Theodor Heuss, German journalist and politician, 1st President of the Federal Republic of Germany (died 1963)

Theodor Heuss was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His civil demeanour and his cordial nature – something of a contrast to German nationalist traditions and the stern character of chancellor Konrad Adenauer – largely contributed to the stabilization of democracy in West Germany during the Wirtschaftswunder years. Before beginning his career as a politician, Heuss had been a political journalist. To this day, Heuss is remembered as a major representative of social liberalism in Germany.

The president of Germany, officially titled the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of state of Germany. The current officeholder is Frank-Walter Steinmeier who was elected on 12 February 2017 and re-elected on 13 February 2022. He is currently serving his second five-year-term, which began on 19 March 2022.