Former German President Horst Köhler, who served as head of state from 2004 to 2010, has died.
Köhler died on Saturday at the age of 81 after a short illness, a presidential office official said.
“After a short and serious illness, Mr Köhler passed away this morning in Berlin surrounded by his family,” the German presidential office said in a statement.
Before becoming German president, Mr Köhler held several important international positions, including managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 2000 to 2004.
Mr Köhler stepped down as German president in 2010 after controversy over comments he made about Germany’s military involvement.
Horst Köhler was born on 22 February 1943 in Skierbieszów, then part of Nazi-occupied Poland.
His family was of German descent and later settled in Leipzig, East Germany, before fleeing to West Germany in 1953.
Köhler grew up in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg. He studied economics and political science at the University of Tübingen, earning his doctorate in economics in 1977.
