Heinrich Lübke

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Heinrich Lübke

6th President of Germany
In office September 13, 1959 – June 30, 1969
Preceded by	Theodor Heuss
Succeeded by	Gustav Heinemann

Born	October 14, 1894 Enkhausen, Germany
Died	April 6, 1972 Bonn, Germany
Spouse	Wilhelmine Lübke (1885-1981)

Heinrich Lübke (October 14, 1892 – April 6, 1972) was President of Germany from 1959 to 1969. Lübke had a very humble upbringing. He was the son of a shoemaker and farmer from the Sauerland. He was chosen by Konrad 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 (which is nominally the highest post in the German State). Lübke defeated Carlo Schmid, the SPD candidate for the Presidency, in the second round of voting.

Lübke was a very bad public speaker and was frequently subject to ridicule, especially near the end of his term of office when his age started to affect his memory. 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. etc., akin to Bushisms).

According to the most famous anecdote, in 1962 he addressed a crowd in Liberia: "Ladies and Gentlemen, dear Negroes...". This quote has never been verified, however, and is most likely an urban legend (according to the weekly newspaper Die Zeit). Various other slips are well documented, though.

Tapes from Lübke's speeches were collected by the German satirical magazine Pardon and distributed on a best-selling record. Some examples