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Berndt Schmidt

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Berndt Schmidt (* 3 January 1964 in Bruchsal, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) is a German cultural manager und theatre director.

Biography[edit]

Dr. Berndt Schmidt

Schmidt studied economics und social science in Augsburg. In 1990, he began working at the University of Augsburg as a research assistant within the chair of business administration, specialising in corporate governance and organisation. He completed his doctorate in 1993 on the subject of Corporate management: an empirical study and was awarded the title of Dr. rer. pol.

After joining Bertelsmann AG in New York, he was appointed the commercial manager of a company subsidiary in Frankfurt am Main and the managing director of its overseas offices in New York and London. He went on to work in top-level management as an interim manager and cultural manager in the fields of film and game production as well as the music and publishing industries.

Since 1 November 2007, Berndt Schmidt has been the General Director and sole Managing Director of the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin[1] and the producer of countless hit shows. He successfully helped the Friedrichstadt-Palast to write black figures again and, in the 2009–2017 business years, generated the highest ticket revenue in the theatre's history.[2] [3]

From 2002 until 2004, he was employed at the Musiktheater Neuschwanstein in Füssen for the German musical Ludwig II: Longing for Paradise, most recently as general agent. In 2004, he joined Stage Entertainment Germany, initially working at the company headquarters in Hamburg, then as the regional manager for the Apollo and Palladium theatres in Stuttgart.[4]

From 2010 to 2014, Schmidt was a lecturer at the Free University of Berlin within the Department of Philosophy and Humanities. He is regularly invited to give lectures at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. [5] In 2011, he was asked to speak as part of the Chinese further training programme on "Theatre Management for Practitioners" at the Shanghai Theatre Academy organised in cooperation with Poly Culture & Arts Co. Ltd. (Beijing).

Political activities[edit]

As the General Director of the Friedrichstadt-Palast, Schmidt pursues three key objectives: to modernise the revue art form in the twenty-first century, to preserve the Palast as a historical structure, and to advocate a theatre for freedom and tolerance.[6]

His decision in 2014 to no longer invite ambassadors originating from countries where people are persecuted due to their sexual orientation to premieres at the Palast caused a sensation in Germany.[7] A spokesperson for the German government criticised the theatre's so-called "pink list" of 83 states.[8]

On Schmidt's initiative, a memorial was unveiled on 18 November 2015 commemorating the founders of the Friedrichstadt-Palast, Max Reinhardt, Hans Poelzig and Eric Charell, all of whom were later persecuted by the Nazi regime.[9] A permanent exhibition on the Palast's eventful past was set up in the theatre foyer in 2010. It features remnants of the Großes Schauspielhaus, found during excavation work for the new Yoox building – and saved literally at the last minute. They include parts of the stage machinery commissioned by Max Reinhardt. [10]

As the spokesperson for the jury in the competition to design a monument to the first homosexual rights movement in Berlin, Berndt Schmidt announced the winning design in November 2015.[11] Schmidt is also a member of the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism. [12]

With the 'Respect Each Other' initiative launched in August 2016, the Friedrichstadt-Palast takes a clear stand for diversity, freedom and democracy.[13] The 'KartenGegenTaten' campaign was initiated in June 2018 to offer free tickets to victims of verbal or physical abuse, hatred, racism, sexism, discrimination, homophobia or anti-Semitism.[14] [15]

Schmidt was the first general director of a state theatre (the Friedrichstadt-Palast is 100 per cent owned by the City of Berlin) to publicly distance himself in the national media from the views of the Alternative für Deutschland right-wing party following the 2017 German federal elections.[16] This prompted a national discussion in early October 2017 on how theatres can and should deal with racism and right-wing extremism.[17] Schmidt subsequently received hate mail and death threats.[18] Following a bomb scare shortly before the start of the evening performance on Saturday, 7 October 2017, the Friedrichstadt-Palast's 1,800 guests and almost 200 employees were temporarily evacuated from the premises until the security authorities were able to give the all-clear.[19] [20] In the wake of Schmidt's public statement, the AfD Berlin called for the funding for state theatres to be cut during the budget discussions of the Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs.[21] The funding was instead increased – with the agreement of all opposition parties except the AfD.[22]

Together with the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism and in the presence of Israel's ambassador to Germany, Jeremy Issacharoff, and Lala Süsskind, Schmidt hosted the first Hanukkah celebrations at the Friedrichstadt-Palast in December 2017. By celebrating the Jewish Festival of Lights on the biggest theatre stage in the Federal Republic of Germany, the Friedrichstadt-Palast strives to make a clear statement against anti-Semitism, which is once again on the rise in Germany. In 2018, Hanukkah will be celebrated on 10 December.[23]

Honours and awards[edit]

  • During the final gathering of the CSD Parade at the Brandenburg Gate in 2012, Schmidt was awarded the Berlin Pride Civil Courage Prize.
  • On 20 October 2014, Schmidt was conferred a Maneo Award by the Mann-O-Meter advice and information centre for gay and bisexual men at the Quatsch Comedy Club.[24]

References[edit]

  1. Eva Kalwa: Der Qi-Faktor. Der Tagesspiegel, 31 January 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  2. Rekorde im Friedrichstadt-Palast. Focus, 7 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  3. Grandiose Bilanz Friedrichstadt-Palast tanzt weiter auf Erfolgskurs Berliner Kurier, 8 January 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  4. Superillu, 17 October 2007: ‘'Ein Musical-Profi zieht die Strippen[dead link]
  5. Dozenten / Referenten der Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. Lecturers/guest speakers at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (in German). Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  6. Berlin findet den Palast wieder schick. Der Tagesspiegel, 8 January 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  7. Friedrichstadt-Palast setzt ein Zeichen gegen Homophobie. Berliner Revuetheater lädt Diplomaten aus homophob regierten Ländern aus Tagesspiegel, 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  8. Bundesregierung kritisiert Friedrichstadt-Palast. Bundesregierung kritisiert Friedrichstadt-Palast Berliner Zeitung, 30 July 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. Friedrichstadt-Palast: Erinnerung an die Gründerväter. Berliner Abendblatt, 1 December 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  10. Archived [Date missing] at t-online.de [Error: unknown archive URL] T-online.de, 6 November 2010. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  11. Siegerentwurf zum Denkmal für die erste homosexuelle Emanzipationsbewegung. Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg , 13 November 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  12. Supporters of the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism (in German), 20 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  13. Respect each other – Friedrichstadt-Palast Berlin setzt Zeichen Berliner Woche, 31 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  14. KartenGegenTaten Friedrichstadt-Palast, 8 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  15. Freikarten für Gewaltopfer Berliner Woche, 21 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  16. Intendant geht hart mit Ostdeutschen ins Gericht Spiegel Online, 4 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  17. Friedrichstadt-Palast-Intendant: Auch AfD-Wähler willkommen Berliner Morgenpost, 7 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  18. Nach Brandbrief gegen AfD Intendant des Friedrichstadt-Palastes bekommt Morddrohungen Berliner Zeitung, 7 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  19. Bombendrohung gegen den Friedrichstadt-Palast Der Tagesspiegel, 8 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  20. Berliner Intendant kritisiert AfD - Hassmails und Protest 3sat, 9 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  21. AfD will Mittel für Friedrichstadt-Palast kürzen Süddeutsche Zeitung, 9 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  22. Kulturausschuss beschließt höhere Zuschüsse Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, 9 October 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  23. Diese Zeiten brauchen Licht Jüdische Allgemeine, 14 December 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  24. [1]. Preise für Corny Littmann und den Friedrichstadt-Palast Mann-O-Meter, 3 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.

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