Imagine a life dedicated to service. This is the final resting place of Gustav Heinemann. He wasn’t just a politician. He was a man of the people. Heinemann’s journey took him from lawyer to President of Germany. He died in Essen on July 7 1976.
Gustav Walter Heinemann was born in Schwelm in 1899. His family moved to Essen a year later. His father worked for Krupp’s health insurance fund. Heinemann studied law economics and history. He earned doctorates in both economics and law.
In 1926 Heinemann married Hilda Ordemann. They met at a university advent celebration. He started working as a lawyer in Essen. Later he became a director at Rheinische Stahlwerke.
During World War II Heinemann was active in the resistance. After the war the Allied forces appointed him mayor of Essen. In 1946 Essen’s citizens elected him mayor. He also served in the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. He was Minister of Justice there.
In 1949 Konrad Adenauer appointed Heinemann Minister of the Interior. Heinemann resigned in disagreement with Adenauer’s policies. He opposed German rearmament. This led him to found the Notgemeinschaft f\u00fcr den Frieden Europas. It was a movement for German reunification.
Heinemann joined the SPD after leaving the CDU. He became a member of the Bundestag. In 1969 he was elected President of Germany. He served as President until 1974.
Gustav Heinemann was known as the “citizen president”. He valued connection with ordinary people. Eighty percent of the population approved of his presidency. He declined to run for a second term due to his age.
After his presidency Heinemann retired to Berlin. He died in Essen in 1976. Heinemann was buried here on the Essener Parkfriedhof. His friend Gollwitzer delivered the eulogy.
Gustav Heinemann’s wife Hilda died in 1979. She was buried with him. They had four children Uta Christa Barbara and Peter. They also had many grandchildren. Christina Delius is the widow of former President Johannes Rau.
The grave is a testament to Heinemann’s importance to Essen. He received the city’s ring of honor in 1969. The Gustav-Heinemann-Br\u00fccke and the Gustav-Heinemann-Kaserne are named after him. A plaque marks his home on Schinkelstra\u00dfe.
Joachim Gauck visited Heinemann’s grave in 2016. He praised Heinemann as a role model. Heinemann was a great democrat. He was guided by his faith and values. Hannelore Kraft also spoke. She remembered the grief over Heinemann’s death. People like him created a stable democracy in Germany.
Gustav Heinemann moved hearts like few others. As you stand here remember the “citizen president”. Think of his dedication to peace justice and the people. This grave marks not just an end but a legacy. His legacy is one of integrity and service.