Roman Herzog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roman Herzog
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| President of Germany | |
| In office 1 July 1994 – 30 June 1999 |
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| Chancellor | Helmut Kohl Gerhard Schröder |
| Preceded by | Richard von Weizsäcker |
| Succeeded by | Johannes Rau |
| President of the Federal Constitutional Court | |
| In office 16 November 1987 – 30 June 1994 |
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| Vice President | Ernst Gottfried Mahrenholz Jutta Limbach |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Zeidler |
| Succeeded by | Jutta Limbach |
| Vice President of the Federal Constitutional Court | |
| In office 20 December 1983 – 16 November 1987 |
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| President | Wolfgang Zeidler |
| Preceded by | Wolfgang Zeidler |
| Succeeded by | Ernst Gottfried Mahrenholz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 April 1934 Landshut, Bavaria, Germany |
| Died | 10 January 2017 (aged 82) Jagsthausen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Spouse(s) | Christiane Krauß (m. 1958–2000; her death) Alexandra Freifrau von Berlichingen (m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature | |
Roman Herzog (5 April 1934 – 10 January 2017) was a German politician, judge and legal scholar, who served as President of Germany from 1994 to 1999. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), he was the first president to be elected after the reunification of Germany. He previously served as a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, and he was the President of the court 1987–1994. Before his appointment as a judge he was a professor of law. He received the 1997 Charlemagne Prize.
Biography
He studied law in Munich, Bavaria and took the first stage law exam in 1957. In 1958, he gained the title Dr.jur. (doctor of laws) and worked in the University of Munich until 1964, where he passed his second law exam. He wrote Die Wesensmerkmale der Staatsorganisation in rechtlicher und entwicklungsgeschichtlicher Sicht ("Characteristics of State Organization from a Juristic and Developmental-Historical Viewpoint"), and was given the title of professor in 1964. In Germany "professor" is a title meaning senior teacher, not a job name. Herzog taught at the University of Munich until 1966. From 1966 he taught state law and political science as a full professor at the Free University of Berlin (FUB). In 1969 he moved to the FUB in Speyer, and was the University President from 1971 to 1972.
In 1973 he entered politics, and became a member of the Bundesrat for Rhineland-Palatinate. He was minister for culture and sports in the Baden-Württemberg Land Government from 1978. In 1980 he was elected to the State Parliament (Landtag), and took over the state Ministry of the Interior.
Roman Herzog was also always active in the Protestant Church. Since 1982 he has been a member of the synod (parliament) of the Protestant Church of Germany. He has been a member of the Evangelical Church in Germany since 1972.
In 1983 he became vice president of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany in Karlsruhe, and president over from 1987 to 1994, when he was elected President of Germany by the Bundesversammlung (Federal Convention). His term ended in 1999, when he was succeeded by Johannes Rau.
His wife, Christiane Herzog, died on 19 June 2000. He later married Alexandra Freifrau von Berlichingen.
