Germany: Funeral for hero ex-president Weizsäcker
FORMER German president Richard von Weizsäcker was laid to rest in a state funeral in Berlin yesterday.
Mr Weizsäcker, who died last month aged 94, was Germany’s head of state from 1984 to 1994, presiding over reunification.
A former soldier who fought in the Second World War, he is best remembered for persuading Germany to confront its Nazi past.
He was mayor of Berlin before being elected president. A member of one of Germany’s aristocratic families, Mr Weizsäcker rose to Germany’s highest if largely ceremonial office which he held for a decade. His speech marking the 40th anniversary of the end of the war won him widespread praise and respect.