Otto von Bismarck died on July 30, 1898
Отто фон Бисмарк умер 30 июля, 1898
Otto von Bismarck died on July 30, 1898, in the presence of his family and his doctor at around 11 p.m..
Two photographers from Hamburg had already bribed Bismarck's forester in advance to keep them informed about the state of health of the sick politician. A few hours after Bismarck's death, the photographers forced their way in through a window sill and thus gained access to the dead man's bed.
One of the photographers adjusted the pillow so that the dead man's head could be seen better. They also adjusted the clock on the bedside table. In reality, it was already 4 a.m. when the picture was taken.
After the culprits had their picture retouched, they looked for a buyer through ads in a Berlin newspaper. They found a buyer who promised them 30,000 marks and a 20% share of the profits.
The present value of this sum is about €220,000.
In the end, the supposed financial blessing turned into a curse. Both photographers were arrested and sentenced to prison.
The photograph was first published in the Frankfurter Illustrierte in 1952.