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“Klaus Dörr ends his work as director of the Volksbühne Berlin.” That was the headline of the press release sent out at 3 p.m., followed by 15 lines that were as clear as they were brief.

“As the director of the Volksbühne Berlin, I take full responsibility for the allegations made against me and give up my position in agreement with the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe.

I deeply regret if I have hurt employees with my behavior, words or looks.

I regret that I have not succeeded in creating an open and discrimination-sensitive atmosphere that recognizes problems in good time and enables employees to turn confidentially with their questions, complaints and criticism to the necessary and existing positions in the Volksbühne. "

This is actually largely tantamount to an admission of guilt, compared to the massive, albeit probably not justiciable, allegations that at least ten women working at the Volksbühne have made at the Themis trust agency against sexual harassment and violence since last November.

These, as well as other accusations from women with whom Klaus Dörr had previously worked as deputy director at the Berlin Maxi-Gorki-Theater and at the Stuttgart State Theater, were spread over two pages in the “taz” over the weekend.

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It was about physical closeness and touching, erotic remarks, lewd jokes, sexist slogans that are said to have emanated from Dörr, age discrimination, inappropriate SMS, taking photos under the skirt (upskirting), threatening gestures and verbal intimidation.

And since there was also the question of whether Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer could have known about it earlier and to what extent investigations had been delayed and postponed, everyone involved has now apparently reached a quick conclusion: Better the tried and tested end with horror than legal horror without It ends at the Volksbühne in Berlin, which has been in an inclined position for years anyway.

Lederer, who always insisted on the possibilities of the complaint, would otherwise have become implausible.

Pressure on Pollesch's successor grows

It was clear to Klaus Lederer as well as Dörr that this matter had to be settled quickly.

Which was not so difficult, since Klaus Dörr's three-year interim assistantship since 2018 as a savior in the Dercon emergency would have ended in the summer anyway.

Due to Covid reasons, the Volksbühne can currently only play very limited, open end.

Under such circumstances, the end of the season is not very far off.

The pressure that is on the first-time artistic director, director and playwright René Pollesch is, of course, all the greater.

Because he too is part of this transfigured, but past and therefore so heavy burdening Volksbühne legacy, from which he actually has to free himself, both in terms of content and organization.

In any case, he will start with a completely new line-up.

“For a short time I am still available to hand over projects and processes that have not yet been completed and I will end my work as artistic director of the Volksbühne on March 16.

Today, Senator for Culture Dr.

Klaus Lederer and I agreed.

I ask the media representatives to refrain from further inquiries. ”This is how briefly Klaus Dörr concludes his announcement of his resignation and leaves the stage battlefield as a beaten man.

Someone recognized the signs of the times.

Hopefully now the rest of the theatrical machos are tearing their behavioral straps.