Heinz Stücke
German cyclist and photographer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
German cyclist and photographer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Heinz Stücke (born 11 January 1940) is a long-distance itinerant cyclist from Hövelhof, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany — noted for setting the world record for bicycle touring in 1995.[1]
Heinz Stücke | |
|---|---|
Stücke poses with his three-speed bicycle for a photo while selling his wares in Paris. (9 July 1999) | |
| Born | 11 January 1940 Hövelhof, North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship | Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Cyclist, photographer, writer |
| Known for | Cycling for most of his life through nearly every country in the world. |
| Website | heinzstucke.com |
In a global journey spanning more than 50 years, Stücke has travelled over six hundred thousand kilometres by bicycle.[2]
In November 1962, the 22-year-old Stücke quit his job as a tool and die maker, and rode out of his hometown on a three-speed bicycle, with a plan to see the world.[1][3] He says that his extraordinary desire to travel was partly motivated by his aversion to returning to factory work.[3]
In the early 1980s, after two decades on the road, Stücke decided to attempt to visit every country in the world. He believed he had accomplished his goal when he reached Seychelles in 1996,[3] but to him it felt anticlimactic. He had spent too little time in some countries, and there was still much to experience; so he continued on.[4] Between 1962 and 2010, he cycled more than 609,000 kilometres (378,000 mi), and visited 195 countries and 78 territories.[5] From 1995 through 1999, the Guinness Book of Records described him as having travelled more widely by bicycle than anyone in history.[1][6]
During his travels, he has encountered many hazards and suffered numerous injuries:
.jpg)
Although he has ridden the same steel-framed bicycle on most of his journeys,[4] in 2002 he rode across Canada with a partner on a Hase Pino tandem recumbent bicycle, which Hase Spezialräder built and sponsored.[9]
.jpg)
Since 1962, Stücke has taken more than 100,000 photographs. He funds his expeditions with licensing revenue from his photo catalogue; donations; and sales of his travel writing, postcards, and booklets that feature his photographs, writing, and illustrations.[3][9]
In 1995, around the time he set the world record for bicycle touring, Stücke self-published a memoir: Mit dem Fahrrad um die Welt ("Cycling Around the World").[10] In 2015, Dutch travel writer Eric van den Berg published a biography commemorating Stücke's career of global bicycle touring—a career that by then had continued for more than 50 years.[2] The book, Home Is Elsewhere: 50 Years Around the World by Bike, also features Stücke's photographs.[11]
Spanish filmmaker Albert Albacete's[12] documentary film The Man Who Wanted to See It All[13] explores Stücke's life, motivations, philosophy, and legacy; there also are plans to build a museum devoted to Stücke in his hometown of Hövelhof.[14]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
