He suffered from deteriorating health towards the end of his career and is known for a series of embarrassing incidents that may have resulted from his health issues. Lübke resigned three months before the scheduled end of his second term amid a scandal as to his involvement with the Nazi regime duringWorld War II.
Lübke's birthplace inEnkhausen with a memorial plaque, 2008
Born inEnkhausen,Westphalia, Lübke had a very humble upbringing. He was the son of a shoemaker and farmer from theSauerland, and was a surveyor by training.[1] He volunteered for service inWorld War I in August 1914. He completed his basic training first with the Westphalian Foot Artillery Regiment No.7, with which he was then deployed on theEastern andWestern Fronts. In 1916 he was promoted toVizefeldwebel. After a gas attack, he was taken to a field hospital. In 1917 he was promoted tolieutenant and became deputy battery chief in the52nd Reserve Division. He then became an orderly officer and was involved in theBattle of Passchendaele. Before the end of the war he was transferred to the GHQ of theSupreme Army Command. During the war he received theIron Cross 1st and 2nd class. He was discharged from military service in December 1918.
Lübke resumed his studies and received an examination as a surveying and cultural engineer in 1921. During his studies in Bonn he joined the student association K.D.St.V. Ascania Bonn in theCartellverband. From 1921 to 1924 he studied economics inMünster andBerlin. From 1921 to 1922 he was employed by the Westphalia tenants and settlers association in Münster. From October 1922 he was managing director of the Reich Association of Small Agricultural Enterprises (from 1925 also medium-sized enterprises). After 1924 he was also a member of the executive committee of theDeutscher Bund für Bodenreform. In 1926 he became managing director of theDeutsche Bauernschaft. From 1927 he was also the managing director of the Bauernland AG settlement company.
In 1929 Lübke marriedWilhelmine Keuthen (1885–1981) in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
In 1930 he became a member of theRoman CatholicCentre Party (Zentrumspartei) and in April 1932 was elected as a member of thePrussianParliament. From 1932 to 1933 Lübke was a member of the Prussian state parliament for the German Center Party. He was re-elected in the state elections on 5 March 1933. On 18 May 1933, as in the Reich, the state parliament approved an enabling law for Prussia against the votes of the SPD. After that, it never met again. On 14 October 1933 the representative bodies of the federal states were dissolved and finally repealed without replacement on 30 January 1934.
Lübke (center, back) at Peenemünde in 1941
After the seizure of power by theNational Socialists in 1933 and the subsequent dissolution of theZentrumspartei, 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 abuilding society (German:Wohnungsbaugesellschaft). In 1939, just before the outbreak ofWorld War II, he moved to a company of building engineers managed by the architectWalter Schlempp [de]. Here he came to the notice ofAlbert 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 CenterPeenemünde" (Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemünde in German, abbreviated HVP) and the "Air Force Test Centre"(Erprobungsstelle der Luftwaffe in German), Peenemünde-West.[1] In February 1945 Lübke was charged by Speer with setting up a "post-war office for planning prefabricated housing" alongside architectRudolf Wolters.
He performed three military exercises in theWehrmacht as a reserve officer and was promoted to first lieutenant in the reserve. In 1942 he was promoted to captain of the reserve.
Lübke (seated at table, second from the left) at theMinister president meeting in Munich, 1947
After the war, Lübke returned to his career in politics, becoming a member of the West GermanCDU party, being appointed Minister of Agriculture in the state parliament ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia in 1947. In 1953Konrad Adenauer appointed him to his cabinet as Federal Minister of Agriculture inBonn.[1]
Lübke was chosen by Adenauer as a candidate for the largely ceremonial post of president to ensure that Adenauer's political schemes were not disturbed by too strong a personality in this position,[citation needed] which is nominally the highest post in the German state. Lübke defeatedCarlo Schmid, the SPD candidate, andMax Becker, the FDP candidate for the presidency, in the second round of voting in 1959.
On 29 June 1964, at a press conference in Berlin, Prof.Albert Norden, one ofGDR's chief Communist propagandists, alleged that Lübke acted as an informer for the Gestapo (secret police) during the war[2] and at the very least he had been aware of the use of slave labour on his projects; building plans bearing his signature and containingconcentration camp barrack blocks were advanced as evidence of his complicity, but these were dismissed in the West as East German andEastern Bloc propaganda.[1]
On 1 July 1964, he was re-elected by theFourth Federal Convention. The re-election was preceded by a meeting between Lübke andHerbert Wehner (SPD) during a cure in Bad Kissingen, at which both agreed on re-election and spoke out in favor of a grand coalition. Only then did Lübke inform the CDU and was confirmed in office with the votes of both major parties. The State Secretary in the Office of the Federal President,Hans von Herwarth, who had internally opposed a second term in office because of Lübke's state of health, was subsequently replaced and sent to Rome as ambassador. Lübke campaigned for the formation of the Grand Coalition (Kiesinger cabinet).
