Roman Herzog
A German president and constitutional judge who boldly called for a societal 'jolt' to modernize the country's post-reunification mindset.
1934–2017 (age 83)·President of Germany from 1994 to 1999·Birthday: April 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Roman Herzog's career was steeped in the law, providing the ballast for his later role as a moral voice for a unified Germany. A respected professor and jurist, he spent years as a judge on the Federal Constitutional Court, eventually becoming its president, where he helped interpret the foundational laws of the postwar republic. Elected Federal President in 1994, he became the first to represent a Germany whole again. His presidency was not merely ceremonial; he used the office's pulpit to provoke necessary debates. In a famous 1997 speech, he diagnosed a 'German lethargy' and declared 'Durch Deutschland muss ein Ruck gehen' ('A jolt must go through Germany'), challenging the nation to embrace urgent economic and social reforms. This call for renewal, alongside his work on European integration which earned him the Charlemagne Prize, defined him as a forward-looking leader who understood that legal unity needed to be matched by a new collective energy.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Roman was born in 1934, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roman Was Born
The biggest hits of 1934
#1 Movie
It Happened One Night
Best Picture
It Happened One Night
Roman's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1934Born
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Started school
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Became a teenager
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Could drive
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1952Could vote
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Turned 21
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1964Turned 30
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 40
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 50
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 60
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 70
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 80
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2017Died at 83
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Served as the President of Germany from 1994 to 1999, the first elected after reunification.
- Was President of the German Federal Constitutional Court, the nation's highest court, from 1987 to 1994.
- Awarded the prestigious International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen in 1997 for his work advancing European unity.
Did You Know?
He coined the term 'Ruck-Rede' ('jolt speech') which entered the German political lexicon.
Before his judicial career, he was a professor of law at the University of Munich.
He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) but was elected President with support from the opposing Social Democrats.
“Through Germany must go a jolt. We need a new, pioneering spirit, or we will end up as the museum of the world.”
