Schwierige Suche nach neuem Kultursenator in Berlin
Berlin's culture senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson resigned on Friday after a state audit found that her allocation of anti-Semitism prevention funds was unlawful. The CDU politician is being succeeded by former justice senator and Bundestag member Thomas Heilmann (CDU), who is reportedly the favorite for the post. Heilmann, 61, studied law, ran a successful advertising firm, and served as Berlin's justice senator from 2012 to 2016 before sitting in the Bundestag from 2017 to 2025. Governing Mayor Kai Wegner has not yet made a final decision, but transport senator Ute Bonde publicly endorsed Heilmann, citing his experience with Berlin's administration.
This matters because the appointment will shape Berlin's cultural policy at a critical time, following a controversy over funding allocation that raised questions about transparency and governance in the city's arts sector. The swift political maneuvering around the succession highlights the high stakes of cultural leadership in one of Europe's most vibrant art capitals. The article also briefly covers unrelated news: the U.S. Justice Department's aggressive push to resume construction of a ballroom at the White House, and the impact of war on Iranian sculptor Aref Montazeri's international career.