Hammerstein, 67, who ran his clinic from Herengracht, had always been involved in politics. He was regularly angry about bullying in the street and shared his dissatisfaction with it on social media. At the end of last year he threatened to sue the municipality if the garbage in the Golden Bend in the Amsterdam canal belt was not cleaned better. A “clean and livable city” will be an important topic for the politician nominee Hammerstein.
At the beginning of this year, the experienced criminal lawyer – who was a close friend of Pim Fortuyn and was a member of the LPF – was de-registered from the bar after forty years and announced in De Telegraaf that he planned to emigrate. “Just write that I’m moving to New York,” said Hammerstein, who wanted to leave as soon as the coronavirus pandemic allowed.
A life full of events
The famous Amsterdammer lived several “decisive moments in life”. In 1988, Hammerstein was told he had HIV. Six years later, Hammerstein was arrested on suspicion of money laundering. The former lawyer was imprisoned for six weeks, but was fully acquitted. The attorney general that Hammerstein suspected at the time was former VVD Minister of State for Security and Justice Fred Teffen.
Hammerstein is sixth on the list of Amsterdam VVD, which is headed by Claire Martins. Number two is Kune Burgers, now a member of the Zuid District Committee. In third place is policy official Myron von Gerhardt. During the member consultations from November 22 to November 29, the list of City Council candidates will be finalized by the members. The party now has six seats on the council.
