Chapter 21: W Germany

Fr, Dec 26, 1969 (Boxing Day)

What a great few weeks, that seemed to never stop.

Zürich lies at the top of Zürichsee, Lake Zürich, which is an Alpine Lake. You can tell, as Alpine Lakes are long & thin. Often, they are the remnants of past Glaciers.

After saying goodbye to Sean, Diane & Alex, Ali & I headed North again. I didn’t know why, but I was feeling the urge to head to the Black Forest of West Germany.

Ali, Red, Blue & I, took A1, then A4 & E41.

We thought of stopping at Mercedes Benz’s HQ in Stuttgart, but being the day after Christmas, we thought it would be closed, so didn’t stop.

We finally turned onto A81, which wound it’s way through the Hills of the Black Forest.

Alex had told us of a nice area near Hirschhorn am Neckar. The Neckar River is a major Tributary of the Rhine River.

At Hirschhorn, the Neckar has a big bend, where Locks had just been installed the year before, in 1968. It allowed Ships to Navigate the River, as far South as Stuttgart.

I got lost at one point, as there were few Road Signs. We were passing some scattered Homes, as well as a few in Clusters amongst the rolling Fields & the Black Forest. It was really beautiful.

As I was rounding a bend, I looked up to see 2 older Boys accosting 2 Teen Girls. The Boy on my left was up next to a Shed, holding a Girl by one of her Pigtails. He was naked from his waist down, & was trying to rip her clothes off with his free hand.

The other Boy had the 2nd Girl on the ground, also trying to get her undressed. It was obvious a Rape was about to happen.

I snapped, gunning the 300 SL. WE hit the Boy on the Left, mid Crotch, with both he & us breaking through the Wooden Shed, ending up inside it.

I quickly extricated myself, helping Ali too. When I looked at the Boy I hit, he was a goner. His Gonads were mush too.

Ali ran over to the Girl from her side. The Girl was ok, but the Boy was Dead. It seemed Ali had opened her Car Door, just as we passed the Boy, conking him on the head.

The Girl I helped was ok too, just complaining of a twisted Neck. That was caused when the Boy jerked her head, before he let go of her Pigtail.

We helped the Girls compose themselves, asking who they were & where they lived.

Their names were Karla, who just turned 16yo, & her 15yo sister, Kara. We were on their Estate. They used to ride their Bikes to the group of Out Buildings we were at. They Skinny-Dipped there in the Summer, as there was a nice Pond nearby.

This was the 1st time they had driven though, as Karla had just gotten a new Mercedes Benz 4-Seat Convertible, for her Birthday. Today they had come to the Pond so they could get High, as they had a Joint they wanted to Smoke.

The 2 Boys had jumped the Girls as they got out of their car. The Boys said they were Hungarian, & had already Raped a few Girls since leaving Hungary, & were planning to continue doing so. They also bragged that they had choked the Girls to Death after Raping them. They were getting back at all the assholes who looked down on Gypsies.

Glad I did what I did, as the Boys seemed to be pure evil.

My car was messed up, so we took the Girl’s MB. Karla asked me to drive, as she was upset, besides, she had little experience driving. She directed me into the next Valley over, saying both Valleys belonged to her Family. It looked like a Racetrack was laid out in the 1st Valley. When we got to the 2nd Valley, damn if there wasn’t a 2nd Racetrack there.

When I asked the Girls if they were indeed Racetracks, Karla said yes, but they were used as Test Tracks. There were 4 of them, one for each Valley they owned. Wow.

I asked why they had Test Tracks?

“Oh, my Family owns Mercedes Benz, & they use the Tracks to test their Cars. It gets noisy sometimes when they test their Formula 1 Race Cars.”

Kara piped in, “Karla, you Dummkopf, we don’t own ALL of Mercedes, just lots of it.” Who were these girls?

We came to a small Village, where we pulled into an old Castle, nestled along the Neckar River. We drove through an opening, allowing us inside the Motor Court. We were surrounded by Garages, like I had at Hever Castle.

This time, the Cars were all Mercedes Benz, & they were all classics, from 1929 on.

The cool part though, was the old Cable Car that began there. We got in the Car, with Karla operating it. We were magically lifted to the top of the Mountain, where their Home was located. They pointed up to a Home hugging the Mountainside, part of it being supported by Pilings dug into the Mountain.

On the outside of the Cable Car, there was an ad for Carlsberg Bier. I asked the Girls about it, as they said the Cable Car was for their private use only.

“Oh, we own a lot of Carlsberg too. It’s from Copenhagen, so it’s fun to visit there. We hosted a Golf Tournament for Carlsberg Bier last Summer, so they put the Ad on our Cable Car during the Tournament. We like it the Ad, as it’s really a conversation starter.”

