Heinrich Lübke
| Heinrich Lübke | |
|---|---|
Heinrich Lübke in 1959
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| President of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) | |
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In office 13 September 1959 – 30 June 1969 |
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| Chancellor |
Konrad Adenauer Ludwig Erhard Kurt Georg Kiesinger |
| Preceded by | Theodor Heuss |
| Succeeded by | Gustav Heinemann |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
14 October 1894 Enkhausen, German Empire |
| Died | 6 April 1972 (aged 77) Bonn, FR Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | Centre Party (Zentrumspartei) (1930–1933) Christian Democratic Union (1945–1972) |
| Spouse(s) | Wilhelmine Keuthen (1885–1981) |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Karl Heinrich Lübke (14 October 1894 – 6 April 1972) was the second President of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1959 to 1969. Prior to his presidency he served as Federal Minister for Agriculture. The moderate conservative suffered from his deteriorating health and is known for embarrassing statements or behavior. Besides agriculture he was interested in the state of developing countries. Lübke resigned three months before the scheduled end of his second term.
Born at Enkhausen, Westphalia, Lübke had a very humble upbringing. He was the son of a shoemaker and farmer from the Sauerland and surveyor by training. He volunteered for service in World War I, reaching the rank of Lieutenant.
After working from 1923 as an officer of a pressure group representing the interests of small-scale farmers in Berlin, in 1930 he became a member of the Roman Catholic Centre Party (Zentrumspartei) and in April 1932 was elected as a member of the Prussian Parliament.
After the seizure of power by the National Socialists in 1933 and the subsequent dissolution of the Zentrumspartei, Lübke was accused of misappropriating public funds and imprisoned; after 20 months in prison he was released, when no evidence could be produced to back up the politically motivated charges. It was not until 1937 that he was able to get a senior position with a building society (German: Wohnungsbaugesellschaft) and from there, in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, moved to a company of building engineers managed by the architect Walter Schlempp. Here he came to the notice of Albert Speer and was given responsibility for major building projects, some of which were under the aegis of the Armaments Ministry run by Speer. One of these was the extension of the 'Army Research Center Peenemünde' (Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde in German, abbreviated HVP) and the 'Air Force Test Centre' (Erprobungsstelle der Luftwaffe in German), Peenemünde-West.
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