IAW mourns the loss of its honorary member, former German President Professor Dr. Horst Köhler.

The IAW mourns the loss of its honorary member, former German President Professor Dr. Horst Köhler, who passed away on February 1, 2025 at the age of 81.

Horst Köhler was a research assistant at the IAW from 1969 to 1976, during which time he wrote his dissertation entitled “Release of labor through technical progress”. The fact that he worked on a topic whose topicality is still unbroken shows his foresight, which went far beyond the technical perspective. In many of his later professional positions in federal ministries, at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and at the International Monetary Fund, he bore responsibility at a critical time. He was President of the Federal Republic of Germany from July 1, 2004 to May 31, 2010.

Time and again, he provided the IAW with advice and support. He had been a personal member of the association since 1999 and became an honorary member of the IAW e.V. in 2003, the same year the University of Tübingen made him an honorary professor. His speech to mark the 50th anniversary of the IAW in 2007 is a lasting memory. After his term in office as Federal President, he turned his attention to the importance of Africa for the European economy and foreign policy - again a topic whose long-term significance few recognized as clearly as he did. The IAW owes him a great debt of gratitude for his initiatives and many connections.

The IAW will always remember its honorary member and continue his work in his spirit. Our thoughts are with his family.