Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, Archbishop emeritus of Munich and Freising (Germany), was born on 20 February 1928 in Landau, Germany. He attended philosophy courses at the advanced institute St. George in Frankfurt. He then studied theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was a member of the German-Hungarian College.

He was ordained a priest on 10 October 1953 and completed his studies in Rome with a doctorate in theology, discussing a thesis on the problem of life after death. He then qualified as a university teach with a thesis on the doctrine of the Trinity of John Duns Scoto. In 1962 he was a professor of theology at the advanced institute of philosophy and theology of Eichstatt and in 1967 he was professor of dogmatic theology, University of Mainz.

He was elected Bishop of Speyer on 28 May 1968 and was ordained on the following 29 June. After 14 years, on 28 October 1982 he was made Archbishop of Munich and Freising.

Archbishop emeritus of Munich and Freising, 2 February 2007.

He participated in the conclave of April 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by St. John Paul II in the Consistory of 25 May 1985, of the Title of S. Stefano al Monte Celio (St. Stephen al Monte Celio).