They said their home looked down on all 4 of their Valleys, as their Mountain was in the middle of them. They could see Cars travel from one Valley’s Test Track to the next one, sometimes. There were over 20 miles of Private Road, between the 4 Test Tracks, as well as the Roads that connected the Valleys.

There was Straight Track, where Cars could go 200 mph. There were also Dirt, Sand, Gravel & Rock sections, as well as streams to Ford. There were Steep Sections, where there were Switch-Backs Turns. That’s how they got Supplies up to their Mountaintop Chalet. There was even a Hairpin Curve around a Tall Thin Rock at one place. That was really dramatic, as it was deep in the Black Forest, with dense Tall Trees surrounding the Turn.

The Girls had their own Go-Carts, that they had been driving since they were 9 & 10yo. They were being Coached by a couple of Mercedes Benz F1 Race Car Drivers. They loved to Spinout in the Round Space made just for that. You could continue a Skid as long as you wanted, as it was Banked.

The Girl’s Mom, Marisa, met us at the Top, wondering who Ali & I were. As soon as they saw their Mother, they ran to her, babbling on about the near Rape.

Ali went to help with the Girls, as they were whisked away by Marisa.

I was left alone to watch over Red & Blue, my new 9-Week Old Pug Puppies. They were born, Nov 1, 1969. I found some fresh Hot Cocoa on the Stove, then wandered around their fabulous home.

The Cable Car docked to one side of the Home. The Chalet was composed of 6 Levels, built deep into the Mountainside. Every other Level had wraparound Decks. The other Levels had Floor to Ceiling Windows, to max out the Views. It was all Stone, Glass, Copper & Wood, including some massive Beams. It was definitely overbuilt, but perfectly proportioned. It blended into the Mountainside so well, that from below, it had to be pointed out to me.

I heard an alarm. It brought Marisa back in the room, saying the Alarm was to alert them that someone had called for the Cable Car, from down below. You could Summon the Car if it was at the other end, just by pushing a button.

Marisa said she had called her husband about the Incident, while Ali was getting the Girl’s into a Tub.

In a couple minutes, 4 people got out of the Cable Car.

1st out was Marisa’s Husband, Stephen Degenhardt, who was 39yo. Marisa was 36yo. Also getting out were Stephen’s Parents, Paul, 72yo & Mary, 70yo. The last one out, was Polizeichef Kurt Melcher, an old Family friend.

While the women were away, I was asked to describe the Incident. I shared all I knew, including the Statements the Boys had made to the Girls. As I was talking, the Polizeichef got a call on his Radio. He had sent someone to the Crime Scene, & they described the Scene about the same way as I had.

After getting all the Facts, it was decided that there was no need to involve Karla & Kara in any further investigations. Kurt had received a Bolo that morning, informing everyone to be on the lookout, for 2 Hungarian Males who were on a Killing Spree. Because of that, he felt like the Case was Closed on those 2. They weren’t going to Harm any other girls now.

I was told my Car & belongings would be retrieved soon. I said, no worries, as there wasn’t much of value there, except the 300 SL.

Stephen told me that I would be leaving their Home with any Mercedes I wanted, no matter the cost. They were that grateful for my saving their Girl’s virtues.

Ali & the Girls came out soon, with the 2 Girls freshly scrubbed & in Thick Terry Cloth Robes.

We heard the Cable Car Alarm again. This time, 2 guys got out, along with 2 young kids.

The kids were introduced as the younger Brother & Sister of Karla & Kara. Kurt was 8yo & Angela was 6yo.

The older gentleman was introduced as Ferry Porsche, who was 60yo in 1969. He was the son of Ferdinand Porsche, the inventor of the VW Beetle. Ferry was an old Family friend, who had been helped by the Degenhardt Family after WW2. Ferry’s dad had been arrested after the War by the Allies, being put in French Prison for War Crimes. After a couple years, Porsche was Released, never being officially charged with any Crimes.

With Ferry, was his 26yo son, Wolfgang. Wolfgang would take over Control of Porsche when Ferry died in 1998.

Ferdinand Porsche died in 1951, so Ferry was the one who steered Porsche into becoming the great Company it is today. The Degenhardt’s had helped Ferry financially, as well as having important Contacts amongst the Allied Powers that smoothed the way for Ferry & his Dad to take Control of Porsche again after WW2.

In 1945, Porsche had been taken over by the Allies, with a British Army Major put in Charge of it. Major Ivan Hirst was 29yo in 1945, & it’s been said that he saved Porsche, with the moves he made shortly after the War.

Ferdinand had been in charge of VW before & during WW2. After the War, he Controlled Porsche, but not VW.

By 1950, the Degenhardt’s had helped Ferdinand & Ferry take back Control of Porsche. Ferdinand would die in 1951, so Ferry had been in Control since. Ferry & I would remain life-long friends, until his death in 1998. The Porsche Family would Control 12.5% of Porsche, with VW Controlling 75%.

