Heinrich Werner

Vater der Nation Heinrich Werner
Heinrich Werner in 1990.
President of Vierzland
In office 19 January 1992 – 19 January 1997
Chancellor	Wenzel Dahlke
Preceded by	None (office created)
Succeeded by	None (vacant until abolition in 1998)
Chancellor of Vierzland Vierz Empire until 1990
In office 3 August 1986 – 19 February 1992
Preceded by	Uwe Scholz
Succeeded by	Wenzel Dahlke
Chairman of the United Republicans
In office 8 July 1984 – 4 January 1992
Deputy	Wenzel Dahlke
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Wenzel Dahlke
Personal details
Born	Heinrich Tobias Werner (1921-07-14)14 July 1921 Elze, Kastor, Vierz Empire
Died	13 February 2014(2014-02-13) (aged 92) Talheim, Kastor, Vierzland
Political party	Independent (1969–1990; 1992–1997) United Republicans (1990–1992)
Alma mater	Constantine Imperial University of Adtrus
Military service
Allegiance	Vierz Empire
Branch/service	Imperial Vierz Navy
Years of service	1939–1948

Heinrich Tobias Werner (14 July 1921 – 13 February 2014) was a Vierz lawyer and statesman who served as Chancellor of Vierzland from 1986 to 1992 and as President of Vierzland from 1992 to 1997.

Werner was born in 1921 in Elze, then a town in the Vierz Empire. During his mandatory military service in the Navy from 1939 to 1948, he saw combat in the Great War. He studied law at the Constantine Imperial University of Adtrus, attaining a doctor of laws in 1960, and became a law professor at the university. Werner presided over a number of high profile cases in both civil and criminal courts, gaining a reputation as a "human rights lawyer" for his defense of those allegedly wronged by the imperial government. He became prominent in republican and anti-monarchist circles, but initially refused to partake in political behaviour.

During the Luepolan War, Werner became involved in the anti-war movement; his activities, which were illegal under the government of Stefan Vogt, resulted in his removal from the university. With the onset of the Vierz Revolution in the 1980s, Werner joined the Congress for the Republic (KfdR), serving as its legal counsel. He became the leader of the organization in 1984. After the 1986 Adtrus bombing killed Chancellor Uwe Scholz, Kaiser Victor IV appointed Werner as Chancellor, hoping to appease surging republican sentiments.

Werner moved to implement republican policies and alleviate the ailing economy. He implemented liberal economic and political reforms to aid the ailing economy and expand civil liberties. His political faction gained a majority in the 1988 elections, the first elections considered "free and fair" in Vierzland since 1928. His electoral victory and policies, as well as the mass demonstrations against the Kaiser, made him an enemy of Victor IV. Werner used his strong public support against the Kaiser; in 1989, Victor IV abdicated as Emperor of Vierzland. With no intention of continuing the monarchy, Werner issued a memorandum in 1990 declaring the dissolution of the empire and the formation of a federal republic. The KfdR merged with other republican groups in 1990 to form the United Republicans, which Werner was made the leader of. He presided over the 1990 elections and the 1992 elections as chancellor, helping to formulate the Constitution of the Vierz Federation and oversee the transition "from empire to republic." He stepped down as chancellor in 1992, running unopposed for the presidency. As president, Werner assisted the chancellery of Wenzel Dahlke but was mostly uninvolved in state affairs. He stepped down from the presidency at the end of his term in 1997 with high approval ratings, and retired from politics altogether. He died on 13 February 2014 in Talheim.

Werner was described as "confident," "intelligent," "pragmatic," and "strong-willed" by colleagues and foreign leaders. He consistently maintained the highest approval rating of any Vierz politician in history, and is lauded by historians for his effective and moral leadership. In 2015, he was voted the "Greatest Vierzman in History" in a national poll. His state funeral was attended by over four million people, including numerous foreign dignitaries. In 2017, the Federal Assembly bestowed him with the honorary title Vater der Nation ("Father of the Nation"), a title only previously given to Constantine the Great.