Gottfried von Bismarck
Encyclopedia
Count Gottfried Alexander Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen (19 September 1962 – 30 June 2007) was a German
nobleman
best known for his flamboyance and parties.
, Belgium
, Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was the second son of Ferdinand, Prince of Bismarck
and grandson of Otto, Prince of Bismarck, a diplomat at Germany's embassy to the UK in London until a feud with Third Reich
foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
. He was the great-great-grandson of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
.
Bismarck's great-uncle and namesake
was a Nazi official who allegedly became part of the famous plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler
. His younger sister, Countess Vanessa von Bismarck-Schönhausen (born 26 March 1971, Hamburg
, Germany
) is a public relations agent in the United States
. His elder brother Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen
(born 1961) was a member (MP) of the German Bundestag.
. He attended school in Germany
and Switzerland
and had a brief internship at the New York Stock Exchange
before enrolling at Christ Church, Oxford University, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) earning a third class honours degree. He was a member of the exclusive Piers Gaveston Society
, "noted for its predilection for rubber wear and whips
, which he embellished with his androgynous apparel and lipstick" as well as the prohibitively expensive Bullingdon Club
, known for its members' wealth and destructive binges, alongside friends like Darius Guppy
. Confessing that he did not enjoy the typical social life in Oxford, he and his friends would escape to the more wild, fashionable parties in London
on the weekends or whenever possible. He reportedly drank heavily at night and took amphetamines by day to concentrate on his studies.
and granddaughter of the famous diarist Henry Channon
. She was found dead from a heroin overdose in Bismarck's rooms at Christ Church in 1986. Bismarck was charged with drug possession. He was fined GB£80, but the shadow of Olivia's death haunted him; he was said to have "wept like a child" at her funeral. His father, Prince Ferdinand, recalled him to Germany for treatment at a private clinic, it was said he left Oxford so quickly that a family servant had to settle his bills with public houses (bars), tailors and restaurants.
, that was lost under communist rule in East Germany. This was a powerful personal experience for him facing the course of history. Later, after having spent some time in Los Angeles, he went to work as an executive for the now defunct Telemonde with the intent to raise capital from the stock-market prior to its collapse in 2002. He returned to London soon after and became a promoter of holidays in Uzbekistan
. He was a co-founding executive with AIM Partners, a London based investment firm.
flat and died. Bismarck was not arrested and the police said there were no drugs found in his flat. Nevertheless, this incident re-awakened the so-called "curse" from the past, and triggered speculation from the tabloid
press. Stories included an article from London's Daily Mail
that claims the incident was fueled by a cocaine
-fueled orgy
involving several individuals. The coroner
's report had found no alcohol
in Casey's body, but did discover a significant amount of cocaine
. The accusation of a 'gay orgy' was officially denied by Count Gottfried, though the coroner, Dr. Paul Knapman, told The Guardian
that a great deal of sexual paraphernalia was discovered in the flat, including sex toys, lubricant, and a rubber tarpaulin
. "In common parlance, in the early hours of the morning, there was a gay orgy going on," Dr. Knapman told the newspaper. "Nevertheless, this was conducted by consenting males in private."
(which was in the process of being sold). He was 44 years old at the time of his death. An inquest into the circumstances of the death was opened on 6 July.
Bismarck had been injecting cocaine
on an hourly basis in the day before his death said Sebastien Lucas, the pathologist, who carried out the postmortem. He said Bismarck's body contained the highest level of cocaine that he had ever seen, as well as morphine
; the German aristocrat also had liver damage, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
, and HIV
.
and styled as Durchlaucht (Serene Highness
). When Otto von Bismarck
resigned as German Chancellor, he was presented the additional title of Duke of Lauenburg
. This particular branch of the Bismarck clan is surnamed Bismarck-Schönhausen. However the media tend to shorten this to simply "Bismarck", without any distinction from other branches.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
nobleman
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
best known for his flamboyance and parties.
