Johannes Rau
| Johannes Rau | |
|---|---|
Johannes Rau in 2004
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| President of Germany | |
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In office 1 July 1999 – 30 June 2004 |
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| Chancellor | Gerhard Schroeder |
| Preceded by | Roman Herzog |
| Succeeded by | Horst Köhler |
| Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
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In office 20 September 1978 – 9 June 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Heinz Kühn |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Clement |
| President of the German Bundesrat | |
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In office 1 November 1982 – 31 October 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Hans Koschnick |
| Succeeded by | Franz Josef Strauss |
| Minister for Federal Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
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In office 4 June 1980 – 18 August 1980 |
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| Preceded by | Christoph Zöpel |
| Succeeded by | Dieter Haak |
| Research Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia | |
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In office 28 July 1970 – 20 September 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Reimut Jochimsen |
| Mayor of Wuppertal | |
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In office 1969–1970 |
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| Preceded by | Hermann Herberts |
| Succeeded by | Gottfried Gurland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
16 January 1931 Wuppertal, Germany |
| Died | 27 January 2006 (aged 75) Berlin, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
| Spouse(s) | Christina Delius |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Journalist |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Signature |  |
Johannes Rau (German pronunciation: [joˈhanəs ˈʁaʊ]; 16 January 1931 – 27 January 2006) was a German politician of the SPD. He was President of Germany from 1 July 1999 until 30 June 2004, Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 20 September 1978 to 9 June 1998 and President of the Bundesrat from 1982-83.
Rau was born in the Barmen part of Wuppertal, Rhine Province, as the third of five children. His family was strongly Protestant. As a schoolboy, Rau was active in the Confessing Church, a circle of the German Protestant Church which actively resisted Nazism.
Rau left school in 1949 and worked as a journalist and publisher, especially with the Protestant Youth Publishing House.
Rau was a member of the All-German People’s Party (GVP), which was founded by Gustav Heinemann. The party was known for proposing German reunification from 1952 until it was disbanded in 1957.
In 1958, the pacifist Rau and his political mentor, Gustav Heinemann, joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), where he was active in the Wuppertal chapter. He served as deputy chairman of the SPD party of Wuppertal and was elected later on to the City Council (1964–1978), where he served as chairman of the SPD Group (1964–1967) and later as Mayor (1969–1970).
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