Mildred Scheel

Mildred Scheel (31 December 1931 in Cologne as Mildred Wirtz – 13 May 1985 in Cologne) was a German physician, the second wife of the German President of the Federal Republic Walter Scheel and the founder of the German Cancer Aid.

Mildred Scheel was the third child of a radiologist and his American wife. Already as a child, she was very much interested in Medicine and often accompanied her father in his practice. The family left the bombed-out Cologne in 1944, and moved to Amberg.

In 1950 she started her university medical studies in Munich, Innsbruck and Regensburg. Her first job was as a doctor in Munich. Then she worked in various hospitals and medical practices. In 1963, her daughter Cornelia was born.

In 1967 Mildred Wirtz met her future husband in a Sanatorium which she was working at that time. The FDP-politician was recovering there after a Kidney stone operation. On July 18, 1969 they married in Munich Schwabing and moved to Bonn. In October of that year, Walter Scheel was appointed minister of the exterior. The couple had two children, a daughter and an adopted orphan from Bolivia.

With the election of Walter Scheel to the office of the Federal President on May 15, 1974, a new life of public service began for Mildred Scheel, with new responsibilities and obligations. According to the tradition of former German First Ladies Elly Heuss-Knapp and Wilhelmine Lübke (wife of the late president Heinrich Lübke), doctor Mildred Scheel chose a social and public health role: the fight against cancer. "This can be more successful, only if all the citizens show solidarity in this important fight”, said Scheel in an announcement. She was very active in mobilizing the German public to make donations for this “health-project to benefit everybody”. Even while on state visits, she collected donations for the organization. In 1980, long time friend Andy Warhol immortalized her image with a limited edition screen-print published to raise funds for the German Cancer Aid.

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