Richard von Weizsäcker

**Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker**  (15 April 1920 – 31 January 2015) was a German politician who was a member of the Christian Democratic Union party. He was the president of Germany from 1984 to 1994.

## Backgrounds

He was born in Stuttgart, the son of the diplomat Ernst von Weizsäcker and brother of the physicist and philosopher Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. His grandfather Carl von Weizsäcker had been Minister President of Württemberg.

During World War II. he served in the German Army. He was wounded in East Prussia in 1945 and was sent home to Stuttgart. Then, he continued his study of history in Göttingen and eventually studied law.

As a law student, he was a member of his father's defence team at the Eleventh secondary Nuremburg Trial, also called the Ministries Trial. He took his first judicial state exam in 1950 and the second in 1953, and in 1955, he was promoted to _doctor juris_. In 1953 he married Marianne von Kretschmann; they had four children.

From 1967 to 1984, he was a member both of the Synod and the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. He led the German Evangelical Church Assembly from 1964 to 1970.

## Political career

Richard von Weizsäcker joined the Christian Democratic Union in 1954 and was a member of the Bundestag, the lower chamber of the German Parliament, from 1969 to 1981.

He was elected vice president of the Bundestag 1979-1981 but did not stand for re-election because he became the Governing Mayor () of West Berlin (1981-1984).

He was elected President of Germany by the _Bundesversammlung_ (Federal Convention) in 1984, succeeding Karl Carstens. He was Germany’s first president after its reunification.

After his presidency, he was involved in politics and charitable affairs. He was the chair of a commission installed by the SPD-Bündnis 90/Die Grünen government to reform the Bundeswehr, the German military.

He has served on many international commissions. He was the chairman of the Independent Working Group on the future of the United Nations and was one of three 'Wise Men' tyo be appointed by European Commission President Romano Prodi to consider the future of the European Union.

## Retirement and death

He retired in 1994 and lived in Berlin. He wrote books during his retirement.

He died in Berlin, Germany, at the age of 94.

## Books

He wrote many books, including the following:
- _Von Deutschland aus_
- _Die deutsche Geschichte geht weiter_
- _Von Deutschland nach Europa_
- _Vier Zeiten_

His autobiograghy is called _From Weimar to the Wall: My Life in German Politics_ (1999).

## Infobox (president)

- **name**: Richard von Weizsäcker
- **nationality**: German
- **image**: Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1991-039-11, Richard v. Weizsäcker.jpg
- **caption**: Weizsäcker in 1984
- **order**: 10th President of Germany
<small>6th Federal Republic of Germany, President of the Federal Republic of Germany</small>
- **term start**: 1 July 1984
- **term end**: 30 June 1994
- **predecessor**: Karl Carstens
- **successor**: Roman Herzog
- **birth place**: Stuttgart, Weimar Republic, Germany
- **death place**: Berlin, Germany
- **spouse**: Marianne Freifrau von Weizsäcker
- **party**: Christian Democratic Union of Germany, CDU