listen april january german politician served president west_germany born aristocratic family took public offices germany member elected member parliament continued hold mandate member governing mayor following state elections elected president presidency german accomplished incorporation territory october considered popular germany presidents held high regard particularly demeanor saw odds party colleagues particularly longtime chancellor famous speeches especially delivered 40th anniversary end second world war europe death life political work widely praised new_york_times calling guardian nation moral conscience early life childhood school family born april new castle son diplomat member noted family wife née career diplomat high ranking official 1930s youngest children brothers physicist philosopher sister married secretary general grandfather prime minister raised hereditary title baron father career diplomat spent childhood switzerland scandinavia family lived copenhagen richard attended swiss gymnasium family lived berlin apartment end second world war able miss class elementary school entered secondary school young age gymnasium years old travelled england study philosophy history oxford london witnessed coronation king spent winter semester france improve french mustered army moved germany year start second world war outbreak second world war joined german army ultimately rising rank captain reserves joined brother regiment crossed border poland regiment day war brother killed meters away second day watched brother body night able bury morning regiment consisting large noble conservative played significant july plot fewer nineteen officers involved conspiracy hitler helped friend von attempt kill hitler uniform inspection december providing travel papers berlin attempt called uniforms destroyed air raid meeting june informed imminent plans july assured support plan ultimately failed later described months war wounded transported home end war family farm lake education marriage early work life end war continued study history went study law attended lectures physics theology father defendant role jews occupied france served assistant defence counsel took legal second finally earned doctorate doctor married met year old thirty described marriage best decision life children professor economics art professor lawyer journalist chief physician berlin late 1970s son student reports sexual abuse surfaced speculated media victims denied family died cancer june aged worked scientific assistant legal counsel head department economic policy head bank owned relatives wife served board directors company served president member germany early tenure president wrote newspaper article supporting memorandum written german evangelical intellectuals including brother spoken favour accepting line western border poland lasting peace europe met negative reactions politicians especially party led way promoting reconciliation poland leading memorandum church west paper widely discussed met significantly positive response political career joined years later chancellor offered safe seat elections going far write letters urging run declined work wanting avoid conflict interest member federal elections serving presidential candidate party time lost supported ruling center left coalition ahead elections chairman included shadow cabinet party campaign incumbent chancellor served vice president governing mayor served governing mayor years office tried alive idea cultural nation called germany divided states speeches writings repeatedly urged look nation firmly anchored western alliance special obligations interests east irritated united_states france britain half city occupying powers breaking protocol visiting east german communist_party chief headed minority government won cent seats state assembly government tolerated coalition social democrats federal level time won federal election formed government free democrats president elected president west_germany succeeding drawing unusual support governing center right coalition opposition defeated alliance green candidate term took office president july inaugural address appealed nation special consciousness saying situation differs nations reason deny national consciousness eerie neighbors dedicated years office mainly foreign policy travelling widely foreign minister choosing employees personal advisors speech 40th anniversary end second world war europe known great speaker delivered famous speech marking 40th anniversary end second world war europe came difficult time west german politics country caught debate holocaust denial time chancellor accepted invitation visit congress association place slogan official position federal diet government needed lobby intended slogan changed originally planned united_states president ronald_reagan second world war memorial event shifting emphasis remembering past highlighting west_germany partnership strong urging occasion marked reagan visited west_germany days earlier instead surrounding summit reagan visit sparked controversy especially united_states attempt reproduce gesture french president year earlier chancellor reagan set visit military cemetery raised objections cemetery resting place members climate addressed parliament articulated historic responsibility germany germans crimes contrast way end war perceived majority people germany time defined day liberation pointed link nazi takeover germany caused second world war passage striking took issue defenses older germans truth holocaust known end war said claimed known suspected notably spoke danger past thing guilt innocence entire nation guilt like innocence collective personal discovered concealed individual guilt guilt people acknowledge deny guilty young old accept past affected consequences liable germans look truth straight eye distortion reconciliation remembrance declared younger generations germans guilt crimes commit speech representatives germany remember homosexual victims victim group case recognition victim group fact highlighted long time head speech praised nationally internationally new_york_times called sober message hope uneasy generations young west germans president germany thanked strong words member called speech moment glory republic criticized remarks members party politician sister party taken ceremony objected term day liberation referring instead day deepest humiliation absent speech choosing instead visit year later green politician called speech correct self evident pointing speeches president presidency criticism came president president highlighting fate criticized remark conflicting legal claims reconciliation speech later released vinyl sold copies million printed copies text distributed globally translated thirteen languages sold japan include copies speech printed newspapers new_york_times reproduced role historians dispute speaking congress west german historians october rejected attempts historians compare systematic murder jews nazi_germany mass killings like seek external explanations declared end historians dispute sharply divided german scholars journalists years stating remains unique germans germany truth forgotten remarks historians said dispute prompted accusations sought raise multitude comparisons parallels cause dark chapter history disappear reduced mere episode historian debate book published linked collapse eastern holocaust declared agreement insisting tried past second term high esteem held germany political establishment population far candidate stood elections office president