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Richard von Weizsäcker
Richard von Weizsäcker | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 10th President of Germany 6th President of the Federal Republic of Germany | |
| In office 1 July 1984 – 30 June 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Karl Carstens |
| Succeeded by | Roman Herzog |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 April 1920.svg){kind=small} Stuttgart, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | CDU |
| Spouse(s) | Marianne Freifrau von Weizsäcker |
Dr. Richard Freiherr von Weizsäcker 
listen (info • help) (born 15 April 1920) is a German politician, and a member of the CDU party. He was President of Germany from 1984 to 1994.
He was born in Stuttgart, the son of the diplomat Ernst von Weizsäcker and brother of physicist and philosopher Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. His grandfather Carl von Weizsäcker had been Minister President of Württemberg
In 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 aka the Ministries Trial. He took his first judicial state exam in 1950, the second in 1953, and in 1955 was promoted doctor juris. In 1953 he married Marianne von Kretschmann; they have four children.
Richard von Weizsäcker joined the CDU in 1954 and was a member of the Bundestag (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 (German: Regierender Bürgermeister) of West Berlin (1981-1984).
He was elected President of Germany by the Bundesversammlung (Federal Convention) in 1984, succeeding Karl Carstens.
Although now an elder statesman, Richard von Weizsäcker is still involved in politics and charitable affairs. He was the chair of a commission installed by the then SPD-Bündnis 90/Die Grünen government for reforming the Bundeswehr.
He has served on many international commissions. He was chairman of the Independent Working Group on the future of the United Nations and was one of three 'Wise Men' appointed by European Commission President Romano Prodi to consider the future of the European Union.
Von Weizsäcker has written may books, including
- 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).
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