Visitors to a beach on the North Sea island of Spiekeroog may have been surprised at the sight of a formally dressed man sitting on a desk on the sand. Flanked by shelves and a filing cabinet, with a stack of papers flapping in the breeze, Albrecht Fersch set up an office each day that closely resembled that of a German public authority. After all, it was decked out with a hole puncher, pen holders, a typewriter and dozens of stamps. No wonder his desk also had a subtle sign saying “Employee of the Month.” But this is Spiekeroog, a German island popular among holidaymakers, where people splash…