Horst Köhler was born on February 22, 1943 in Heidenstein, now Skierbieszów in Poland.

After studying political science and economics, he worked as a consultant at the Institute for Applied Economic Research in Tübingen. In 1981, after four years in the policy department of the Federal Ministry of Economics, he joined the CDU.

After a year in the State Chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein, he returned to federal politics and, as State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance after reunification, organized several
G7 economic meetings.

Between 1993 and 1998, he was President of the German Savings Banks and Giro Association before heading the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for two years.

Between 2000 and 2004, he was Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund before being elected as the ninth President of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 23, 2004. He held this office until his resignation on May 31, 2010.

During his term of office, he also visited the Hessian state capital. On October 29, 2008, Lord Mayor Müller welcomed the head of state in the ballroom of the town hall. He paid tribute to Köhler's work both as President and as a financial and economic expert.

Köhler expressed his thanks for the warm welcome and then signed the city's Golden Book.