Christina Rau

Christina Rau (born Christina Delius; 30 October 1956 in Bielefeld) is the widow of Johannes Rau, President of Germany from 1999-2004.

Early life

Rau is the maternal granddaughter of former President Gustav Heinemann. Her father was Eduard Delius, part in a long line of entrepreneurs in the textile industry of the Westphalian city of Bielefeld while her mother was Christa Heinemann, a daughter of the former President. Through Christa, Rau is the niece of theologian Uta Ranke-Heinemann. She attended boarding school in Switzerland (Hochalpines Institut Ftan) and the United Kingdom (Gordonstoun in Scotland, where Prince Andrew was a contemporary). Subsequently, she studied political science, economics and history at the University College of Wales and at King's College London.

Wedding

On 9 August 1982, she married Johannes Rau, 25 years her senior and a long-time friend of the Heinemann family, who was at that time the Prime Minister of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Activities

She was the patron of :

• UNICEF Germany,
• the Müttergenesungswerk,
• the Bundesverband der Organtransplantierten,
• the Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendstiftung
• the Red Cross Youth of Germany.

Honours

Foreign Honours

•  Austria: Grand Cross of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
•  Estonia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
•  Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
•  Latvia: Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
•  Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic