Roman Herzog

Roman Herzog (5 April 1934 – 10 January 2017) was a German politician, judge, and legal scholar. He served as President of Germany from 1994 to 1999. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and he was the first president elected after German reunification.

Before becoming president, Herzog was a judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, and he served as its president from 1987 to 1994. Prior to his work as a judge, he was a professor of law. Herzog was also awarded the 1997 Charlemagne Prize for his contributions.

Early life and academic career

Roman Herzog was born in Landshut, Bavaria, Germany, in 1934. He came from a Protestant family, and his father worked as an archivist. Herzog studied law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and finished his studies with a dissertation about the Basic Law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

He worked as a teacher at LMU and later became a professor. He taught constitutional law and political science at the Free University of Berlin. In 1969, he began teaching public law at the German University of Administrative Sciences in Speyer.

Political career

Roman Herzog began his political career in 1973, representing the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the government in Bonn. He later became a minister in Baden-Württemberg and joined the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg. In 1983, he became a judge at the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany in Karlsruhe, and from 1987 to 1994, he was the president of this court.

Herzog was elected President of Germany in 1994 and served until 1999. During his time as president, he spoke about important historical events, including the 50th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He also helped Germany remember the victims of Nazi persecution, including the Roma and Sinti. After his presidency, Herzog worked on European Union matters and gave his opinions on important issues like healthcare and research. He passed away in 2017 at the age of 82.

Other activities (selection)

Roman Herzog took on many important roles after his time in government. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for several organizations, including the Friedrich-August-von-Hayek-Stiftung, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and the Dresden Frauenkirche. He was also involved with educational institutions like Bucerius Law School and Technische Universität München, and he supported cultural projects such as the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor. Additionally, Herzog was part of the Advisory Board for the German Cancer Research Center and helped organize the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Recognition (selection)

Roman Herzog received many honors for his work. Some of these include:

• 1994: Grand Cross of the White Rose of Finland with Collar
• 1996: Honorary Doctorate of the University of Oxford
• 1997: Charlemagne Prize of the City of Aachen
• 1997: Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
• 1997: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
• 1997: Knight of the Collar of the Spanish Order of Isabella the Catholic
• 1997: Honorary Recipient of the Order of the Crown of the Realm (Malaysia)
• 1998: Honorary Doctorate of the University of Wrocław
• 1998: Honorary Citizenship of the City of Berlin
• 1998: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
• 1999: Honorary Citizenship of the City of Landshut
• 1999: Commander Grand Cross of the Latvian Order of the Three Stars
• 2000: Toleranzpreis der Evangelischen Akademie Tutzing
• 2002: Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
• 2003: Gustav Adolf Prize
• 2003: Franz-Josef-Strauß-Preis
• 2006: Max Friedlaender Prize
• 2010: Lennart Bernadotte Medal of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings
• 2012: European Craftmanship Award
• 2015: Honorary prize of Friedrich-August-von-Hayek-Stiftung

Personal life and death

Roman Herzog's wife, Christiane Herzog, passed away on 19 June 2000. In 2001, he married Alexandra Freifrau von Berlichingen. He was a member of the Protestant Church in Germany. Herzog died on 10 January 2017 at the age of 82.