unopposed elected way second term office took office second presidential term july course oversaw end cold war german head state midnight october official festivities held building berlin mark moment germany president delivered speech night immediately raising flag playing brief remarks sound bells marking midnight fireworks released celebrate moment remarks praised accomplishment german unity freedom peace gave longer speech act state later day president unified germany head state visit poland day visit poles newly unified german state treat western northern borders included german lands gave eulogy state funeral chancellor state funeral chancellor place berlin death funeral attended array leading european political figures including french president spanish prime minister soviet president stretched traditionally ceremonial position germany president reach political national age boundaries address wide range controversial issues credited largely responsible taking lead asylum policy overhaul arson attack neo nazis turkish citizens died earned recognition home abroad attending memorial services victims neo nazi attacks services chancellor dismayed germans saying necessary government send representative march attended frankfurt premiere film list israeli ambassador head germany debate change seat german government berlin president spoke favor berlin memorandum released february declared act mere decoration called capital urging diet constitutional organs berlin compensate delay transfer berlin government federal parliament declared april performing increased share duties berlin decided wait renovation conversion presidential seat palace berlin den boulevard use instead existing official residence park critique party politics interview book released midway second term voiced harsh critique leading political parties germany claiming took larger role public life awarded constitution criticized high number career politicians general expert particular knowledge political battle immediate reactions interview mixed prominent party politicians criticized remarks minister labour asked president respect work party members chancellor hand conceded essentially right comments politicians mainly negative public poll conducted june showed cent population agreed president political commentators generally interpreted remarks hidden attack incumbent chancellor relationship patron cooled years column german newspaper chief editor criticized president attack writing ways hand giving right seminal political incentive hand insulting governing class chief travels trip israel october greeted arrival israeli counterpart president president given honor guard welcome cabinet ministers lined shake hand right party main faction foreign minister party previously refused greet german leaders visit head state west german leader chancellor paid visit israel june day state visit united_kingdom july addressed joint session german accorded honor travelled moscow meet soviet leader perceived difficult time west german soviet relations chancellor angered moscow comparing speech said germans today live separated east west stopped stop feel like nation speech censored official communist_party newspaper german foreign minister protested soviet counterpart speech printed lesser paper appealed soviet authorities agree pardon deputy proved unsuccessful committed suicide weeks later visit considered success quoted saying new page history opened discussed matters east german leader visit state guests germany usually welcomed president greeted officially chancellor consider foreign state receive later seat office villa post presidency elder statesman long remained involved politics charitable affairs germany retirement president chaired commission established government day reforming supported creating berlin member robert served member letter addressed nigeria military ruler called immediate release general head state nigeria military ruler africa promise hand power elected civilian government later sentenced years imprisonment served international committees chairman future united_nations wise men appointed president consider future european_union death member return cultural property seized result nazi persecution especially jewish property led head november retired chairman discussion forum foreign policy issues death funeral died berlin january survived wife children death general praise life political career obituary new_york_times called guardian nation moral conscience guardian commented germany uniquely fortunate having leader honored state funeral february given incumbent president foreign minister finance minister vice president praised role foreign relations worked reconciliation france poland supported dialogue communist regimes east party funeral attended serving high ranking politicians germany including chancellor attendance presidents queen netherlands present polish president ceremony soldiers stood attention coffin brought resting place subsequent days visited grave pay tribute lay flowers relationship party joined known publicly voicing political views different party line presidential office urged party block entirely lower house rejection met dismay abroad gained sweeping victory state elections april party decided opportunity dispose chancellor vote confidence replacing elect politicians speak proposal maintained easy going open demeanor members parties time actively tried label unconstitutional president regular contact high ranking green politicians active germany said understanding state closer nato reason state served chancellor germany early patron effectively helping parliament relationship took strain supported subsequently unsuccessfully tried deny chance president taken office criticized government numerous occasions taking liberties previously heard ceremonial role instance urged chancellor recognize line spoke patient approach journey german examples include aforementioned speech critique party politics following critical interview gave magazine september reacted meeting parliamentary group saying called gentleman longer followed spokesman stating removed membership database president paid membership fees long time took matter party body won tribunal ruled allowed let membership rest indefinitely death editor called intellectual alternative medicine presidency came end remained vocal daily politics speaking liberal immigration policy calling way party handled simply ridiculous spoke favour dual citizenship change german citizenship law view generally shared party colleagues east german leading party today called die urged party colleagues enter political discussion went far speaking favor coalition government social democrats berlin state election publications publications include die german history continues published germany abroad collection speeches published germany europe memoirs times published german english wall life german politics review wrote memoirs tell new times lived person published book german titled path unity german newspaper dismissed book boring accusing account balanced activities recognition received honors career including honorary membership honorary doctorate creation honorary ranging israel oxford cambridge harvard universities prague madras leo prize germany society christian jewish cooperation death deputy director poland international broadcaster called greatest german friend poland chancellor president praised declaring news death losing great man outstanding head state french president highlighted moral stature ancestry
Richard von Weizsäcker