Klaus Hänsch: key obituary facts
Is Klaus Hänsch dead? Yes. Klaus Hänsch died on August 4, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: Klaus Hänsch's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Klaus Hänsch known for?
He was a German politician (born 1938).
More about Klaus Hänsch
Born: 15 December 1938.
Place of birth: Szprotawa.
Place of death: Erkrath.
Gender: male.
Occupation: politician, university teacher, political scientist.
Nationality: Germany.
Education: Freie Universität Berlin.
Employer: University of Duisburg-Essen.
Awards: Great Golden Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Wilhelm Leuschner Medal.
Klaus Hänsch, the German politician who served as a member and president of the European Parliament, died on August 4, 2026, aged 87.
Born on December 15, 1938, in Szprotawa, he was a member of the European Parliament for the SPD from 1979 to 2009 and sat with the Party of European Socialists group. He served as vice-chairman of the PES group from 1989, except during his term as president of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1997.
Hänsch studied at the Freie Universität Berlin and later worked as a university teacher and political scientist, including at the University of Duisburg-Essen. He received the Great Golden Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, the Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Wilhelm Leuschner Medal.