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Born in 1909, Höpker hailed from a family in Königsberg, East Prussia. His father was an assessor and later served as a district administrator, as well as a reserve officer during the First World War.

After completing his high school education in 1928, Höpker pursued higher studies in economics, sociology, and geopolitics at a humanistic high school in Erfurt. He received his doctorate in economics (Dr. rer. pol.) from the University of Jena in 1934.

Höpker's career in journalism began as a political editor at Munich Neuesten Nachrichten. He was a soldier in the Second World War, during which time he was associated with the publication of an atlas of the progress of the war. Politically, Höpker was associated with the German People's Party (DVP).

Post-World War II, in 1946, he became an editor for the Union press service in Hamburg. Höpker's role in the media industry expanded in 1948 when he co-founded the evangelical-conservative weekly newspaper Christ und Welt in Stuttgart. He served at "Welt", overseeing the politics department from 1954 to 1958, and later worked as a correspondent in Bonn from 1958 and as a foreign policy commentator for the Rheinischer Merkur starting in 1980. He authored several books, particularly focusing on political geography.

Höpker was married in 1935. His son, Thomas Höpker, born in 1936, became a renowned photographer and documentary filmmaker.