Richard von Weizsäcker
Richard Freiherr von Weizsäcker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Weizsäcker in 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of Germany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1 July 1984 – 30 June 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Karl Carstens | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Roman Herzog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governing Mayor of West Berlin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 11 June 1981 – 9 February 1984 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Heinrich Lummer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Hans-Jochen Vogel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Eberhard Diepgen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Christian Democratic Union in West Berlin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 21 March 1981 – December 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Peter Lorenz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Eberhard Diepgen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vice President of the Bundestag (on proposal of the CDU/CSU-group) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 21 June 1979 – 21 March 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Richard Stücklen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Richard Stücklen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Heinrich Windelen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker 15 April 1920 New Palace, Stuttgart, Württemberg, Weimar Republic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 31 January 2015 (aged 94) Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union (1954–2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Marianne von Kretschmann | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent(s) | Ernst von Weizsäcker Marianne von Graevenitz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford University of Göttingen (Dr. jur.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker (German: [ˈʁɪçaʁt fɔn ˈvaɪtszɛkɐ] ⓘ; 15 April 1920 – 31 January 2015) was a German politician (CDU), who served as President of Germany from 1984 to 1994. Born into the aristocratic Weizsäcker family, who were part of the German nobility, he took his first public offices in the Protestant Church in Germany.
A member of the CDU since 1954, Weizsäcker was elected as a member of parliament at the 1969 elections. He continued to hold a mandate as a member of the Bundestag until he became Governing Mayor of West Berlin, following the 1981 state elections. In 1984, Weizsäcker was elected as President of the Federal Republic of Germany and was re-elected in 1989 for a second term. As yet, he and Theodor Heuss are the only two Presidents of the Federal Republic of Germany who have served two complete five-year-terms. On 3 October 1990, during his second term as president, the reorganized five states of the German Democratic Republic and East Berlin joined the Federal Republic of Germany, which made Weizsäcker President of a reunified Germany.
Weizsäcker is considered the most popular of Germany's presidents, held in high regard particularly for his impartiality. His demeanor often saw him at odds with his party colleagues, particularly longtime Chancellor Helmut Kohl. He was famous for his speeches, especially one he delivered at the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8 May 1985. Upon his death, his life and political work were widely praised, with The New York Times calling him "a guardian of his nation's moral conscience".