German media: Scientology is essentially dead in Berlin By Tony Ortega Two recent newspaper reports indicate that despite the opening of its “Ideal Org” in Berlin seven years ago, Scientology is essentially defunct in the city, with only about 130 members in a metropolis of more than 3 million. Drawing from the most recent report from the country’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Berliner Zeitung BZ, Berlin’s largest newspaper, reported that 130 members is also the same number Scientology had the year before. “Scientology tried everything. An open house every day, free copies of an encyclopedic biography of L. Ron Hubbard sent to libraries (which were shipped back at Scientology’s expense), and an anti-drug campaign. But Berliners are smart, and they ignore Scientology’s headquarters at Otto-Surh-Allee,” the newspaper reported. <snipped> “In large part, Scientology treats its own employees in an unimaginably bad, miserable way — beginning with bad payment and ending with a lack of appreciation,” he said. “A former employee of the Berlin headquarters told me that she got a wage of 20 euros for an 80-hour week. Most Scientology staff lived under the poverty line. Sometimes they would sleep with ten men in a three-room apartment, travel on public transport without paying, and steal their lunch from the cafeteria. The whole enterprise was in a financially seriously depressed state.” The story also credited the protesters of Anonymous, who have held monthly demonstrations outside the facility for six years. “The aim of our protest is that Scientology quickly disappears from Berlin and actually from Germany,” one of the Anons said. More at http://tonyortega.org/2014/07/03/german-media-scientology-is-essentially-dead-in-berlin/
German Anons/Chanologists have been vigilant and epically effective. It is wonderful to see them get the German media credit they so rightfully deserve.
More trouble for Scientology fundraising and recruitment in Europe By Tony Ortega For today’s story, we turned to our helpful translators again for assistance with another article from the German press. This item appeared in the weekly publication Kontext and provided some interesting history of Scientology in Stuttgart, saying that the local Scientologists have actually been “on the sidelines” as plans to replace a drab, poorly situated org with a gleaming new Ideal Org in a better location have stumbled, and part of the reason involves a mysterious Israeli entity. The magazine drew on information from Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which keeps a close eye on Scientology. Earlier this month, we told you that the agency reported that Scientology is all but dead in Berlin. But Stuttgart has remained an area with more adherents of the organization. “Stuttgart is attractive for Scientology because it’s the center of an economically strong region,” the federal agency told Kontext. “Scientology hopes for easier access to politicians, business leaders, and opinion leaders,” Kontext writes. “In addition, there is the promise of greater financial benefits.” The existing org, the magazine explains, is in a backwater, and plans for a decade have included moving to a more visible spot for an upgraded “Ideal Org.” In December 2010, Scientology spent 8 million euros for a commercial building at a busy intersection (see photo, above). A trade organization and a crafts association are in the same area or are planning construction, but neither had any idea that Scientology was planning to move in. Scientology, it turns out, had been using a front to move into the area, and then ran into some troubles. The company that purchased the new building was registered as “G. Stuttgart Properties, Ltd.” and was an Israeli entity. Its registered owner was a man named Gur Finkelstein. Our longtime readers will recognize that name. Finkelstein was also used by Scientology leader David Miscavige as a front in order to purchase a sensitive building in Israel — the Alhambra theater building in Jaffa, the Arab neighborhood adjacent to Tel Aviv. Finkelstein purchased the theater and then hired a builder to renovate it, without revealing that he was actually doing so for the Church of Scientology. Then, Finkelstein went bonkers. Finkelstein ran into resistance from a local official who denied a request to expand the building’s footprint, so Finkelstein tried to have the official assassinated. He also hired a local Arab Muslim family to pose as Orthodox Jews and firebomb the theater, apparently so he could have further renovations made — renovations that he was skimming from. He was also accused of trying to kill the boyfriend of his ex-wife with a car bomb that detonated while his rival and a child were in the car, but didn’t kill anyone. And after he was arrested and was sitting in custody, Finkelstein was charged again when, police say, he tried to arrange to get one of the witnesses against him killed. All of that we wrote about three years ago. But the Kontext story says that Finkelstein was sentenced to prison just last month. We couldn’t find any confirmation of this, but we’d love to know if this is true. <snipped> Judging by the church fliers we’ve been posting in our weekly Sunday feature, it sure seems like the big push for future Ideal Orgs is in the Western U.S. — particularly in the San Fernando Valley, San Diego, and Austin — and also in New Zealand and parts of Australia. But we rarely hear about Ideal Org fundraising projects in the Eastern U.S., where several buildings have been purchased and have seemingly been abandoned. Stuttgart seems to be in the same boat. Could Scientology be giving up on major parts of the globe and focusing more and more on the last pockets where the few remaining wealthy donors are? We’re going to keep looking at this. http://tonyortega.org/2014/07/22/more-trouble-for-scientology-fundraising-and-recruitment-in-europe/
Ideal, and preferably invisible | The Underground Bunker By Tony Ortega, September 10, 2018 Quote: Scientology leader David Miscavige is determined to turn every org in the world “Ideal,” but he’s also increasingly doing his best to keep it as much on the down low as possible. This weekend, a new Ideal Org had its grand opening in Stuttgart, Germany as quietly as possible. We have very few details about it, at least until Scientology itself starts posting its photos of the event. Continued at https://tonyortega.org/2018/09/10/a...-protesting-scientologys-anti-psych-quackery/
This German news report was just uploaded: Scientology eröffnet neues Zentrum in Stuttgart | mokdokus Caption: "Scientology hat in Stuttgart ein neues Zentrum eröffnet. Medienvertreter waren nicht geladen. Experten vermuten hinter dem Engagement vor allem finanzielle Interessen." Google Translate: "Scientology has opened a new center in Stuttgart. Media representatives were not loaded. Experts suspect behind the engagement above all financial interests."
