German ex-president Horst Koehler dead at 81

"With the death of Horst Koehler, we have lost a highly esteemed and extremely popular person who achieved great things –- for our country and in the world," President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a letter to Koehler's widow.

In a post on X, Chancellor Olaf Scholz hailed Koehler as a "committed politician who worked throughout his life for a fairer world".

He passed away in Berlin in the early hours, surrounded by his family.

Koehler, an economist by training, was the first German president who was not a career politician.

Before becoming president he was the head of the International Monetary Fund in Washington.

He became Germany's head of state, a mostly ceremonial role, after being put forward by then-opposition leader Angela Merkel, who went on to become chancellor.

Steinmeier said that when he was elected, Koehler was "virtually unknown" to the public but quickly gained "much recognition and sympathy".

But in May of the following year, he resigned after making remarks in an interview that critics said backed the idea of sending German military missions overseas to secure trade routes.

In his speeches, Koehler frequently emphasised the importance of believing in the strength of Germany and in the energy and creativity of its people.

He promoted Germany as a "land of ideas" that would shape its own future and act as a force for good in the world.

When it came to foreign policy, Koehler had a strong focus on Africa and visited the continent many times.

"He never tired of pointing out the importance and potential of the African continent for global development," wrote Sven Behnke, the head of the ex-president's office, on Saturday.

"For him, engaging with Africa seemed not only wise and forward-looking but also ethically imperative."

Koehler was the United Nations envoy to Western Sahara from 2017 to 2019, leading UN efforts to end the decades-old conflict between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.

He was also a member of a panel set up by then-UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2012 to advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015.

Koehler "has given a great deal" to Germany, said Steinmeier.

"We will remember him as a stroke of luck for our country."