Friedrich Wilhelm (b. February 10, 1939, as Friedrich Wilhelm von Hohenzollern) is the Emperor of Germany. He ascended to the throne on September 26, 1994, after the death of his father, Emperor Louis Ferdinand, who had reigned for forty-three years. The Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm has been a low-profile but competent monarch, though he is often seen as distant and reserved, and lacks the personal popularity of his father.