Family
Born in UccleUccle
Uccle or Ukkel is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium.Uccle is known for its well-to-do areas, its green spots and its high rental rates.-History:...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was the second son of Ferdinand, Prince of Bismarck
Ferdinand von Bismarck
Ferdinand, Prince von Bismarck is a German politician and the Prince of Bismarck since 1975.The son of politician and diplomat Otto Christian Archibald von Bismarck and great-grandson of statesman Otto von Bismarck, the founder of modern Germany, he grew up in London, Rome and Sweden, and went to...
and grandson of Otto, Prince of Bismarck, a diplomat at Germany's embassy to the UK in London until a feud with Third Reich
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister of Germany from 1938 until 1945. He was later hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life:...
. He was the great-great-grandson of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
.
Bismarck's great-uncle and namesake
Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen
Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was a German politician and German Resistance figure.Born in Berlin, he was a grandson of the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. He was a member of the Nazi Party and in 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag as a Nazi member...
was a Nazi official who allegedly became part of the famous plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. His younger sister, Countess Vanessa von Bismarck-Schönhausen (born 26 March 1971, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) is a public relations agent in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His elder brother Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen
Carl-Eduard von Bismarck
Count Carl-Eduard Otto Wolfgang Jayme Anders von Bismarck-Schönhausen is a German politician .-Background and education:...
(born 1961) was a member (MP) of the German Bundestag.
Early life and education
Bismarck grew up primarily in his family's ancestral estate near HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. He attended school in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and had a brief internship at the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
before enrolling at Christ Church, Oxford University, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) earning a third class honours degree. He was a member of the exclusive Piers Gaveston Society
Piers Gaveston Society
The Piers Gaveston Society is a secret dining club at the University of Oxford with membership limited to 12 undergraduates. It is named in honour of Piers Gaveston, favourite and supposed lover of King Edward II of England. Its members have a reputation for indulging in bizarre entertainments and...
, "noted for its predilection for rubber wear and whips
Whips
Whips may refer to:*Whip plural.*Political Whip.*An acronym: WHIPS, Whiplash Injury Protection System....
, which he embellished with his androgynous apparel and lipstick" as well as the prohibitively expensive Bullingdon Club
Bullingdon Club
The Bullingdon Club is a socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University. The club has no permanent rooms and is notorious for its members' wealth and destructive binges. Membership is by invitation only, and prohibitively expensive for most, given the need to pay for the uniform,...
, known for its members' wealth and destructive binges, alongside friends like Darius Guppy
Darius Guppy
Darius 'Darry' Guppy is a British-Iranian businessman who, together with Benedict Marsh, was convicted of fraud, theft and false accounting in February 1993...
. Confessing that he did not enjoy the typical social life in Oxford, he and his friends would escape to the more wild, fashionable parties in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on the weekends or whenever possible. He reportedly drank heavily at night and took amphetamines by day to concentrate on his studies.
Tragedy at Oxford
The death of heiress Olivia Channon in the Count's room would disrupt his life. Olivia was the daughter of Paul ChannonPaul Channon
Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, PC , was Conservative MP for Southend West for 38 years, from 1959 until 1997...
and granddaughter of the famous diarist Henry Channon
Henry Channon
Sir Henry "Chips" Channon was an American-born British Conservative politician, author and diarist. Channon moved to England in 1920 and became strongly anti-American, feeling that American cultural and economic views threatened traditional European and British civilisation. He wrote extensively...
. She was found dead from a heroin overdose in Bismarck's rooms at Christ Church in 1986. Bismarck was charged with drug possession. He was fined GB£80, but the shadow of Olivia's death haunted him; he was said to have "wept like a child" at her funeral. His father, Prince Ferdinand, recalled him to Germany for treatment at a private clinic, it was said he left Oxford so quickly that a family servant had to settle his bills with public houses (bars), tailors and restaurants.
Career
After completion of his studies at a German university, where he wrote a doctoral thesis on the East German telephone system, Bismarck visited the family estate at SchönhausenSchönhausen
Schönhausen is a municipality in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, located 70 km north of the state capital of Magdeburg. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Elbe-Havel-Land.- History :...
