Berlin State Opera Director Regrets Culture Senator's Resignation
Berlin culture senator resigns amid funding controversy before elections
BERLIN (dpa/bb) — Thomas Fehrle, director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, has expressed regret over the resignation of Berlin's culture senator, Sarah Wedl-Wilson.
"Personally, I feel very sorry for Sarah because she approached the role with real dedication and was—and still is—highly competent, which is far from a given in this field," he said Saturday in an interview with RBB's Abendschau program.
Fehrle also chairs the Berlin branch of the German Stage Association (Bühnenverein), whose members include the Berliner Ensemble, the Staatsballett Berlin, the Komische Oper, and the Friedrichstadt-Palast.
With just two months left before the Berlin House of Representatives' summer recess, Fehrle questioned whether it would be worth appointing a successor. "I'd assume the governing mayor will likely take on the role himself, supported by a state secretary—perhaps even strengthening oversight in this area that way," he said.
Wedl-Wilson, 56, an independent, stepped down Friday—five months before Berlin's state elections—following a report by the city's audit office that deemed funding for several antisemitism prevention projects unlawful. This marks the second time during his term that Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) must find a replacement for the position.
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