[Sharon]

October 11th, 1987:

One of the most iconic photographs of post-war Germany: the politician Uwe Barschel found dead in a bathtub in a hotel in Geneva. It was taken by journalists working for Stern magazine as they checked up on Barschel in his hotel room. It is a highly voyeuristic image and one can only assume that the journalists decided to pull back the shower curtain in order to get a better view of Barschel. The strong flashlight of the camera captures every little detail: Barschel lies fully clothed in a bathtub, his body submerged in water, his head leaning towards the side. A few details of the photograph are intriguing: his collar button is opened and his tie is loosened, his hair is wet despite being above water and his wristwatch peaks out from his sleeve. The non-water proof wristwatch would later give an indication of Barschel’s time of death. All these elements further raised the intrigue of what happened to Barschel.

Until this day, the circumstances of Barschel’s death have not been resolved. One line of investigation has been suicide as several drugs have been found in the room and in Barschel’s body. Another theory involves the Isreali secret service Mossad who were weary of Barschel’s knowledge of an arms deal between Isreal and Iran. The mysteriousness of Barschel’s last living moments coupled with the paradoxical representation of his death had the effect that this photograph gained iconographic status and remains well remembered in the German psyche.

[Faline]

Great find

[Sharon]

Iconic German image I'd never ever seen before!

[collaredgirl65]

Could almost think he was napping.

[Sharon]

Originally Posted by collaredgirl65 ↗

Could almost think he was napping.

I felt that way too as he looks so peacefull.

[johnleeknoefler]

Mossad was never so gentle. I find it hard to believe that it's an assasination if there is no other evidence. More likely suicide but I can't understand why. Just strange. But then again, lack of evidence is not evidence it didn't happen that way. And why the bathtub if he didn't drown? Did they do an autopsy? Was there water in the lungs? What sort of drugs? Was there alcohol combined with the drugs? Lots of unanswered questions. Also why was his hair wet? Or was his hair wet? Was it not just greasy? If his hair was wet, how did it get wet? Did he put his head under the shower? Did he take a drunken drugged up shower and then decide to take a bath with his clothes on? Seems unlikely. I think maybe no proper investigation was even performed. Quite possibly he was induced to take drugs and then alcohol and then drowned. That would be the most likely event. In that case Mossod certainly would of been involved. Remember that in the early days of the State of Israel they were in desperate need of arms and anyone who thought to interfere would of been dealt with rather quickly.

[DiamondSmiles]

What it on his right hand?

[carkees]

I remeber that case. It was very mysterious. I lived in Germany at the time.

[carkees]

Originally Posted by diamondsmiles ↗

What it on his right hand?

I can't see his right hand...

[blodhore]

his face and body showed signs of trauma(there is an autopsy photo), and the drugs had been forced down his throat with a tube post mortem. Dont think he had water in his lungs either. Most definetly murdered, but by who?