, that was lost under communist rule in East Germany. This was a powerful personal experience for him facing the course of history. Later, after having spent some time in Los Angeles, he went to work as an executive for the now defunct Telemonde with the intent to raise capital from the stock-market prior to its collapse in 2002. He returned to London soon after and became a promoter of holidays in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. He was a co-founding executive with AIM Partners, a London based investment firm.
Later life
In August 2006, Anthony Casey, 41, fell 20 m (60 ft) from the Count's ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
flat and died. Bismarck was not arrested and the police said there were no drugs found in his flat. Nevertheless, this incident re-awakened the so-called "curse" from the past, and triggered speculation from the tabloid
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...
press. Stories included an article from London's Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
that claims the incident was fueled by a cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
-fueled orgy
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
involving several individuals. The coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's report had found no alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
in Casey's body, but did discover a significant amount of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. The accusation of a 'gay orgy' was officially denied by Count Gottfried, though the coroner, Dr. Paul Knapman, told The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that a great deal of sexual paraphernalia was discovered in the flat, including sex toys, lubricant, and a rubber tarpaulin
Tarpaulin
A tarpaulin, colloquially tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a...
. "In common parlance, in the early hours of the morning, there was a gay orgy going on," Dr. Knapman told the newspaper. "Nevertheless, this was conducted by consenting males in private."
Death
On 2 July 2007 Bismarck was found dead in his near-empty £5 million flat in ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
(which was in the process of being sold). He was 44 years old at the time of his death. An inquest into the circumstances of the death was opened on 6 July.
Bismarck had been injecting cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
on an hourly basis in the day before his death said Sebastien Lucas, the pathologist, who carried out the postmortem. He said Bismarck's body contained the highest level of cocaine that he had ever seen, as well as morphine
Morphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
; the German aristocrat also had liver damage, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
, and HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
.
Titles and style
The Schönhausen branch of the House of Bismarck, descended from the former German Chancellor, holds supplementary surname (formerly title) of Count/Countess of Bismarck-Schönhausen , with the head of the family titled Prince of BismarckFürst von Bismarck
The great German statesman and diplomat Otto von Bismarck received several noble titles during the course of his career.Born into a Junker family as simply Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, he was created Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen in 1865, following the Prussian victory over Denmark in the...
and styled as Durchlaucht (Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
). When Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
resigned as German Chancellor, he was presented the additional title of Duke of Lauenburg
Duke of Lauenburg
The title Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, which, since its foundation in 1269, has been ruled by twenty-nine dukes of six dynastic houses and lines and by an additional four dukes of a temporary dynastic branch line The title Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of...
. This particular branch of the Bismarck clan is surnamed Bismarck-Schönhausen. However the media tend to shorten this to simply "Bismarck", without any distinction from other branches.
See also
- Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-SchönhausenGottfried Graf von Bismarck-SchönhausenCount Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was a German politician and German Resistance figure.Born in Berlin, he was a grandson of the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. He was a member of the Nazi Party and in 1933 he was elected to the Reichstag as a Nazi member...
- Otto von BismarckOtto von BismarckOtto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
- Mona von BismarckMona von BismarckMona Travis Strader , known as Mona Bismarck, was an American socialite and fashion icon. She was named to the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958.-Early life:...
- Carl-Eduard von BismarckCarl-Eduard von BismarckCount Carl-Eduard Otto Wolfgang Jayme Anders von Bismarck-Schönhausen is a German politician .-Background and education:...
- Bismarck familyBismarck familyThe House of Bismarck is a German noble family that rose to great prominence with 19th century statesman Otto von Bismarck, who was conferred the hereditary title of Prince of Bismarck in 1871, and additionally a hereditary comital title in 1865 and a ducal title, Duke of Lauenburg, held only for...
- Piers Gaveston SocietyPiers Gaveston SocietyThe Piers Gaveston Society is a secret dining club at the University of Oxford with membership limited to 12 undergraduates. It is named in honour of Piers Gaveston, favourite and supposed lover of King Edward II of England. Its members have a reputation for indulging in bizarre entertainments and...
