Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: WeizsÃ cker joined the CDU in 1954 , becoming a member of the Bundestag ( German Parliament ) in 1969 , serving until 1981 .
Simplified: Richard von WeizsÃ cker joined the CDU in 1954 and was a member of the Bundestag ( German Parliament ) from 1969 to 1981 .