The government of the city-state of Hamburg is known as the Senate of Hamburg , and from 1961 to 1965 , Schmidt was the '' Innensenator '' : the senator of the interior . He gained a reputation as a '' Macher '' ( doer ) – someone who gets things done regardless of obstacles – by his effective management during the emergency caused by the 1962 flood , during which 300 people drowned . Schmidt used all means at his disposal to alleviate the situation , even when that meant overstepping his legal authority , including employing the federal police and army units ( ignoring the German constitution 's prohibition on using the army for " internal affairs " ; a clause excluding disasters was not added until 1968 ) . Describing his actions , Schmidt said , " I was n't put in charge of these units – I took charge of them ! " He saved a further 1,000 lives and swiftly managed the re-housing of thousands of the homeless
1962 flood
North Sea flood of 1962
Helmut Schmidt