Suicides of famous chefs of the past: François Vatel, James Hemings, and Clemens Wilmenrod

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of life, professional activity and reasons for suicide of such famous chefs as François Vatel (1631–1671), James Hemings (1765–1801) and Clemens Wilmenrod (1906–1967). It has been established that the Frenchman François Vatel committed suicide due to the fear of personal failure. According to Xavier Briffault and Margot Morgiève, his impulsive act can now be explained within the framework of suicidality, when it comes to perfectionism, burnout, insomnia, exhaustion, stress, shame, humiliation and lack of social support, depression, etc. François Vatel is remembered as an outstanding organizer of exceptional banquets linked to the history of France, although hereafter chefs have been reproaching him for losing control of himself and not being able to resist urgency. There is no reliable information about the causes of the tragic end of one of the creators of modern American cuisine, James Hemings, who received a culinary education in France. German television chef Clemens Wilmenrod, whose cookery programme “Bitte, in zehn Minuten zu Tisch” was wildly popular in the 1950s and 1960s, died after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. There was no suicide note. Clemens Wilmenrod was known as “Don Clemente”. He took into account the shortage of post-war products, used canned vegetables, instant sauces, and ketchup. His recipes reflected the desire of the Germans of that time to see the world and exotic countries. He accompanied his recipes with Munchausen-style invented stories and was remembered by the whimsical names of the dishes. Suicides have always been a difficult issue in the field of health care. Today, technology provides great opportunities for mental health intervention, enabling, among other things, real-time proactive actions for suicide prevention. Improving risk assessment, for example through computer-based testing and genetic screening, is at the centre of ongoing research. Perhaps, thanks to modern medicine and technology, these chefs could have avoided suicide.