After leaving government, he formed Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm. Kissinger wrote over a dozen books on diplomatic history and international relations.Kissinger’s legacy remains controversial and polarizing in U.S. politics. He is both considered an effective Secretary of State[8] and condemned for allegedly turning a blind eye to war crimes committed by American allies. Kissinger was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923, in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany, the son of homemaker Paula (née Stern; 1901–1998, from Leutershausen), and Louis Kissinger (1887–1982), a schoolteacher; he had a younger brother, Walter (1924–2021), who was a businessman. Kissinger’s family was German-Jewish, his great-great-grandfather Meyer Löb having adopted “Kissinger” as his surname in 1817, taking it from the Bavarian spa town of Bad Kissingen. In his childhood, Kissinger enjoyed playing soccer. He played for the youth team of SpVgg Fürth, which was one of the nation’s best clubs at the time.