.
Mr Schröder's record in office has been mixed but historians are likely to praise him for at least two key achievements. The first is in foreign policy where he managed for the first time to shape a more assertive and independent role for Germany on the international stage.
It was not without its contradictions. In March 1999 Schröder became the first post-war German chancellor to send troops abroad when he agreed that German soldiers could take part in Nato operations in Kosovo. It was a sign that a reunited Germany – with the cold war over - was prepared to shoulder the multinational burden of peacekeeping and conflict resolution. This same doctrine, of course, led to the celebrated breach with President George Bush over Iraq.
The other key area where Schröder deserves praise is his efforts to normalise Germany's relationship with its past and present. But, in other areas – principally economic - Schröder's record is lacking.
