Zapfenstreich johannes rau biography

Politics is the daily bread of German President Johannes Rau. It always has been.

Born in 1931 in Wuppertal, in western Germany, Rau got elected to the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia at the age of 27.

His simple beginnings didn't necessarily suggest he would end up in high office. Though he is well read and has broad interests, Rau is not an academic. The son of a Protestant preacher, Rau left school without a university degree and instead got his training as a bookseller.

Zapfenstreich johannes rau biography

He also worked as a journalist.

Life in the SPD

In 1957 he followed his political mentor, Gustav Heinemann, to the Social Democratic Party. In 1970, he became the state's science minister, eventually becoming North Rhine-Westphalia's premier in 1978.

Rau, who is the father of three, held his office in the state until he was elected as Germany's head of state in 1999.

Though the presidency is Germany's highest political office on paper, the president lack