Johannes Rau

Johannes Rau , born the January 16th 1931 with Wuppertal, dead the January 27th 2006 with Berlin, was a German Politician , member of SPD) and President of Germany of 1999 with 2004.

It was wire of a tradesman and Protestant Pasteur. Rau was married since 1982 with Christina Delius, a grand-daughter of Gustav Heinemann. It had three children.

Its political career started in 1952 when it founded the Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei (GVP) with Gustav Heinemann. When this party dissolut in 1957 it was entered with the SPD like the majority of the members of the GVP.

He was member of the Landtag of Rhineland-of-North-Westphalia of July 21st, 1958 until June 30th, 1999 and member of the municipal council of Wuppertal of 1964 to 1978.

In 1969/1970 he was mayor of Wuppertal. He had to give up this station when he was named Minister for Sciences and the Research of the Land of Rhineland-of-North-Westphalia on July 28th, 1970. It remained at this station until the departure of the minister-president Heinz Kühn on September 20th, 1978. The same day, he was elected Minister-president of Rhineland-of-North-Westphalia. Holding this office, he was president of the Bundesrat into 1982/83 and 1994/95.

With its principal candidature, the SPD could gain the elections of Landtag of 1980,1985 and 1990 with the absolute majority of the mandates. With the elections of 1995, Rau lost this majority and was forced to form a coalition with the Verts.

Rau was candidate of the SPD for the federal post of chancellor with the elections of 1987 that the SPD lost with 37% of the votes compared with 53% with the coalition between CDU, CSU and FDP carried out by Helmut Kohl.

After almost 20 years in station in the Rhineland of North, it taken its retirement on May 27th, 1998. Landtag elects then Wolfgang Clement like successor.

Rau was elected eighth federal President by the 11th Bundesversammlung the May 23rd 1999. Its mandate lasted of July 1st 1999 with the June 30th 2004. It did not present one second time on May 23rd, 2004. Its successor is Horst Köhler.

Rau was candidate for the federal position of president in 10th Bundesversammlung on May 23rd, 1994 but lost with the third ballot with 605.696 votes against Roman Herzog. The former president, protesting convinced and engaged, had given up his president's functions at the conclusion of five years the constitutional mandate on July 1st 2004, and had been replaced then by the Christian Democrat Horst Köhler. He had been operated by twice in the middle and with the abdomen since this date, and had never completely gone back from there. He had recently given up coming to a festival organized by president Köhler to celebrate his 75e birthday.

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