Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that the 1978 death of Dirk Geerd Hamer was a sheer tragedy that left not only his family but also several others scarred to their very core. After all, as chronicled in Netflix’s ‘The King Who Never Was,’ the German teen was allegedly shot by Italian royal Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy as he lay asleep in a crowded boat while on vacation. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about the two individuals this arguably affected the most — his loving parents, Sigrid and Ryke Hamer — we’ve got the necessary details for you.
Who Were Dirk Geerd Hamer’s Parents?
Although Ryke was born right amid civil distress on May 17, 1935, in Mettmann, Germany, just to be followed by World War II until 1945, the Hamers were soon able to find some sheer stability. This is actually evident in the way the former could enroll at Tübingen Stift for further studies in both medicine and theology almost as soon as he graduated high school at the age of 18. And that’s when he came across fellow student Sigrid Oldenburg, only for her to later become his wife without compromising her own career — they were a power couple with their doctorates.
From what we can tell, Ryke and Sigrid were granted their respective licenses to actively practice medicine in the early to mid-1960s, enabling them to specialize in their craft in the ensuing years. While the former seemingly remained a primary physician, her life partner focused on internal medicine before working alongside her in several cases and even patenting a myriad of inventions. More importantly, the couple reportedly never let their professional lives or differences interfere with their personal ones, especially as they even welcomed a few children into this world.
Amongst them was actually their eldest son Dirk (second born following daughter Birgit; on March 11, 1959), who was essentially the apple of their eyes as an athletic, bright, and creative individual. But alas, neither Ryke nor Sigrid could’ve ever imagined they’d have to see him endure 19 surgeries and suffer for over four months before losing him at the tender age of 19 on December 7, 1978. His death admittedly broke both their hearts, yet it changed the former in a much more drastic way despite his notable qualifications once he also developed testicular cancer a few months later.
According to reports, Ryke thought there was a connection between his son’s demise and his cancer, driving him to develop a whole new medical practice called Germanic New Medicine (GNM). Under this, per the series, he purported that “cancer is caused by an emotional trauma we are not prepared for and which we don’t know how to face. To heal, we must solve our psychological conflict.” This controversial theory was actually named Dirk Hamer Syndrome after his son, but it obviously ultimately led to him losing his license (in 1986) as it advised many to refuse real cancer treatments.
Despite the fact Ryke’s medical license was revoked in 1986 by a court judgment on the grounds of malpractice and causing the deaths of patients, he reportedly continued to work in the industry. In fact, by 1997, he owned a few clinics in not just Germany but also Belgium, Italy, Austria, as well as the Netherlands — at this point, the voluntarily exiled male had been a widower for 12 years. Therefore, he was imprisoned for 12 months in Germany (1997-1998) before serving another sentence (September 2004-February 2006) in France for fraud and unlicensed practice of medicine.
Ryke Died from Stroke, While Sigrid’s Cause of Death is Undisclosed
It was in 1985 when Dr. Sigrid Hamer passed away around the age of 50, but her cause of death has never been publicly revealed in order to give her, as well as her family, some much-needed privacy. As for her husband, his cancer ostensibly went into remission following a difficult period, during which he settled down in Norway for good, that is, until he eventually passed away on July 2, 2017. Dr. Ryke Hamer was 82 at the time, and his cause of death was an unforeseeable stroke.
Read More: Sigrid and Delia Hamer: Where Are Birgid Hamer’s Daughters Now?