As a Thank You to the Degenhardt’s, Ferry Designed & Supervised the Construction of the Chalet. It was a wonderful feat of Engineering too, as it was anchored deep into the Mountainside.

Ferry also designed the Cable Car & its Systems. It had the looks of being Designed by Porsche, as it was a true work of Art.

The last thing he did, was to Design the 22 Ski Chair Lifts & Rope Tows, that were interspersed throughout their Mountain & the 4 Valleys off its sides. All were easily operated by the users.

The Degenhardt’s opened their Mountain up to the Locals on the Weekends, so many of the Lifts were Manned by Operators during those times. The Degenhardt’s were the #1 Employer in the area. They were Partners with many small Stores & Businesses too. They didn’t do it for the money, but as a help to their community.

Amongst the Ski Runs & Trails, were two 18-Hole Golf Courses, also open to the Locals during the Summer.

Another nice thing the Degenhardt’s had done for their neighbors, was the Mountainside Sports Complex. It was a Full-size Fußball Field. Some call it Soccar. The Views down into the Valley were outstanding. Parents wouldn’t mind taking their Kids to Games or Practice at the Degenhardt’s Mountainside Sports Complex, eh?

Ferry & Wolfgang spent most weekends with the Degenhardt Family, especially during the Ski Season. Ferry & Wolfgang had arrived early, thus taking the 2 youngsters for a couple Runs that afternoon. They & the Degenhardt’s were Fanatics about Skiing.

Both Ferry & Wolfgang were equally upset over the Incident with the Girls though. The Degenhardt & Porsche Families were like Cousins, they were that close.

We spent the rest of the day & night getting to know each other. Ali & I were put up in the Tower Room, that poked up above the rest or the Chalet. It was built like a Round Spaceship, with wraparound Windows.

My 2 new Pug Puppies, Red & Blue, were a big hit. They were like the Energizer Bunny, as they were a constant blur of energy, never running out of Battery Power. The Kinder soon took over their care. It was fun to see them in the Snow, as they were dwarfed by it. They had fun disturbing the Drifts, spewing Snow all over.

Ali & I tried to explain what we had been up to, the last few weeks. It was hard for even me to believe, but it’s real folks.

I then asked them, if they had given any thought to installing a few Wind Generators, on top of their Mountain. Wind Generators are like Windmills. Instead of Turning a Pump for Water, they Turn Generators. The Energy produced could be turned into Electricity for their Home. Any extra could be Stored in Big, Deep Cell Batteries. They had 3 or 4 great spots for the Wind Towers, as their Ridgeline always had decent Winds.

Ferry was intrigued, as he was as creative as his dad, Ferdinand had been. They were always Tinkering with things. He also said Energy Costs were high in West Germany, so it would help with that.

The Degenhardt’s told me about their 4 Valleys & the Test Tracks they had built in each one.

In Valley #1, they had recreated West Germany’s great Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg Circuit. It opened in 1932, had 17 Turns & was 2.8 miles long.

In Valley #2, they recreated the Silverstone Circuit, NW of London. It had 18 Turns & was 3.6 miles long. It had opened after WW2, in 1948.

Valley #3 had a copy of the old Brookland’s Circuit which had been in Weybridge, Surrey, Eng, SW of London. It operated from 1907-1939, & was a classic early Track. It was 3 miles long & had 3 Turns. It could be configured for different races, the best being the Grand Prix Circuit. There were even 500 Mile Races there.

Brookland’s was the 1st Track to have Banked Turns, which help Cars go Faster around Turns. Without the Banking, Cars would crash at the same Speeds they could go, with a Banked Turn. It evened out the G-Forces.

When I mentioned spending the night with Enzo Ferrari a few nights before; Paul, Stephen, Ferry & Wolfgang, all said they knew Enzo well. They often met at Races, being friendly Rivals.

Paul said that he & Enzo had talked of Enzo building his own personal Test Track, next to his Factory. Enzo was tired of waiting for the local governments to build him a Track close by, so that he could Test his Cars. He was upset that he had to travel long distances, just to check out a simple problem.

The design of the Track he was planning to build would be called, Fiorano Circuit. It would have 12 Turns, & be 1.9 miles long. Enzo would break ground for it in 1971, opening his Track in 1972.

The Degenhardt’s beat him to the punch though, as a version of Fiorano Circuit was built in Valley #4, that Summer. They had just completed it, way before Enzo got off his ass on building his own Track. It even had a Shell Gas Station, just like Enzo would include at his Test Track. The Gas Station would be used for the Pit Stops, as well as having a few Bays for VM. There was a Skid Pad, nestled inside one Turn, that was Banked, allowing Testing of how G-Forces affect Cars in Turns. You could push the Cars past any normal Driving Limits, seeing how the Car handled.

