Quick Facts
Biography
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
