Marianne Viktoria Armgard Helene Doria Freifrau von Weizsäcker (''née'' von Kretschmann'';'' 17 May 1932) is the widow of

Richard von Weizsäcker Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker (; 15 April 1920 – 31 January 2015) was a German politician ( CDU), who served as President of Germany from 1984 to 1994. Born into the aristocratic Weizsäcker family, who were part of the German nobili ...

, the President of West Germany and reunited Germany from 1984 to 1994.

Early life

Von Weizsacker was born Marianne Viktoria Armgard Helene Doria von Kretschmann on 17 May 1932 in

Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...

. Her mother, Asta, was the adopted daughter of prominent banker and industrialist .

Personal life

Marianne and Richard von Weizsäcker were married from 1953 until his death on 31 January 2015. They have four children, including

Robert K. von Weizsäcker Robert Klaus Freiherr von Weizsäcker (born 6 December 1954) is a German economist, Chess Grandmaster, and Honorary President of the German Chess Federation. He has held the Chair of Economics, Public Finance and Industrial Organization at Techni ...

, Professor of Economics. Two of her four children have predeceased her. Her husband served as

Governing Mayor of Berlin The governing mayor () of Berlin is the head of government, presiding over the Berlin Senate. As Berlin is an independent city as well as one of the constituent states of Germany (), the office is the equivalent of the ministers president of ...

(

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

) from 1981 to 1984, when he was elected president. He was reelected for a second term in 1989.

Patronage

During her husband's tenure, Marianne von Weizsäcker was the patron of several charitable organisations, including the

Müttergenesungswerk The Müttergenesungswerk (MGW), full name ''Elly Heuss-Knapp-Stiftung, Deutsches Müttergenesungswerk'', is a charitable organisation founded in 1950 by Elly Heuss-Knapp (1881–1952), then First Lady of Germany as wife of Theodor Heuss. It aims ...

. She is patron of the Marianne von Weizsäcker Stiftung Integrationshilfe für ehemals Suchtkranke e. V., an organisation for the assistance of recovering addicts which she founded in 1989.

Honours

Foreign honours

* : ** Honorary Recipient of the

Order of the Crown of the Realm The Most Exalted Order of the Crown of the Realm () is a Malaysian federal award. It is ranked lower than the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia. It should not be confused with the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia. Classes and re ...

(1987) * : ** St Olavs Orden storkors stripe

Grand Cross of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

(1986)

References

External links

*
Weizsäcker-Stiftung
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weizsacker, Marianne Von 1932 births Spouses of presidents of Germany German baronesses People from Essen Living people Richard von Weizsäcker

Marianne Marianne () has been the national personification of the French Republic since the French Revolution, as a personification of liberty, equality, fraternity and reason, as well as a portrayal of the Goddess of Liberty. Marianne is displayed i ...