Scientology documentary resurfaces, and it leads to a foreign exchange program!

[Rod Keller and Stacy Young, 1998]

We recently heard from Peter Reichelt, an Austrian journalist, and what an interesting name from Scientology journalism’s past.

In 1997, Peter wrote a book about artist Gottfried Helnwein (known mainly to American consumers for some of his images being used for iconic rock album covers), and confirming Helnwein’s deep involvement in Scientology. (Reichelt had worked as an advisor to Helnwein at one time.)

We found Peter’s book very helpful when, for example, we wrote a story for the Voice in 2011 about Melissa Paris, a Sea Org worker who had been, she said, forced to marry Helnwein’s son when she was only 16.

Peter reached out to us for some help tracking down some new information, and while he’s thinking about Scientology again he has been releasing some really interesting video footage to YouTube, including a dynamite 1998 documentary he made for German television that features Jesse Prince and Gerry Armstrong, as well as some pretty infamous aerial footage of Scientology’s secretive Gold Base, which had not really been exposed to that level before.

We noticed some oldtimers at Facebook really marveling at seeing the pristine copy of the documentary that Peter uploaded. And we think you’ll find various parts of it really interesting.

While Peter was looking for a little help on something, we told him we could also use a little help.

There have been some reports, we told him, that the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Munich had closed down. And we were wondering what that looked like, and if he could put us in touch with a journalist in Munich. He did us one better and went there himself to take a look. He sent us these images…

Peter says that the Celebrity Centre has been replaced by something called “Regium.”

“As I arrived I was asked by the concierge what I was looking for. I asked her about what happened to the Celebrity Centre. She told me that the Scientology CC moved out and closed on September 30. She knew them for years and they told her the reason of closing was lack of celebrities. She showed me the former office. On January 1 a new company moved into the renovated rooms, named ‘Regium.’ They did not know that a Scientology branch had be in those rooms for many years. They have nothing to do with Scientology.”

At his blog, Mike Rinder totaled up seven Celebrity Centres that have either closed or been combined with other orgs under David Miscavige.

“Miscavige has effectively destroyed the ‘CC Network’ much as he has done with the Mission Network….Scientology is shrinking at a faster rate than at any time in its history,” Mike says.

What a legacy, Dave.

And our thanks to Peter!

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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

Random Howdy: Your daily dose of the Captain

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