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{{Short description|German man}}
{{current}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Andreas Grassl
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|10|25}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| nationality = German
| occupation =
| known_for = Mute and distressed man found on English beach
| parents =
| website =
}}


'''Andreas Grassl''' (born 25 October 1984) is a German man found in England in April 2005, who remained unidentified for a long time due to his refusal to speak, communicating instead through drawing and playing the ]. The story drew media attention, with Grassl being dubbed the "'''Piano Man'''" until he revealed his identity four months after his appearance.
]


== Return to Germany ==
The '''Piano Man''' is an unidentified man who seems to suffer from some form of ] and, while he does not speak, can express himself through playing the ].
The ''Mirror'' article said that the Piano Man had told the medical staff that he was a ] German man, who had come to Britain on a ] train after losing his job in Paris. According to the newspaper's source, the man said that he had been planning to commit suicide when he was discovered on the beach in Sheerness, that he did not talk to the police due to his distressed state, and that he then continued to act mute. The unnamed source also suggested that the Piano Man used to work with the mentally ill, and thus was able to mimic their behaviour, thereby fooling the hospital staff. According to the ]s, he has been flown back to Germany where his father (a farmer) and his two sisters live.<ref>{{cite web|first=Stephen |last=Moyes |author2=Kaila, Jon |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15882241&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=piano-man-sham--name_page.html |title=Exclusive: Piano Man Sham |publisher=The Daily Mirror |date=2005-08-22 |accessdate=2010-07-12}}</ref>


Later the same day the ] reported that the ] had confirmed that the man was a 20-year-old ]n who had flown home on 20 August. The German embassy in London confirmed that they had been contacted by the Little Brook Hospital, confirmed the man's identity and provided him with replacement travel documents.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/4172662.stm |title='Piano Man' flies back to Germany |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-08-22 |accessdate=2010-07-12}}</ref>
The man has not spoken since he was picked up by ] as he was wandering the streets in ], ], in ], in a soaking wet suit and tie on ], ]. He is believed to be between his late 20s or early 30s.


Following the media reports, the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust issued a statement stating that the man was no longer in the care of the trust, that he had been "discharged from care following a marked improvement in his condition", and that their "involvement with this man has now ceased and will not be resuming at any stage". The statement also expressed that no further information was to be released.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051101134023/http://www.kentandmedway.nhs.uk/whats_new/piano_man/statement_eleven.asp|date=November 1, 2005}}</ref>
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In a follow-up to the story on 24 August, the ''Daily Mirror'' named the man as Andreas Grassl and published an interview with his parents, farmers in ], a village belonging to ] in the ] district of the ] in eastern ].<ref>{{cite news|author=Jeremy Armstrong |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15889182%26method=full%26siteid=94762%26headline=exclusive%2d%2dpiano%2dman%2ds%2ddad%2dtells%2dof%2dhis%2dson%2ds%2dmissing%2d4%2dmonths-name_page.html |title=Exclusive: Piano Man's Dad Tells of His Son's missing 4 Months |work=Daily Mirror |date=2005-08-24 |accessdate=2010-07-12}}</ref> According to the interview, their son had upon his return told them that he had "no idea what happened to me. I just suddenly woke up and realised who I was." Grassl's father expressed anger with some allegations made in the original ''Mirror'' article, in particular the suggestions that his son's behaviour during treatment was not genuine. "I know he would never make something like this up," the father said. He denied that his son was gay, and told the newspaper that his son in fact was an accomplished piano player, albeit not to a professional standard. Grassl's lawyer said he might have experienced a ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4182926.stm |title='Piano Man psychotic' says lawyer |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-08-25 |accessdate=2010-07-12}}</ref>
When he was presented a pen and paper by ] Maritime Hospital staff in the hope he would write his name, he instead drew a detailed sketch of a ]. When they first brought him to a piano, he played music from various kinds of genres (ranging from ] by ] to ] by ]) non-stop for two hours, and then collapsed.


Friends of Grassl told '']'' that he had spent hours in internet ]s, where he was known as "Scatman", and that he was a ] for a local newspaper, writing about ].<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060105070031/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C2-1748128%2C00.html|date=January 5, 2006}}</ref>
]


In October 2014, ] announced that they were writing a play based on the theories and events at the ] in London.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=2014-10-24 |title=Piano man story to be told by London theatre company, 10 years on |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/oct/24/piano-man-play-allthepigs-theatre-company |access-date=2024-01-30 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
=== Tracing the Piano Man ===


==References==
He is currently in a secure mental health unit in north Kent while he is being treated and evaluated. ]s have been brought in, to see if the man was from Eastern Europe, but to no avail. ]s around Europe have been contacted in a bid to trace his identity.
{{reflist}}


⚫ ==External links==
The ] ] and Social Care ], and the local police constabulary have received what they described as an "overwhelming" public response, receiving over 800 calls on a dedicated helpline.


