'Zur Kultur der europaeischen Vereinigung'

Richard von Weizsäcker was born in Stuttgart as the son of the diplomat Ernst von Weizsäcker and brother of physicist and philosopher Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker. When he was 17 years old, he moved to Britain and studied philosophy and history at Balliol College, Oxford. After World War II he continued his study of history in Göttingen and eventually studied law. Richard von Weizsäcker joined the CDU in 1954 and became a member of the Bundestag (German Parliament) in 1969 (1969-1981). In 1981 he was elected vice president of the Bundestag (1979-1981) and then Governing Mayor (Regierender Bürgermeister) of West Berlin (1981-1984). He was elected President of Germany by the Bundesversammlung (Federal Convention) in 1984, succeeding Karl Carstens.
Richard von Weizsäcker is famous for his speeches. Due to the high esteem in which he is being held by Germany's political establishment, he is so far the only candidate to have stood for elections for the office of federal president uncontested; he was elected in such a way to a second term of office in 1989. He was a member of the Synod and the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany from 1967-1984. Dr. von Weizsäcker stretched the traditionally ceremonial position of Germany’s president to reach across political, national, and generational boundaries to address a wide range of controversial issues.
In his public addresses and in his writings, Dr. von Weizsäcker has been a strong and articulate advocate of democratic principles, tolerance, and social responsibility. He has been actively involved in food aid activities targeted at relieving global hunger problems.
Although now an elder statesman, Richard von Weizsäcker is still involved in politics and charitable affairs.
He has served on many international commissions. Notably, he served as chairman of the Independent Working Group on the future of the United Nations and as one of three 'Wise Men' appointed by European Commission President Romano Prodi to consider the future of the European Union.