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Dr. h. c. Heinrich Luebke addresses the audience, 1962

Inaugurations , Visiting VIPs

This photograph was taken during the foundation stone laying ceremony of IIT Madras. Interestingly, it coincided with the inauguration of the Open Air Theatre (OAT). Dr. Luebke (President of the Federal Republic of Germany) was the chief guest for the event.

In his speech, Dr. Luebke said "The students have before them daily an object lesson on how two nations, which in their history, traditions and habits of life have developed very differently, can collaborate well and successfully to achieve a high aim."
 
Dr. Luebke was born on 14 October 1894, in Enkhausen near Arnsberg, Westphalia. He served in World War I from 1 August 1914 until December, 1918. He won the Iron Cross (first and second class). By the end of the war, he had earned the rank of lieutenant. He later worked in the field of agriculture and politics. He was the Minister for Agriculture and Food in the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia. He was elected a member of the first Federal German Parliament on 14 August 1949. Later on, in the same year, Luebke became Chairman of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Forests. In 1959, he was nominated and elected Federal President. 
 
In German, Luebke is originally spelt Lübke, with an umlaut.
 
An identical photograph can be found in the Gourishankar Collection in Album 0259 under the ID: 001/0259/IMG_0352

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Collection:
Central Photographic Section Collection
Photograph ID:
001/0003/IMG_0151_1
Album ID:
Date:
3 December 1962
Place:
Open Air Theatre (OAT)
Photographer:
C. Gourishankar (1936-2002). A geologist by qualification, Gourishankar started his career as a photographer after working for many years with the Geological Survey of India. In everything that he did, Gourishankar strove to achieve flawlessness and impeccable quality. Thus his photography too was characterised by this drive for perfection. Every photograph that Gourishankar took was meticulously planned and shot and printed with diligence and patience. Gourishankar carried out most of the official photography at IIT Madras in the 1960s.
Event:
Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony

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