===News reports prior to identification===
His picture was posted on the National Missing Persons Helpline's (NMPH). On ], 2005, a ] man working as a ] in ], ] approached Italian police officers, believing the Piano Man as a ] street musician called Steven Villa Masson. However, the British newspaper, ], tracked down Masson to his home in France, thus ruling out this lead.
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===News reports following identification===
Italian television stations have shown footage of a ] with a resemblance to the Piano Man&mdash;the pictures were filmed at an instrument fair in ] five years ago, and although his hair is different, his nose and facial structure is very similar. He also stayed silent. British ] have also suggested a link to a man last seen in ] two years ago.
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BBC News reported on 29 May 2005 that a ] man called Klaudius Kryspin had rung the helpline, offering information that the Piano Man may be a pianist called Tomas Strnad, who along with Mr Kryspin was in the band Ropotamo. Despite not having seen him for nine years, Mr Kryspin was quoted as saying "When I saw the picture in the newspapers, I knew it was Tomas". Even though the West Kent NHS Trust described this as a "promising lead" and reportedly planned to bring in a Czech interpreter, this theory (like the theory that it was Steven Villa Masson, above) was dashed when Tomas Strnad was found and interviewed on Czech TV. The article reporting this gave the name of the drummer as Michael Kocab, however.
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On June 3, 2005, Dateline NBC, the network's investigative news magazine, featured the story of the piano man as it's top story.
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=== Parallels ===
{{Wikinews|"Do you know this pianist?" asks helpline}}
Parallels have been drawn between the case of the Piano Man and the ]n ] ], who suffered a ] brought on by mental illness. Helfgott's story was depicted in the movie '']''.

⚫ ==External links==


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Latest revision as of 02:49, 7 November 2024

German man

Andreas Grassl
Born (1984-10-25) October 25, 1984 (age 40)
NationalityGerman
Known forMute and distressed man found on English beach

Andreas Grassl (born 25 October 1984) is a German man found in England in April 2005, who remained unidentified for a long time due to his refusal to speak, communicating instead through drawing and playing the piano. The story drew media attention, with Grassl being dubbed the "Piano Man" until he revealed his identity four months after his appearance.

Return to Germany

The Mirror article said that the Piano Man had told the medical staff that he was a gay German man, who had come to Britain on a Eurostar train after losing his job in Paris. According to the newspaper's source, the man said that he had been planning to commit suicide when he was discovered on the beach in Sheerness, that he did not talk to the police due to his distressed state, and that he then continued to act mute. The unnamed source also suggested that the Piano Man used to work with the mentally ill, and thus was able to mimic their behaviour, thereby fooling the hospital staff. According to the tabloids, he has been flown back to Germany where his father (a farmer) and his two sisters live.

Later the same day the BBC reported that the German foreign ministry had confirmed that the man was a 20-year-old Bavarian who had flown home on 20 August. The German embassy in London confirmed that they had been contacted by the Little Brook Hospital, confirmed the man's identity and provided him with replacement travel documents.

Following the media reports, the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust issued a statement stating that the man was no longer in the care of the trust, that he had been "discharged from care following a marked improvement in his condition", and that their "involvement with this man has now ceased and will not be resuming at any stage". The statement also expressed that no further information was to be released.

In a follow-up to the story on 24 August, the Daily Mirror named the man as Andreas Grassl and published an interview with his parents, farmers in Prosdorf, a village belonging to Waldmünchen in the Cham district of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria. According to the interview, their son had upon his return told them that he had "no idea what happened to me. I just suddenly woke up and realised who I was." Grassl's father expressed anger with some allegations made in the original Mirror article, in particular the suggestions that his son's behaviour during treatment was not genuine. "I know he would never make something like this up," the father said. He denied that his son was gay, and told the newspaper that his son in fact was an accomplished piano player, albeit not to a professional standard. Grassl's lawyer said he might have experienced a psychotic episode.

Friends of Grassl told The Times that he had spent hours in internet chat rooms, where he was known as "Scatman", and that he was a columnist for a local newspaper, writing about pop music.

In October 2014, AllthePigs Theatre Company announced that they were writing a play based on the theories and events at the New Diorama in London.

References

  1. Moyes, Stephen; Kaila, Jon (22 August 2005). "Exclusive: Piano Man Sham". The Daily Mirror. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  2. "'Piano Man' flies back to Germany". BBC News. 22 August 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  3. Statement eleven: Update on piano man Archived November 1, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Jeremy Armstrong (24 August 2005). "Exclusive: Piano Man's Dad Tells of His Son's missing 4 Months". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  5. "'Piano Man psychotic' says lawyer". BBC News. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 12 July 2010.
  6. Piano man's family unaware of drama Archived January 5, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Morris, Steven (24 October 2014). "Piano man story to be told by London theatre company, 10 years on". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 January 2024.

External links

News reports prior to identification

News reports following identification

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