When we all were ready to Turn In for the night, I mentioned my Edibles. All those present wanted to try one! Even Karla & Kara ate a Doozie, as their Parents felt they needed to relax after their ordeal. I don’t think Stephen & Marisa realize the Girls were already Potheads. Only Kurt & Angela were left out. These were my kind of people, not afraid of Feeling Good.

Sat, Dec 27, 1969

What a rush to wake up to a White-Out! It was Snowing so hard, you couldn’t see very far. We were told it would slow down soon, so we took the time for Breakfast, having great Potato Pancakes. After Breakfast, we planned to Ski most of the day.

During Breakfast, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Butzi, showed up. He was another son of Ferry Porsche. He was Wolfgang’s older brother. Butzi was 34yo in 1969.

Butzi drove up in a brand new, 1970 Porsche 911. Butzi had been the lead Designer of the Porsche 911, which had 1st been offered in 1964. He was striking with his Black Beard & piercing eyes. He was fun to be around though. The Kinder loved him. He truly embraced the Designed by Porsche Philosophy. He was more a Stylist than an Engineer. His Grandfather, Ferdinand; Dad, Ferry; & Brother, Wolfgang had been Engineers.

When shown their collection of Ski’s, I cringed. Before the introduction of the new style of Ski’s in the 1990’s, Ski’s were really hard to turn with. In 1969, they were mostly straight from Tip to Tail, easy to make, but sucked in Turns. The new Ski’s would be called, Parabolic Ski’s. They narrowed at the middle, making the Ski handle as if it were Shorter, which is easier to turn with. Short Ski’s make them less stable though, so they were not the long term solution. Parabolic Ski’s solved the problem. My experience Skiing as Ralf, was drastically different from 1977 to 1999. In 1977, the tips of the Ski’s kept digging in the Snow when I tried to turn. In 1999, I Turned just by thinking of doing so. It was much easier using Parabolic Ski’s.

I quickly jotted down my memories of how a Parabolic Ski’s shape looked, showing them to Ferry Porsche. Within minutes, we were in the Degenhardt’s Workshop in the Chalet’s Basement. Ferry used a Bandsaw on an older pair of Ski’s. He messed up the 1st set, but soon had the basic shape formed. He said this Ski would come apart soon though, as he had cut through some bonding that held the layers together.

Stephen said he had a spare Room at their Big Bend Plant, so he would have his Techies make up a few sets of Parabolic Ski’s right away. They would try them out immediately, as there was a Chair Lift near the Shop, so making adjustments could happen fast. When perfected, they may have their next Company, The Parabolic Ski Company. I would be 50% Partners with them. I would get B-G in NYC involved ASAP too, as he’s a Tech Genius.

I also sketched out the basic Design of a Snowboard, which wouldn’t come about until the late 1970’s, although one had been made in 1965. In the early 1970s, Dimitrije Milovich, a Cornell University dropout, started Winterstick, the first modern snowboard company. I would reach out to Dimitrije, offering a Partnership. Jake Burton Carpenter, is credited with popularizing the Sport, in 1978. He started Burton Snowboards. If possible, I’d Partner with him too.

After a great Dinner, Paul, Stephen & I sat in a quiet corner of the Great Room, looking down on the Lights of Hirschhorn am Neckar.

Paul began a Tale that was as amazing as mine.

Before WW2, the Degenhardt’s lived in Stuttgart, mainly as Investors in German Companies. When things went to Hell in 1939, Paul was 42yo. By then, he had liquidated most of his Families Holdings, moving the Deutschmarks to Switzerland. It was a vast sum, that Switzerland was happy to Invest for Paul.

The Degenhardt’s moved to Geneva, Switzerland in 1937. Stephen Degenhardt was 9yo in 1939, & remembers those times well. Everyone was afraid, for themselves, as well as their loved ones, especially those left Back Home. Many of those left behind would never be heard from again.

In 1932, Paul had met Winston Churchill in London, when Paul was 35yo. Winston Churchill went in & out of Favor over the years. During the 1930’s, he was considered a Joke & War Monger. He was an early critic of Adolf Hitler, predicting the danger Hitler posed to Civilization as we knew it.

Paul & Winston bonded over similar views, remaining friends through the years. During the 1930’s, Winston had helped Paul liquidate his Holdings, having Paul slowly sell off his Investments, so as not to arouse suspicion of those Dastardly Nazi’s.

By 1939, Paul had sold most of his Stocks, which were mostly in IG Farben, which owned Bayer, the maker of Bayer Asperin. Paul did have to sacrifice some Interests to the Nazi’s though.

The Degenhardt’s survived the War in relative Safety in Geneva, Switzerland. Paul put himself in Danger though. Like Pug Henry, in Hermon Wouk’s, Winds of War, Paul became a Courier of Top Secret Messages between Winston Churchill, FDR & Joe Stalin.