Theater meeting: Berlin is not Weimer culture

You have to give Wolfram Weimer one thing: he has managed to turn routine appearances at award ceremonies and festival openings into an exciting affair. If he comes, if he doesn’t come, there will be trouble, and if so: how embarrassing will it be? So the level doesn’t necessarily increase, but at least the tension curve increases. Such events are actually feel-good events at which the cultural sector celebrates itself and the federal cultural commissioner demonstrates the state’s goodwill. Weimer’s predecessor Claudia Roth (Greens) used such occasions for enthusiastic fight hugs and emotional tremolos. Her predecessor Monika Grütters (CDU) professionally delivered the usual mix of harmless commitment to culture, some humor and measured solemnity. Weimer has decided on a completely new interpretation of his representative role: he doesn’t come at all.

At the Federal Theater Prize, awarded and paid for by Weimer’s ministry and with a total prize money of 600,000 euros, no small feat, Weimer canceled his planned appearance two weeks ago a few hours before the event. He also did not appear at the opening of the Berlin Theatertreffen on Friday, organized by the Berlin Festival, which is directly subordinate to Weimer, neither as a speaker nor as a spectator interested in theatre. It would be an exaggeration to say that he would have been sorely missed. The gossip joke that he might have had better things to do at Tegernsee at the “Weimer Media Group” this weekend is certainly nothing but Berlin malice. But of course Weimer’s absence is a demonstrative gesture.