Marine legend Wolfgang Laude turns 90: A life for Wilhelmshaven!

Marine legend Wolfgang Laude turns 90: A life for Wilhelmshaven!

On June 28, 2025, Wolfgang Laude will celebrate his 90th birthday - a man whose life was strongly influenced by the Federal Navy. He has long been a well-known personality in Wilhelmshaven, not only because of his impressive career, but also because of his commitment to the community.

Wolfgang Laude was born in Schöneiche near Berlin and spent his first seven years there. The family experienced an eventful time due to the professional transfer of his father, who came to Poznań as head of a teacher training college. After the Second World War, the family fled to Werl in Westphalia in 1947, where Laude lived in a children's home for nine months and worked as a kitchen boy. These experiences shaped him and laid the foundation for his later career.

A life in the Navy

In 1955, Wolfgang Laude completed his high school diploma and a year later joined the Federal Navy, which was formed on October 1, 1956. This was an exciting period in which the Navy was re-established after the turmoil of World War II. Schnellboot-Net reports that the Federal Navy first had to break with historical traditions and build a new identity.

During his time as a speedboat commander, Laude was part of the first class of the German Navy. In particular, the need to have 40 fast boats within NATO for the suppression of enemy naval forces shaped the military landscape of this era. Laude always showed a great commitment to practical activities, which led him to the armaments department for torpedo development and weapon systems in the Naval Office.

Family and commitment

In 1962 he married his wife Dietlinde and became the father of three children, who were born in Kiel and Flensburg. The Laude family made Wilhelmshaven their home in 1971 and now even has five grandchildren who are regularly celebrated in the family circle. His commitment was not just limited to the navy - from 1984 to 2015 he was active in the parish council of St. Thomas Church and also worked as a lecturer until 2021.

The family stories also tell of numerous trips to Western Pomerania, where Laude traveled with the Johanniters up to three times a year between 1990 and 2016. From 2002 onwards, traveling in a caravan was another passion that guided the family and created numerous memories.

The path to a modern navy

The Federal Navy, which emerged from the rubble of the Second World War, has developed steadily over the years. Wikipedia explains that the Navy played an important role in NATO until reunification in 1990 by protecting the Baltic Sea entrances and taking part in international operations. After German unification, the GDR People's Navy was integrated into the Federal Navy, which led to important structural changes.

Wolfgang Laude's life and the course of the Federal Navy are reflected in the challenges and successes of this eventful time. Today's special day not only honors his personal life's work, but also the change in the Navy that shaped him over the decades. He celebrates with family and friends, surrounded by the successes and experiences of an eventful life.