Happy, Heinrich

Merchant, politician

Born: 11.01.1877 in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe

died: 16.09.1971 in Wiesbaden

Glücklich joined his uncle Johann Christian Glücklich 's company in Wiesbaden in 1905, became chairman of the Kaufmännischer Verein in 1907 and co-founder and later president and honorary president of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kaufmannserholungsheime in 1910. He rebuilt this society after 1945; under his leadership it became the "European Society for Spa and Recreation Homes".

He had already joined the National Liberal Party at the age of twenty and was elected to the city council in 1910. Until 1933, he was chairman of the German People's Party, which emerged from the National Liberals in December 1918. From 1928 to 1933, he served as a city councillor and honorary member of the municipal council. During this time, he was also active in numerous committees and deputations (spa and baths, economy, science and culture, secondary schools, etc.). A travel agency with a lottery office and an official ticket office were added to the real estate business, which he had managed alone since 1914. In 1920, Glücklich took over the management of the German branch of the Egyptian cigarette factory Ed. Laurens GmbH.

Forcibly removed from office after 1933 as an opponent of the National Socialists, he immediately resumed his political work after 1945 and was one of the men of the "First Hour". He was one of the co-founders of the CDU in Wiesbaden, but left at the end of 1945 and founded the Citizens' and Farmers' Party, which became the Liberal Democratic Party in October 1946. From 1946-50, he was a member of the first Hessian state parliament as an LDP deputy and the first senior president. He campaigned vigorously in the state parliament for the interests of the Hessian spas and health resorts. In June 1948, he once again became an honorary city councillor for local politics in Wiesbaden.

He was particularly interested in promoting spas and tourism. His initiative contributed to the establishment of the balneological institute and the rheumatism clinic. He also came up with the idea of converting the pheasantry into an animal park.

On 03.03.1952, he retired from the municipal council. Glücklich was chairman (and since 1953 honorary chairman) of the Kur- und Verkehrsverein and the ➞ Haus- & Grund Wiesbaden association; he was a member of the FDP district association and the Economic Association, which he had founded in 1948.

On 12.01.1950, Glücklich was made an honorary citizen of the city of Wiesbaden. Grasellenbach in the Odenwald, where he had had a convalescent home built, also honored him by awarding him honorary citizenship. On the occasion of his 75th birthday, the Federal President awarded him the Federal Cross of Merit First Class and, in December 1960, the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. On his 85th birthday in 1962, he was awarded the City of Wiesbaden's Golden Badge of Honor.