Roberta Weischhausen

**Roberta Maria Weischhausen** (née **Dümheimer**; born 12 August 1974) is a Frankish politician who has served as a Federal Councillor of Frankenland and the director of the Department of Justice since 2019. She previously was a member of the National Council for Keln from 2010 to 2019. Weischhausen is a member of the National Democratic Party.

Weischhausen was born in Keln, and graduated from secondary school in 1992. After graduating, she enrolled in the University of Keln, where she graduated with a law degree in 1998. After finishing her education, Weischhausen began working as an attorney in Keln, practicing corporate law and working as in-house legal counsel for numerous corporations. Weischhausen first attempted to enter politics in 2004, when she unsuccessfully stood in the Keln state election. She returned to politics six years later, when she was elected to the National Council in the 2010 federal election, later being reelected in the 2014 and 2018 elections as well.

In 2018, Weischhausen declared her candidacy in the 2018 Federal Council election, in order to replace the retiring Henri Glaudette. Initially seen as an outsider candidate, Weischhausen eventually emerged as the most dangerous opponent of Miriam Rosenzweig-Feinberg in the election due to her fierce campaigning and collection of endorsements. Weischhausen eventually advanced to the final ballot along with Elio Guidiri, after Guidiri had fended off Rosenzweig-Feinberg in an upset. In the popular vote, Weischhausen defeated Guidiri by twelve percentage points, and was elected to the Federal Council. Upon taking her seat, Weischhausen was also assigned as director of the Department of Justice, becoming one of the few low-ranking Federal Councillors to be able to nab a senior departmental position.

## Early life, education, and law career

Weischhausen was born on 12 August 1974 in Keln to parents Damien (born 1938) and Frances Dümheimer (née *Wirz*; born 1944). Her father worked as a lawyer, while her mother was a homemaker who was active in Keln social circles. Weischhausen is the eldest of three daughters; her younger sisters are Elena, born  (1976-12-04) 4 December 1976 (age 47), and Martina, born  (1979-01-03) 3 January 1979 (age 45), both of whom work as lawyers.

Weischhausen began her education in 1980, attending a local, public primary school in Keln. She graduated in 1988, and began secondary school, where she excelled in social sciences and history, wishing to become a lawyer like her father. Weischhausen graduated from primary school in 1992, subsequently enrolling in the Faculty of Law at the University of Keln. She graduated with her law degree in 1998. After graduating from law school, Weischhausen began her one-year law apprenticeship working for a corporate attorney. She later received a full-time position at the firm after completing her apprenticeship. In 2003, Weischhausen left the firm in order to work as in-house legal counsel for corporations.

## Personal life

Weischhausen began a relationship with Frankish lawyer Daniel Weischhausen in 1999. They later became engaged in 2001, and married the following year. They have two children together: Alexander, born  (2005-07-15) 15 July 2005 (age 18), and Madeleine, born  (2006-12-29) 29 December 2006 (age 17). The family has their primary residence in Keln, while Weischhausen also owns a two-bedroom apartment in Gortzman for government business.

Weischhausen has identified herself as an adherent of Highlands Christianity; her native language is Lungarian, while she is fluent in Ditrovian and also speaks Maldonian at a conversational level.