his wife Sophie. They arrived on 5 October 1940. Joseph Bech eventually returned to London, where the Luxembourg government-in-exile was officially based. During World War II, Bech was the Foreign Minister of the Luxembourg government-in-exile in London. In that capacity he signed the Benelux Treaty in 1944. Bech is considered to be one of the 'Founding Fathers' of the European Union and the European Community. 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. Bech died on 8 March 1975, at the age of 88. Honours and awards Honours Grand-Cross of Order of the Oak Crown Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (1955) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1958) 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." References |- |- |- |- |- European integration pioneers Prime Ministers of Luxembourg Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Ministers for Defence of Luxembourg Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg) Members of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg from Grevenmacher Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg) Luxembourgian people of World War II World War II political leaders Party of the Right (Luxembourg) politicians Christian Social People's Party politicians 20th-century Luxembourgian lawyers Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Grand Decoration with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria 1887 births 1975 deaths People from Diekirch Ministers for Agriculture of Luxembourg