Lubke stated in Berlin on 19 July 1964, "Our young people must learn more about the devotion and the willingness to sacrifice themselves that marked the men and women who rose against Hitler."[3]
In September 1966 Lübke's office claimed that the document with his signature on display in Munich was a "forgery" and was Communist inspired. The document contained a directive for the construction of a wartime concentration camp.[4]
The historianTony Judt has observed that Lübke's presidency, like the chancellorship ofKurt Georg Kiesinger, showed the "a glaring contradiction in theBonn Republic's self-image" in view of their previous Nazi allegiances.[5] Lübke's status as a one-time political prisoner under the National Socialists placed him in good stead. Nevertheless, the potential scandal threatened to damage the office of president; on 14 October 1968 Lübke announced that he would resign on 30 June 1969, his resignation taking effect three months before the scheduled end of his term of office.
The former president's health deteriorated. His intention to live inWest Berlin from time to time could not be realized, nor could he, with his private library of about 5,000 books, pursue his scientific hobbies incomparative linguistics andmicrobiology.
Lübke's political friends ignored him, if they did not avoid him. His successor in the presidency,Gustav Heinemann, however, kept in contact with him. Trips toTenerife, in autumn 1969 and at Christmas in 1970 and 1971, brought no improvement in his condition.Arteriosclerosis of the arteries in both his brain and his limbs was becoming increasingly noticeable, leading to seriousspeech disorders, declining physical mobility, and progressivememory loss. In retrospect, it was clear that this disease had started several years earlier and explained many aspects of the West German president's behaviour during his last years in office. In November 1971, the former president visited hisbirthplace in Enkhausen for the last time.
On 30 March 1972, an acutestomach hemorrhage required an emergency operation during which it was discovered that he was suffering from a very advanced form ofstomach cancer which had alreadyspread to his brain. After two more hemorrhages, Lübke died on 6 April 1972 at the age of 77 in the West German capital ofBonn.
Lübke was a poor public speaker and was frequently subject to ridicule, especially near the end of his term of office when his age and his failing health started to affect his memory and general cognitive abilities. He frequently forgot where he was (Lübke: "When I talk to you today in...eh... in.." Voice from the crowd shouting: "Helmstedt!" Lübke: "...eh...when I talk to you today in ... Helmstedt, then it was following my own will...", etc.). This was further ridiculed in the German translation ofDanger Mouse, where Penfold is called "Lübke" and is frequently ordered to "shut up" ("Lübke, Schnauze!").
Various other slips are well documented, such as the address inAntananarivo,Madagascar: "My very dear Mr. President, dear Mrs. Tananarive..."[6] His word-for-word translations of German into English (seeLübke English) were also the subject of much mockery.
Tapes from Lübke's speeches were collected by the German satirical magazinePardon and distributed on a best-selling record.[7]
^Due to the division of Germany, Heinrich Lübke was only the President ofWest Germany. The termWest Germany is the common English name for theFederal Republic of Germany between its formation on 23 May 1949 and theGerman reunification through the accession ofEast Germany on 3 October 1990.
Dorls(from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, am 23 October 1952 Mandatsaberkennung)
Frommhold(from 7 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 5 October 1950 Non-attached (DRP), from 26 March 1952 DP-Gast, from 11 February 1953 Non-attached)
Miessner(from 5 October 1950 FDP-Gast, from 20 December 1950 FDP)
Rößler(from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte, from 6 September 1950 Non-attached, from 13 December 1950 WAV-Gast, from 17 January 1951 WAV, from 26 September 1951 Non-attached, until 21 February 1952)
Thadden(from 15 September 1949 Nationale Rechte; 1950 DRP, from 20 April 1950 Non-attached)
Ott(Non-attached, from 4 May 1950 WAV-Gast, from 13 October 1950 BHE/DG, from 21 March 1952 Non-attached, from 26 March 1952 DP/DPB-Gast, from 26 June 1952 Non-attached)
Berg(from 27 June 1955, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Blank(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Blücher(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Hübner(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Manteuffel(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Neumayer(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Preiß(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Preusker(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Schäfer(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Schneider(from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Bender(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Eckhardt(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Finck(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Haasler(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Körner(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 FDP, from 23 February 1956 Non-attached, from 15 March 1956 Demokratische Arbeitsgemeinschaft (DA), from 26 June 1956 FVP, from 14 March 1957 DP/FVP)
Kraft(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Oberländer(from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
Samwer(from 15 October 1953, from 12 July 1955 Non-attached, from 14 July 1955 Group Kraft/Oberländer, from 15 July 1955 Guest of CDU/CSU-Fraktion, from 20 March 1956 CDU/CSU)
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