Count Gottfried von Bismarck
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| Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen | |
| Born | September 19, 1962 (age 44) Uccle Belgium |
|---|---|
| Other names | Count Gottfried von Bismarck |
| Title | Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen |
Count Gottfried von Bismarck-Schönhausen was born on 19 September 1962 in Uccle, Belgium.[1] He is the second son of Fürst Ferdinand von Bismarck and grandson of Fürst Otto von Bismarck, a former diplomat at Germany's embassy to the UK in London until a feud with Third Reich foreign secretary Joachim von Ribbentrop. Count Gottfried is the great-great-grandson of the famous Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Count Gottfried's great-uncle and namesake was a NAZI official who allegedly became part of the famous plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. His younger sister is socialite Vanessa von Bismarck, who was born on 26 March 1971 in Hamburg, Germany, his older brother Carl-Eduard "Calle" is German MP and will become future chief of the house.[2][1]
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[edit] Titles and Style
The branch of the Bismarck family that derives from the former German Chancellor holds supplementary surnames (formerly titles) of Count/Countess with the head of the family being addressed Fürst instead of Count, frequently but incorrectly translated to Prince, and styled as Durchlaucht. 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.
[edit] Early life and education
Count Gottfried grew up primarily in his family's ancestral estate near Hamburg. He attended school in Germany and Switzerland and had a brief internship at the New York Stock Exchange before enrolling at Christ Church College, Oxford University, where he studied history and was a member of the Piers Gaveston Society alongside friends like notorious Darius Guppy. Himself 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.[3]
[edit] Career
Subsequent to his finishing his studies at a German university, where he wrote a thesis on the East German telephone system, he visited the family estate at Schönhausen, that was lost under communist ruling 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 a business executive for Telemonde trying to raise capital from the stock-market, but the company went bankrupt and collapsed by 2002. He returned to London soon after and became a promoter of holidays in Uzbekistan. Presently, he works for AIM Partners.
[edit] Tragedy
The tragic death of heiress Olivia Channon (in the count's room) would disrupt his life totally.[3] Olivia was the daughter of Paul Channon and granddaughter of the famous diarist Chips Channon. She was found dead from a heroin overdose in the count's rooms at Christ Church in 1986. The count was charged with drug possession. He was fined 80 GBP but the shadow of Olivia's death would always haunt him. He was said to "cry like a baby" at her funeral.[3] His father, Prince Ferdinand, recalled him to Germany for treatment at a private clinic.
[edit] Later life
In August 2006, Anthony Casey, 41, fell the 60 feet from the count's Chelsea flat and died. The count was not arrested and the police said there were no drugs found in his flat. Nevertheless, this incident reawakened the so-called "curse" from the past, and, naturally, it has triggered a wealth of ideas for the tabloid press, such as an article from London's Daily Mail that claims the incident was fueled by a cocaine-fueled homosexual orgy.[4] However, even The Guardian newspaper admits the possibility of such activity causing the terrible event.[5] The coroner report had found no alcohol levels, but did find significant traces of cocaine. The accusation of a 'gay orgy' is officially denied by Count Gottfried. However, the coroner, Dr. Paul Knapman, was quoted in the The Guardian saying he thought it was highly possible that the rumours of sexual activity were not far off the mark considering that police had found a number of sexual paraphernalia in the flat during their initial search.
Count Gottfried is presently a confirmed bachelor who continues to be strong on the London party scene, being a regular patron of the most exclusive clubs, like Chinawhite, Pangaea Club, and the Tramp Club.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b Worldroots genealogy page.
- ^ Bruin, Hein: Bismarck Genealogy source
- ^ a b c (27 August 2006) "The Curse of the Count" Sunday Times
- ^ Daily Mail, 5 October 2005
- ^ Attewill, Fred (6 October 2006) "Fatal fall after 'gay orgy' was misadventure." The Guardian
