Yannick Nils Linke
Yannick Nils Linke
Friday, August 13, 2010
Age: 22
Location:
Turk and Masonic
San Francisco , CA
United States
Yannick Nils Linke was visiting San Francisco from Vienna, Austria when he was killed on his bike.He was a native of Berlin, Germany.
from this memorial page:
Sophia Linke’s remembrance of her brother:
“Dear people from San Francisco, dear bicylists, dear friends,
I am very happy to hear you are participating in the memorial vigil
tonight. Until today I did not really understand that my brother Yannick
actually died. Maybe the shock is too big – maybe all the organizing
distracts me too much… But I simply cannot imagine a future without him,
so that’s maybe why I’m also not trying to. But I’m sure – sooner or
later I have to.
Simply put: Yannick was a happy person. He had bright blue eyes and a
big smile that could lighten the tension or lift the sadness from a
room. Being his older sister, I can certainly recall arguments and
fights during our childhood, but he never held grudges, never held on to
anger, and all misgivings were soon forgotten. He liked to joke around
but took things serious when it had to be, he was a reliable person who
would be there to help someone who needed it. He was also a person that
stayed in contact with his friends all over the world. While there were
extended periods his friends and family would go without seeing him, he
always managed to send e-mails, call or just leave a message on your
facebook wall; He was always a part of our lives even while away on his
travels.
Yannick grew up in Berlin, loved it, and knew it by heart. Despite
his love of his home, his interest in travel was never-ending and though
he only reached 22, he had already lived in two countries, and visited a
number of others. At age 15 during secondary school he studied abroad
in Switzerland for an entire year. He enjoyed Switzerland so much that
he returned every summer for the past six years as a staff member for
the Montreux Jazz festival. He spoke fluent French and English, and this
(French) not only allowed him the job at the festival, but his
knowledge of English, as well as his love of languages allowed him to
reach out to all different people from all different parts of the world,
which is exactly what he did. Upon finishing secondary school in
Germany he embarked on a half year journey that would take him from the
salt flats of Bolivia, to the carnival in Buenos Aires, to the unscathed
beauty of South American better known as Patagonia. The trip continued
to New Jersey to visit a friend, then to Portland, Oregon, and finally
back home. When he came back to Germany he decided to move to Vienna and
study there.
Memorial on August 25 - Photo: Wm Kirk Moore c 2010 www.kirkmoore.com
I went to visit him there this Easter and we had a wonderful time. It
was nice to hike in the vineyards close to the city and he showed me
the city like a professional tour guide. (What other places would
Yannick have discovered had he stayed with us?)
While remaining stationary, a big hobby of his was sports. He stayed
active both in Berlin and Vienna playing for local handball teams. When
matches were on TV he would inch closer to the television set like a
five-year-old boy. He truly loved the competitive aspect of sports, and
the best that it can bring in an individual. During the Olympics, he
would devote time to almost all the events and I often found it funny
how excited he could get over an event you might not have even known he
would care about. (His last post on facebook noted he had just learned
how to play American handball during his stay in New York.)
While he loved to play sports, he never would be confused for a
sports-nut, as his real passion was clearly and proudly music. He loved
to listen to Jazz. I remember when he was a small boy (maybe 10 years
old or younger) my parents went to a Jazz concert with us for his
birthday. I found it really boring but remember that he loved it! Even
as a child. But he was an open person and also listened to any other
kind of music. Whenever I saw him, he gave me a CD with the newest songs
he just got and sometimes he just send me one or two songs via skype
because he thought I should listen to them.
When he was in Berlin it was always a guarantee that we will see each
other. He cared for his family, his dad, mum and younger sister Merrit,
who is 17 years old now. Well, I will be with you tonight and I hope
that Yannick is with us too. I would like to quote him by saying: “We
are stardust, billion year old carbon.”
According to StreetsBlog, San Francisco:
Linke was born and raised in Berlin and had been attending school in
Vienna, where he was studying anthropology, according to his sister,
Sophia Linke, 29. "He took his studies very seriously," she said,
describing her only brother as a social, cheerful person who always had a
smile.
"He was very friendly. He enjoyed food, he enjoyed life, and he was
really, really, really happy when he died," said Linke, who spoke with
Yannick the Sunday before his birthday while he was visiting New York
and could feel the enthusiasm in his voice.
"He told us how nice New York was and he loved traveling," said
Linke. Yannick, who also leaves behind his mother, father and a
17-year-old sister, made friends very quickly, she said, and had
numerous friends from his travels all over the world. He traveled
extensively around Europe and Latin America, but it was his first trip
to San Francisco.
"He told me he was really excited and afterward he wanted to go to
Las Vegas and then back to New York. He was actually going to travel for
another month, also in the U.S., and then come back to Germany."
Linke said Yannick preferred to find more secluded outdoor spots
when he traveled, instead of always going to big cities. "He loved
hiking and things like this. Being outside in nature."
He was also a lover of music. Linke said he designed and crafted
guitars and attended a number of jazz festivals. "Music was one of the
most important things in his life, and especially jazz music. And
especially his guitars. He was really, almost professional," she said.
