Former German president Johannes Rau dies at 75
{{date|January 27, 2006}}
[[Image:Johannes_Rau_2003.jpeg|thumb|right|Johannes Rau ''1931-2006'']]
Former German president [[w:Johannes Rau|Johannes Rau]] has died on Friday morning in his home in Berlin at the age of 75, his office announced. Rau had been president of Germany from 1999 till 2004. He had a heart disease for a long time and had to undergo twice a surgery after leaving office. He is survived by his wife and their three children.

Rau was born on January 16, 1931 in [[w:Wuppertal|Wuppertal]]. He first joined the ''Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei'' in 1952. After the party had been dissolved, he followed his political mentor [[w:Gustav Heinemann|Gustav Heinemann]] to the [[w:Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party of Germany]] (SPD). He was elected member of the state legislature of [[w:North Rhine-Westphalia|North Rhine-Westphalia]] in 1958 and became governor of the state in 1978. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the chancellorship in 1987. He resigned as governor in 1998 when his party promised to nominate him for the presidential elections. During his presidency, Rau became the first German head of state to speak in the Israeli [[w:Knesset|Knesset]].

===Tributes===
His successor, president [[w:Horst Köhler|Horst Köhler]], ordered that a state funeral for Rau be held on February 7. He said Germany "has lost a distinctive politician, a great president and a man who made the world more humane."

Chancellor [[w:Angela Merkel|Angela Merkel]] said Germany "has lost an exceptional personality".

The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, [[w:Jürgen Rüttgers|Jürgen Rüttgers]], called Rau a "great governor" to whom the state and its people owe a great deal. 

SPD chair [[w:Matthias Platzeck|Matthias Platzeck]] said the Social Democrats lost "an irreplaceable friend, who was one of the most outstanding and popular politicians of our country. [...] We will miss him."

Israeli president [[w:Moshe Katsav|Moshe Katsav]] called Rau a "great friend of the Jewish people and of the state of Israel".

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,397603,00.html
|title=Johannes Rau ist tot
|author=
|pub=Der Spiegel
|date=January 27, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://de.news.yahoo.com/060127/12/4ul9y.html
|title=Altbundespräsident Rau gestorben
|author=
|pub=AP
|date=January 27, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.bundespraesident.de/-,2.628380/Bundespraesident-Horst-Koehler.htm
|title=Bundespräsident Horst Köhler zum Tod von Bundespräsident Johannes Rau
|author=Horst Köhler
|pub=Bundespräsidialamt
|date=January 27, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,397632,00.html
|title="Wir werden ihn vermissen"
|author=
|pub=Der Spiegel
|date=January 27, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4654180.stm
|title=Germany's ex-president Rau dies
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=January 27, 2005}}

{{Publish}}
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[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Obituaries]]
[[Category:Angela Merkel]]
[[Category:Berlin]]
[[Category:Moshe Katsav]]
[[Category:Knesset]]

[[de:Altbundespräsident Johannes Rau ist tot]]
[[fr:L'ancien président allemand Johannes Rau est décédé]]
[[ru:Умер бывший президент Германии Йоханнес Рау]]
Johannes Rau 1931-2006
Former German president Johannes Rau has died on Friday morning in his home in Berlin at the age of 75, his office announced. Rau had been president of Germany from 1999 till 2004. He had a heart disease for a long time and had to undergo twice a surgery after leaving office. He is survived by his wife and their three children.

Rau was born on January 16, 1931 in Wuppertal. He first joined the Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei in 1952. After the party had been dissolved, he followed his political mentor Gustav Heinemann to the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He was elected member of the state legislature of North Rhine-Westphalia in 1958 and became governor of the state in 1978. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the chancellorship in 1987. He resigned as governor in 1998 when his party promised to nominate him for the presidential elections. During his presidency, Rau became the first German head of state to speak in the Israeli Knesset.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany "has lost an exceptional personality".

The governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, Jürgen Rüttgers, called Rau a "great governor" to whom the state and its people owe a great deal. 

SPD chair Matthias Platzeck said the Social Democrats lost "an irreplaceable friend, who was one of the most outstanding and popular politicians of our country. ... We will miss him."

Israeli president Moshe Katsav called Rau a "great friend of the Jewish people and of the state of Israel".

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Germany Europe Obituaries Angela Merkel Berlin Moshe Katsav Knesset