Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen was born on 19 September 1962 in Uccle, Belgium.^[1], and was found dead in his apartments on 1 July 2007.^[2]. He was the second son of Ferdinand Fürst von Bismarck and grandson of Otto Fürst 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 an American public relations agent, 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.^[3][1] is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Uccle/Ukkel within the Brussels-Capital Region Uccle (French) or Ukkel (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... A count is a nobleman in most European countries, equivalent in rank to a British earl, whose wife is also still a countess (for lack of an Anglo-Saxon term). ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Uccle/Ukkel within the Brussels-Capital Region Uccle (French) or Ukkel (Dutch) is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Joachim von Ribbentrop with his son. ... “Bismarck” redirects here. ... Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen (9 March 1901 - 14 September 1949), German politician and German Resistance figure, was a grandson of the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. ... Hitler redirects here. ... This article is about the city in Germany. ... Carl-Eduard von Bismarck Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck (Carl-Eduard Otto Wolfgang Jayme Anders Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen) (born February 16, 1961 in Zürich) is a German politician (CDU). ...

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, 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. Fürst (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince; however this translation can be misleading, since a Fürst usually ranks below a Duke. ... Serene Highness (acronym HSH) – His Serene Highness or Her Serene Highness. ... “Bismarck” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ...

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.^[4] Location Coordinates Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DE6 First Mayor Ole von Beust (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 3 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  755 km² (292 sq mi) Population 1,754,317 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 2,324 /km² (6,018... The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), nicknamed the Big Board, is a New York City-based stock exchange. ... Christ Church (in full: The Cathedral Church of Christ in Oxford of the Foundation of King Henry VIII) is one of the largest and wealthiest of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The Piers Gaveston Society is an exclusive dining club at the University of Oxford with a membership limited to 12 undergraduates. ... Darius Guppy was convicted of defrauding Lloyds of London insurance market of £1. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Amphetamine is a synthetic drug originally developed (and still used) as an appetite suppressant. ...

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. He was employed by AIM Partners at the time of his death. GDR redirects here. ... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Tragedy

The tragic death of heiress Olivia Channon (in the count's room) would disrupt his life totally.^[4] 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.^[4] His father, Prince Ferdinand, recalled him to Germany for treatment at a private clinic. The Right Honourable Henry Paul Guinness Channon, Baron Kelvedon, PC (born 1935) was Conservative MP for Southend West from 1959 until 1997. ... Sir Henry Chips Channon (March 7, 1897 – October 7, 1958) was a Conservative politician whose highest office was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office. ... Heroin (INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is an opioid synthesized directly from the extracts of the opium poppy, Papaver somniferum. ... GBP may be: short for Game Boy Player the ISO currency code for the British Pound Sterling. ...

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 involving several individuals.^[5] The coroner's report had found no alcohol levels in Casey's body, but did discover a significant amount of cocaine. The accusation of a 'gay orgy' has been 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.^[6] "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." Statue of Thomas More on Cheyne Walk. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Daily Mail is a British tabloid newspaper first published in 1896. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A coroner is either the presiding officer of a special court, a medical officer, or an officer of law responsible for investigating deaths, particularly those happening under unusual circumstances. ... Functional group of an alcohol molecule. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... A tarpaulin or tarp (also known as hootchie) is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water resistant or waterproof material, often cloth such as canvas coated with plastic or latex. ...

On 1 July 2007 he was found dead in the £5 million Chelsea flat that he was in the process of selling, surrounded by drug paraphenalia. The suspected cause of death is heroin overdose. is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b} Worldroots genealogy page.
2. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/columnists/columnists.html?in_article_id=465791&in_page_id=1772&in_author_id=230
3. ^ Bruin, Hein: Bismarck Genealogy source
4. ^ ^{a b c} (27 August 2006) "The Curse of the Count" Sunday Times
5. ^ Daily Mail, 5 October 2005
6. ^ Attewill, Fred (6 October 2006) "Fatal fall after 'gay orgy' was misadventure." The Guardian

See also

• Gottfried Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen
• Otto von Bismarck
• Mona von Bismarck
• Carl-Eduard von Bismarck
• Piers Gaveston Society