Former German leader Helmut Schmidt today stunned his countrymen by revealing he cheated on his wife during their 68-year marriage . The disclosure came when extracts of his new autobiography were printed in a German magazine . ' I had a relationship with another woman , ' said Schmidt , who lost his wife Loki five years ago . Schmidt , 96 , revealed his deepest personal secret in his book What I Still Want To Say , which is being serialised by the magazine Stern . He would not reveal the identity of his mistress nor how long the affair lasted . Former German Chancellor Helmut Schimdt has admitted to having an affair during his 68-year marriage to Loki ( pictured , above , with her husband in 2009 ) sometime in the late 60s or early 70s . 'It was at the end of the 60s or the beginning of the 70s , ' he said , adding that his wife found out about it . He said she realised how 'close ' it was and offered to leave him . ' I told her that was a totally fallacious idea , ' he added . According to Stern , the woman was a colleague in the social democrat party which he led . He remained in contact with her 'for a long while ' after the break up and attended her funeral two years ago . Back in the day : Schmidt ( left ) is pictured with then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on St Giorgio 's Island for a summit of leaders of the European Economic Community in 1980 . Following the death of his wife , he began a relationship with Ruth Loah , 81 , his long-time secretary and they are still together . 'Ruth saved my life , ' said Schmidt , who was chancellor of Germany from 1974 until 1982 . During his time as West Germany 's chancellor he lead the country through Cold War tensions and a bloody wave of terror by far-left radicals , the Red Army Faction . He won the Iron Cross for his services in WWII which included action on both the eastern and western fronts . Last year , he revealed he had stashed 38,000 menthol cigarettes in his home because of fears the EU would try to ban them . He is well known for being excused for smoking in places where it is banned . Der Spiegel reported that the 40-a-day smoker has in the past managed to get away with it both in television studios and congress halls .
Schmidt , however , reveals affair ' at the end of the 60s or beginning of the 70s ' Would not disclose details of other events or how long it lasted . Wife found out and decided to leave , but he thought it was a fallacious idea '