Tamal Kundu
Amazon Prime Video’s German period drama series ‘The Pimp No F**ing Fairytale’ or ‘Luden: Könige Der Reeperbahn’ is set in Hamburg, Germany, in the early 1980s and tells the story of an aspiring artist who becomes a notorious pimp and the head of the newly-formed Nutella gang. Portrayed by Stefan Konarske, Michael “Mischa” Luchting is an important supporting character in the show. He is also a pimp and one of the leaders of the well-established GMBH gang.
‘The Pimp No F**ing Fairytale’ is based on a true story, and there was a real Mischa in Hamburg in the 1980s. Born in a good family in Stuttgart in 1948, Mischa came to Hamburg through Bundeswehr. Within the GMBH hierarchy, he served as a Poussierer, recruiting women for the sex industry while pretending to be their lover. Mischa is a deeply flawed character and an antagonistic figure in the story. In the season finale, he is shown hanged in a forest. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Mischa’s Murder: Betrayal Within GMBH
As one of the leaders of the GMBH gang, along with Gerd Glissmann, Walter “Beatle” Vogeler, and Harry Voerthmann, Mischa is a powerful figure in the Reeperbahn entertainment district in the St. Pauli district in Hamburg. He virtually plays the same role for GMBH that Klaus Barkowksy (Aaron Hilmer) does for the Nutella gang — recruiting girls and serving as the brain of the operation.
Mischa seems to have a symbiotic relationship with the biggest shark in the pond, Wilfried “Frieda” Schulz, the owner of the Chikago club, who is widely regarded as the godfather of St. Pauli. Although the equilibrium of power in Reeperbahn shifts because of Klaus, Mischa initially isn’t bothered by it. In fact, he extends an olive branch to the rival group by offering them a floor in their building. However, Klaus sees through his plans and recognizes that if he accepts Mischa’s offer, he and his people will effectively become GMBH’s employees. He refuses, and the inevitable conflict between the two groups begins in earnest.
While this is happening at the forefront, Mischa encounters Bernd Kühne, one of the leaders of the Nutella gang, at a party dressed in drag. Bernd wants to transition from male to female and becomes involved with Klaus’ ambitious plan for this very reason. As Mischa and Bernd continue to meet, grow close, and have sex, the latter, being young, starts to think that there is something real between them. Bernd approaches Klaus with that belief and is immediately shut down.
Although the Nutella gang becomes the controlling group in Reeperbahn for a while, especially after Klaus orchestrates Schulz’s arrest, their inexperience eventually gets the better of them. Klaus loses their floor in a poker game to Mischa and later reaches out to the other man, asking for a truce. Klaus now has access to a cocaine supplier and convinces Mischa to make a deal with him.
However, what is supposed to be the first exchange of money and drug goes horribly. The girl designated by Klaus to do the deal is killed, and the money and cocaine are stolen. Soon after, Mischa is found hanging from a tree in a forest in Lüneburg Heath. Although Klaus seems to think Mischa is responsible for the disastrous exchange, the blame probably lies with the people who killed Mischa.
It is safe to assume that it isn’t a case of suicide, as the show doesn’t give any inclination that Mischa was thinking about taking his life. It isn’t any member of the Nutella gang, either. With those two options out of the way, the remaining suspects are Mischa’s fellow GMBH heads. It is heavily implied that the other three weren’t happy about how Mischa makes certain decisions. Beatle is agitated when Mischa bets their floor against Klaus in the poker game. Even though Mischa wins the game, it likely didn’t diminish all the frustrations.
Moreover, Beatle finds out about Mischa’s alternative lifestyle and confronts him about it. Given the profession of these people and the time period, Beatle is probably afraid of how people will react when they find out about this. The deal with the Nutella gang is likely the last straw. After that, Mischa’s partners presumably kill him, believing that his presence has become detrimental to their business.
Read More: Are Jutta and Andy Dead at the End of The Pimp No F**ing Fairytale?