Yannick's vibrant life ended 10 days ago when he was cycling down
Masonic Avenue and hit from behind by a 1989 Mercedes-Benz allegedly
being driven by 36-year-old Joshua Calder, an Oakland man who admitted
to police that he had been drinking. Calder made an appearance in court Friday where he plead not guilty to numerous charges, including vehicular manslaughter.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Age: 22
Location:
Turk and Masonic
San Francisco , CA
United States
Yannick Nils Linke was visiting San Francisco from Vienna, Austria when he was killed on his bike.He was a native of Berlin, Germany.
from this memorial page:
Sophia Linke’s remembrance of her brother:
“Dear people from San Francisco, dear bicylists, dear friends,
I am very happy to hear you are participating in the memorial vigil
tonight. Until today I did not really understand that my brother Yannick
actually died. Maybe the shock is too big – maybe all the organizing
distracts me too much… But I simply cannot imagine a future without him,
so that’s maybe why I’m also not trying to. But I’m sure – sooner or
later I have to.
Simply put: Yannick was a happy person. He had bright blue eyes and a
big smile that could lighten the tension or lift the sadness from a
room. Being his older sister, I can certainly recall arguments and
fights during our childhood, but he never held grudges, never held on to
anger, and all misgivings were soon forgotten. He liked to joke around
but took things serious when it had to be, he was a reliable person who
would be there to help someone who needed it. He was also a person that
stayed in contact with his friends all over the world. While there were
extended periods his friends and family would go without seeing him, he
always managed to send e-mails, call or just leave a message on your
facebook wall; He was always a part of our lives even while away on his
travels.
Yannick grew up in Berlin, loved it, and knew it by heart. Despite
his love of his home, his interest in travel was never-ending and though
he only reached 22, he had already lived in two countries, and visited a
number of others. At age 15 during secondary school he studied abroad
in Switzerland for an entire year. He enjoyed Switzerland so much that
he returned every summer for the past six years as a staff member for
the Montreux Jazz festival. He spoke fluent French and English, and this
(French) not only allowed him the job at the festival, but his
knowledge of English, as well as his love of languages allowed him to
reach out to all different people from all different parts of the world,
which is exactly what he did. Upon finishing secondary school in
Germany he embarked on a half year journey that would take him from the
salt flats of Bolivia, to the carnival in Buenos Aires, to the unscathed
beauty of South American better known as Patagonia. The trip continued
to New Jersey to visit a friend, then to Portland, Oregon, and finally
back home. When he came back to Germany he decided to move to Vienna and
study there.
Memorial on August 25 - Photo: Wm Kirk Moore c 2010 www.kirkmoore.com
I went to visit him there this Easter and we had a wonderful time. It
was nice to hike in the vineyards close to the city and he showed me
the city like a professional tour guide. (What other places would
Yannick have discovered had he stayed with us?)
While remaining stationary, a big hobby of his was sports. He stayed
active both in Berlin and Vienna playing for local handball teams. When
matches were on TV he would inch closer to the television set like a
five-year-old boy. He truly loved the competitive aspect of sports, and
the best that it can bring in an individual. During the Olympics, he
would devote time to almost all the events and I often found it funny
how excited he could get over an event you might not have even known he
would care about. (His last post on facebook noted he had just learned
how to play American handball during his stay in New York.)
While he loved to play sports, he never would be confused for a
sports-nut, as his real passion was clearly and proudly music. He loved
to listen to Jazz. I remember when he was a small boy (maybe 10 years
old or younger) my parents went to a Jazz concert with us for his
birthday. I found it really boring but remember that he loved it! Even
as a child. But he was an open person and also listened to any other
kind of music. Whenever I saw him, he gave me a CD with the newest songs
he just got and sometimes he just send me one or two songs via skype
because he thought I should listen to them.
When he was in Berlin it was always a guarantee that we will see each
other. He cared for his family, his dad, mum and younger sister Merrit,
who is 17 years old now. Well, I will be with you tonight and I hope
that Yannick is with us too. I would like to quote him by saying: “We
are stardust, billion year old carbon.”
According to StreetsBlog, San Francisco:
Linke was born and raised in Berlin and had been attending school in
Vienna, where he was studying anthropology, according to his sister,
Sophia Linke, 29. "He took his studies very seriously," she said,
describing her only brother as a social, cheerful person who always had a
smile.
"He was very friendly. He enjoyed food, he enjoyed life, and he was
really, really, really happy when he died," said Linke, who spoke with
Yannick the Sunday before his birthday while he was visiting New York
and could feel the enthusiasm in his voice.
"He told us how nice New York was and he loved traveling," said
Linke. Yannick, who also leaves behind his mother, father and a
17-year-old sister, made friends very quickly, she said, and had
numerous friends from his travels all over the world. He traveled
extensively around Europe and Latin America, but it was his first trip
to San Francisco.
"He told me he was really excited and afterward he wanted to go to
Las Vegas and then back to New York. He was actually going to travel for
another month, also in the U.S., and then come back to Germany."
Linke said Yannick preferred to find more secluded outdoor spots
when he traveled, instead of always going to big cities. "He loved
hiking and things like this. Being outside in nature."
He was also a lover of music. Linke said he designed and crafted
guitars and attended a number of jazz festivals. "Music was one of the
most important things in his life, and especially jazz music. And
especially his guitars. He was really, almost professional," she said.
Yannick's vibrant life ended 10 days ago when he was cycling down
Masonic Avenue and hit from behind by a 1989 Mercedes-Benz allegedly
being driven by 36-year-old Joshua Calder, an Oakland man who admitted
to police that he had been drinking. Calder made an appearance in court Friday where he plead not guilty to numerous charges, including vehicular manslaughter.