Wim Thoelke

Wim Thoelke ( born May 9, 1927 in Mülheim an der Ruhr as Georg Heinrich Wilhelm Thölke; † 26 November 1995 Niedernhausen ) was a German master of ceremonies, the quiz show hosted The Big Prize among others. For this mission Loriot created the figures wum and Wendelin for rehearsed movies that complemented the name of the moderator for Keyword " Wim, wum and Wendelin".

Life

Wim Thoelke put his Abitur at the Mercator -Gymnasium in Duisburg and began in the summer semester 1948 study law at the University of Cologne. In 1951 he started in place of the clerkship a dissertation on the topic of " Legal, particularly copyright problems of television ." Then Thoelke spent seven years as managing director of the German Handball Federation, based in Dortmund.

In this role he had at a referee meeting in 1953 in Karlsruhe his tape recorder there to dictate a protocol. The sports director of the SDR asked him then, but to prepare a report for its transmitter. The next day all football games fell out due to bad weather and his ten-minute report was the absence of events played by all broadcasters. A month later, then asked the WDR to the commentary on the indoor championship in the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, as a reporter failed, and then the NDR order to contribute to an international match in Prague, as the own reporter did not get his visa in time.

1959 moved Thoelke to Stuttgart and worked as an asset manager for a customer. He also worked as a freelance reporter for the SDR and now also for television. He was following in mind commercial manager at Bavaria Film.

Permanent position at the ZDF

The end of 1962 the newly founded Second German Television offered him a position as head of the sports department. Wim Thoelke 1963 was also seen as a newscaster in the first day shipments. The consignment News Sports Studio developed into one of the most successful programs of the transmitter, the Thoelke until the spring of 1970 a total of 115 times presented - together with Rainer and Dieter Kürten Günzler he was one of the best known sports presenters of ZDF.

Freelancer at ZDF

After the end of the shows of Peter Franks box and Lou van Burg in 1970 revealed a gap in entertainment, whereupon Wim Thoelke was asked for a new show. He agreed but asked in return about being a freelancer from now on. The broadcasts three times nine, and the successor mission The big prize, grossed the enormous donations for the action problem child, emerged. One particularly striking were his performances with the drawn and spoken by Loriot dog wum, who called him with a long-drawn " Thöööölke ". This later joined the added also created by Loriot elephant Wendelin and the Blue Klaus. On December 10, 1992 Thoelke hosted the Grand Prix for the last time. A created based on the broadcast wax figure of Wim Thoelke is since May 2013 Panopticon Mannheim.

Sideline

Wim Thoelke had constantly sideline, where he was interested since starting work at the Handball Federation particularly for aircraft. Aviation activities began on a business in Dortmund, who offered flights to the North Sea Islands, and reached up to the creation of a two-time airline. One of these cases was the Montana: Thoelke knew a license holder for large aircraft in Austria, the license would expire soon. He managed to find financial backers, a Boeing 707 to buy and actually set up a regular flight operations with passengers.

In retail, outerwear Thoelke was active; already in the 1950s, he went to Paris to get into conversation with various couturiers. As the fame he represented especially his companies at trade fairs and negotiations. For a pair of pants for temporary abdominal circumferences, the Dehnbundhose, he allowed himself to even register a utility model protection. The manufacturer, however, had to declare bankruptcy, so that no profit came about.

Automobiles also played a role, in the 1960s he acquired a 16,000 DM expensive sports cars in the small English racing cars Ginetta wrought with streamlined plastic body and stocked it with a uprated DKW engine of Mantzel. About this car was reported in the Star, whereupon reported numerous interested parties. However, the project could not be completed on time, veered to the participation of the vehicle at the 1000 km race at the Nürburgring in oblivion and finally had to be adjusted. In the 1970s Thoelke saw good opportunities for published just on the German market Mitsubishi models and established the Mitsubishi branch in Frankfurt am Main.

In addition, Wim Thoelke presented numerous product launches, company anniversaries and the like.

Death

Wim Thoelke died on 26 November 1995 at the age of 68 at his home near Wiesbaden his longtime heart condition. He was buried in the cemetery of his home town Niedernhausen Engenhahn in which he had lived for many years.

Family

Thoelke was married and had two children.

Awards

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