Joseph Bech

Joseph Marie Bech (17 February 1887 – 8 March 1975) was a Luxembourgish politician and lawyer. He was the prime minister of Luxembourg, serving for eleven years, from 16 July 1926 to 5 November 1937. He returned to the position after World War II, and served for another four years, from 29 December 1953 until 29 March 1958. The 1982–1983 academic year at the College of Europe was named in his honour.

Career Bech studied law at Fribourg and Paris before he received his doctorate in law in 1912,

It was in Bordeaux that Bech and his family were granted transit visas from the Portuguese consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes, along with the rest of the government and the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg, in June 1940. Joseph, along with his wife Georgette, and their children Charles and Betty, followed the Grand Ducal family through Coimbra and Lisbon, settling at Praia das Maçãs after the Grand Ducal family had moved to Cascais. By August, the entire entourage had moved to Monte Estoril, where the Bech stayed at Chalet Posser de Andrade until 26 September 1940, with the exception of Charles, who would stay until 2 October. On 26 September, Georgette and Betty boarded the S.S. Excalibur headed for New York City, along with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Pierre Dupong and his wife Sophie. They arrived on 5 October 1940. Joseph Bech eventually returned to London, where the Luxembourg government-in-exile was officially based. He was one of the participants of the Messina Conference in 1955, which would lead to the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

He was prime minister again from 1953 to 1958, succeeding Pierre Dupong. He remained in the government until 1959 when he became President of the Chamber of Deputies until 1964.

Honours and awards Gathering for the funeral of Konrad Adenauer, Bonn, 1967. Joseph Bech is fourth from right, looking downwards with walking stick.

Honours

Honorary Doctorate by the University of Innsbruck (1968)

Awards

Charlemagne Prize (26 May 1960) – "in recognition of his life's work and his high merits for the unification of Europe that began in the old League of Nations and in the European institutions took their purposeful continuation."