Remembering Bernie

The sudden passing of Bernhard, a colleague and friend has left us deeply shocked. At only 38 years old, he was taken far too soon, and it is difficult to find words that do justice to such a loss.
At work, Bernhard was someone everyone appreciated. He was genuinely friendly — the kind of person who made you feel at ease the moment he entered the room. And he had this wonderful sense of humor. His small jokes, sometimes subtle, sometimes perfectly timed, brightened many of our days. Those moments of laughter are something we will miss profoundly.
But what stood out even more was how much he loved his family. Whenever he spoke about Lauren and her artwork, you could hear the gratitude and affection in his voice. And when he talked about Luisa and Leonie, his whole face lit up. They were his greatest joy.
We know that the love he gave them — warm, deep, and full of kindness — will remain a part of their lives forever. And they will grow up surrounded by people who admired him and who will keep his memory alive.
As colleagues, we are grateful for the time we had with him. For his warmth, his humor, and the quiet strength he brought to every day. These are the things we will carry with us.
Bernhard, we will miss you — as a colleague, as a friend, and as the wonderful person you were.

Andreas and Team

Bernhard and I met almost exactly four years ago, when he tried to introduce me to the mysterious world of investment accounting. Back then, I didn’t understand a thing. Shortly after, our departments were merged, we shared an office, and over time we also worked very closely together.

Thanks to Bernhard’s openness, warmth, and genuine interest in people, we talked about so many things beyond work: holidays and holiday apartments in Portugal, Bitcoins, the global financial system, the German social system, Moose and his ear infections, his sister in Denmark, his brother being a pilot in Africa, and of course a lot about our children and wifes. Bernhard was our driving force at the Oktoberfest and the strong beer festival, and our invincible goalkeeper in the Allianz football tournament. With Bernhard, conversations were always humorous, light‑hearted, and often a bit self‑ironic.

He once told me that the mother of the South African president had been named after one of Bernhard's ancestors. I didn’t believe him at first and looked it up on Wikipedia – and indeed, Cyril Ramaphosa’s mother was named Erdmuth. This blend of knowledge, humor, and irony was so typical of Bernhard.

When we heard the tragic news at Allianz, everyone was shocked but so many Allianz colleagues shared similar anecdotes with me. It was incredibly comforting to see how many people at Allianz Bernhard had touched and how many of us – myself included – had built a personal bond with him. We will miss you so much Bernhard!

Bernie & the Briaas

Farewell my dearest old Berny.
Our last gathering, Boks did us proud that day!!
RIP my friend.

Bernie, I will miss you ????

Bernie, I will miss you ????

Liebe Lauren, Liebe Luisa, Liebe Leonie,

euer Ehemann und Papa war ein ganz besonderer Mensch. Ich hoffe, ihr werdet eines Tages in vielen Geschichten hören, wie sehr er gelacht hat - dieses ansteckende, warme Lachen, das einen ganzen Raum mitgerissen hat und heller machen konnte.

Ich durfte ihn als ausgeglichenen, humorvollen und unglaublich inspirierenden Menschen erleben. Er hatte diese ruhige Art, die Sicherheit gegeben hat und gleichzeitig eine Neugier auf die Welt, die einfach mitgerissen hat. Wenn er über Kryptowährungen oder neue Ideen sprach, funkelten seine Augen - seine Begeisterung war ehrlich und ansteckend. So sehr, dass man gar nicht schnell genug selbst mitmachen wollte.

Unvergessen bleiben für mich unsere gemeinsamen Erlebnisse in Portugal - der Töpferkurs und der Kochkurs. Wir lachen heute noch über unsere kleinen Kunstwerke. Mit Bernie wurde selbst das Unperfekte zu einer schönen Erinnerung.

Am meisten beeindruckt hat mich jedoch, wie liebevoll und selbstverständlich er euch begegnet ist. Mit Geduld, mit Stolz und mit ganz viel Herz. Er war präsent. Er war stolz auf euch. Und er hat euch von ganzem Herzen geliebt.

Und genauso sehr hat er eure Mama geliebt. Er hat sie bewundert, unterstützt und war ihr größter Fan - besonders wenn es um ihre künstlerische Leidenschaft ging. Diese Wertschätzung war etwas ganz Besonderes.

Ich bin unendlich dankbar, ihn gekannt zu haben. Er fehlt. Aber die Wärme, die er hinterlassen hat, bleibt.

Nicola

***

Dear Lauren, dear Luisa, dear Leonie,

your husband and dad was a truly special person. I hope that one day you will hear many stories about his laughter – that warm, contagious laugh that could light up an entire room.

I knew him as a calm, humorous, and deeply inspiring man. He had a quiet steadiness that made you feel safe, and at the same time a curiosity about the world that pulled you in. Whenever he spoke about cryptocurrency or new ideas, his eyes would light up – his enthusiasm was genuine and infectious.

I will always cherish our time in Portugal – the pottery class and the cooking course. We still smile about the little “masterpieces” we created. With Bernie, even imperfections turned into beautiful memories.

What touched me most was the natural love and ease with which he was with you. With patience, pride, and so much heart. He was present. He was proud of you. And he loved you deeply.

He loved your mom just as much. He admired her, supported her, and was her biggest fan – especially when it came to her artistic passion. That kind of appreciation was something truly special.

I am endlessly grateful to have known him. He is deeply missed. But the warmth he brought into this world remains.

Nicola