Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker was a German politician, who served as President of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1984 to 1994. Born into the aristocratic Weizsäcker family, he took his first public offices in the Evangelical Church in Germany.

A member of the Christian-centrist CDU since 1954, he was elected as member of parliament in 1969. He continued to hold a mandate as member of the Bundestag until he became Governing Mayor of West Berlin, following the 1981 state elections. In 1984, von Weizsäcker was elected as President of the Federal Republic of Germany. During his presidency, German reunification was accomplished through the incorporation of the territory of the former German Democratic Republic into the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October 1990.

He is considered the most popular of Germany's presidents, held in high regard particularly for his impartiality. His demeanor often saw him at odds with his party colleagues, particularly longtime Chancellor Helmut Kohl. He was famous for his speeches, especially one he delivered at the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe on 8 May 1985. Upon his death, his life and political work were widely praised, with The New York Times calling him "a guardian of his nation's moral conscience".