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Johannes Rau
Johannes rau 2004-05-16 berlin (1).jpg
Rau in 2004
President of Germany
In office
1 July 1999 – 30 June 2004
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
Preceded by Roman Herzog
Succeeded by Horst Köhler
Minister-President of
North Rhine-Westphalia
In office
20 September 1978 – 9 June 1998
Deputy
  • Horst-Ludwig Riemer
  • Burkhard Hirsch
  • Diether Posser
  • Herbter Schnoor
  • Michael Vesper
Preceded by Heinz Kühn
Succeeded by Wolfgang Clement
President of the Bundesrat
In office
1 November 1994 – 31 October 1995
First Vice President Klaus Wedemeier
Preceded by Klaus Wedemeier
Succeeded by Edmund Stoiber
In office
1 November 1982 – 31 October 1983
First Vice President Hans Koschnick
Preceded by Hans Koschnick
Succeeded by Franz Josef Strauss
Lord Mayor of Wuppertal
In office
1969–1970
Preceded by Hermann Herberts
Succeeded by Gottfried Gurland
Personal details
Born (1931-01-16)16 January 1931
Wuppertal, Rhine Province, Free State of Prussia, Weimar Republic (now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Died 27 January 2006(2006-01-27) (aged 75)
Berlin, Germany
Political party Social Democratic Party (1957–2006)
Other political
affiliations		 All-German People's Party (1950–1957)
Spouse Christina Rau (née Delius)
Children 3
Occupation
  • Politician
  • Publisher
Signature

Johannes Rau (German: [joˈhanəs ˈʁaʊ]; 16 January 1931 – 27 January 2006) was an important German politician from the SPD. He served as the President of Germany from 1999 to 2004. Before that, he was the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, a German state, for a long time, from 1978 to 1998. During his time as Minister-President, he also led the Bundesrat, which is like Germany's second parliament, in 1982/83 and 1994/95.

Early Life and Career

Johannes Rau was born in Wuppertal, a city in Germany, on January 16, 1931. He was the third of five children. His family was very Protestant. As a student, Rau was involved in the Confessing Church, a group that bravely stood up against the Nazis.

In 1949, Rau finished school. He then worked as a publisher, especially for a Protestant youth publishing house.

Political Journey

Rau started his political journey with the All-German People's Party (GVP). This party was founded by Gustav Heinemann. The GVP wanted to reunite Germany and was active from 1952 until it closed down in 1957.

In 1958, Rau, who believed in peace (a pacifist), joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) along with his mentor, Gustav Heinemann. He became very active in the SPD in Wuppertal. He served as a deputy leader of the SPD in Wuppertal. Later, he was elected to the City Council, where he worked from 1964 to 1978. He was also the leader of the SPD group in the council from 1964 to 1967. From 1969 to 1970, he served as the Mayor of Wuppertal.

Serving in the State Parliament

In 1958, Rau was first elected as a member of the Landtag, which is the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1967, he became the leader of the SPD group in the Landtag.

In 1970, he became the Minister of Science and Education in the state government. He quickly became known as someone who wanted to make things better. He helped start five new universities in North Rhine-Westphalia. He also created Germany's first distance learning university in Hagen. This university was inspired by the British Open University.

Leading North Rhine-Westphalia

In 1977, Rau became the leader of the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1978, he became the Minister-President of the state. He held this important job until 1998. During his time, the SPD won four elections, becoming the strongest party in the Landtag each time. They even won an absolute majority three times, in 1980, 1985, and 1990. From 1995 onwards, Rau led a government made up of the SPD and the Greens party.

Rau also served twice as the President of the Bundesrat. This happened in 1982/83 and again in 1994/95.

Running for Chancellor and President

In 1987, Rau was the SPD's choice to become the Chancellor of Germany. However, he lost the election to Helmut Kohl's Christian Democrats (CDU).

In 1994, Rau ran to become President of Germany, but he lost to Roman Herzog.

President of Germany

In 1998, Rau stepped down from his roles as SPD chairman and Minister-President. On May 23, 1999, he was elected President of Germany by the Federal Assembly of Germany. He took over from Roman Herzog. On July 1, 2004, Horst Köhler became the new president.

Like all German Federal presidents, Rau was honored with a special military ceremony called a Großer Zapfenstreich. At his request, the hymn "Jesus bleibet meine Freude" (which means "that Jesus remain my Joy," also known as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring) was played.

In 2000, Rau made history by becoming the first German head of state to speak to the Knesset, which is the Israeli parliament, in German. This was a sensitive moment, and some Israeli members walked out. However, the Israeli President Moshe Katsav supported Rau. He praised Rau for helping to bring Germany and Israel closer together. Rau always worked hard to help Germany make peace with its past.

Death

Rau grab
Rau's grave the day after his burial.

Johannes Rau had heart problems for a long time. He passed away on January 27, 2006, just 11 days after his 75th birthday. His funeral was held on February 7 at the Dorotheenstadt cemetery in Berlin. It was a private ceremony with his closest family and friends.

Motto and Beliefs

Rau's main idea was "to reconcile, not divide." This meant he believed in bringing people together instead of separating them.

His personal motto was "teneo, quia teneor." This Latin phrase means "I hold because I am held." It shows his strong Christian faith and belief that he was supported by something greater.

In his speech after being elected president, Rau said, "I never want to be a nationalist but rather a patriot. A patriot is someone who loves his fatherland. A nationalist is someone who condemns the fatherland of others." This quote, which can be linked to the French writer Romain Gary, shows his belief in loving one's country without hating others.

Awards and Honors

Johannes Rau received 15 honorary doctorates from universities. In 2001, he was given the Leo Baeck Medal. This award recognized his work to promote kindness, understanding, and fairness in society.

Private Life

Rau was known for being a devoted Christian. Some people jokingly called him Bruder Johannes ("Brother John") because of his strong faith, but he sometimes used the term himself. He held positions in the Synod of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, which is part of the Evangelical Church in Germany.

On August 9, 1982, Rau married Christina Delius, who was born in 1956 and studied politics. Christina Rau is the granddaughter of Gustav Heinemann, who was also a former President of Germany and Rau's mentor. Johannes and Christina Rau had three children: Anna Christina (born 1983), Philip Immanuel (born 1985), and Laura Helene (born 1986).

In 2004, Rau had heart surgery to insert an artificial heart valve. A couple of months later, he had another surgery to remove a hematoma (a collection of blood) from his abdomen.

After he finished his term as president, Rau lived with his family in Berlin, the capital city. However, they also kept a house in his hometown of Wuppertal.

Honours

Foreign Honours

See also

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