by Mathias Onken
Henry C. Randmark. Hamburg's High Society knows him as "Sir Henry." And believes everything the self-proclaimed man-of-the-world has to say. He says he brought Lange and Schill together, and that he advises the Interior Senator on the drug politic. There is just one thing left to say.
He dances at all the balls. And talks with a perfect German accent about his well-done deeds. About "good friends," like the crown prince family of Bismarck. About his executive job in graffiti-removal and how he scoured the Alsteranleger and the Louvre. About the time when, as a US colonel he led drug investigations in the Vietnam war. And about the medal that was bestowed upon him for that. But everything on his uniform that glitters is not gold. The most important medal he received, as "Sir Henry" meekly commented, was given to him by accident at the cleaner's.
Randmark's experiences as a Vietnam war veteran are not the only things that appear dubious. The businessman, who says he knows nine languages, has been president of the Hamburg Chapter of the "American-German Business Club" (AGBC) since June, 2000. There are said to be 70 members of the association, which was originally founded in Bonn in 1964.
What the club does is not exactly known very well in this city. You cannot reach it at all by the telephone number listed on the home page of the "IPA Randmark International AG" company. The last heard from the AGBC was a Valentine's Day invitation to the US Consulate on the Alster. The theme was combatting drugs and the rehabilitation of addicts. Speaker: Chris Brightmore, former officer from Scotland Yard.
You could have knocked over many of the 100 guests with a feather once it became clear that Mr. Brightmore was advertising for "Narconon." That is the "quasi health and welfare department" of Scientology, explained Hamburg's sect commissioner, Ursula Caberta. Drug experts uniformly describe "Narconon" as unprofessional, dangerous and "junk medicine." Among the guests was Udo Nagel. He, however, arrived late, and hardly caught any of the scandal at all. Unlike Gisela Hackenjos, the president of Scientology Hamburg, who was also in attendance.
Randmark contests being a Scientologist. Although he was a guest at the most recent Scientology show in the Cafe Seeterrassen. Bush-fan Randmark makes no secret of his acquaintance with Interior Senator Schill. The businessman says he gave him financial support, as well as ideological: "I advised in on the issue of combatting drugs, because I have had rather good experience in the field," revealed "Sir Henry." The ex-judge acknowledged the support by honoring the American on his 65th birthday in January with a glowing speech.
Schill's (political party) friend, Katrin Freund, confirmed in an interview that she worked on the board of the AGBC until the political campaign started. She said that Randmark was a "fatherly friend" of the politician, a good acquaintance. Glenn Miller fan ("My father knew him personally") Randmark is no stranger, either, to form vice admiral Rudolf Lange (FDP). In July Randmark brought the liberal together with Schill at a gathering in "Wollenberg," for which his club advertised heavily.