Berlin’s new cultural senator, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, is no stranger to the cultural administration, having previously served as the state’s cultural secretary and being well-acquainted with the city’s cultural landscape. The regent mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, introduced her at the Red Town Hall as the successor to Joe Chialo (both CDU), who resigned from the position just last Friday.
Wegner praised Wedl-Wilson’s understanding of the challenges facing Berlin’s culture, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the high quality of cultural institutions. His proposal received broad support within the CDU presidium.
Over the weekend, the German Cultural Council suggested that Wegner should take on the role himself, akin to former regent mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD). Wegner swiftly resolved the matter by appointing Wedl-Wilson.
A senator without a CDU membership
Unlike Chialo, Wedl-Wilson has not made public appearances with a metal band and is recognized as an accomplished violinist. Notably, she does not hold party membership, a significant departure from her predecessor.
Wegner acknowledged that Sarah Wedl-Wilson is not a member of the CDU, which he reiterated was not a factor in forming the Senate team; rather, he prioritized competence, which he believes she embodies.
An Austrian citizen
In addition to lacking a party membership, Wedl-Wilson, born in the UK in 1969 and raised there, does not possess German citizenship, an unusual situation for government officials. After Brexit, she acquired Austrian citizenship to remain a European citizen, as she explained.
At the time of her move to Berlin in 2019, where she served as the rector of the Hanns Eisler School of Music, she had not lived in Germany long enough to qualify for a German passport. Prior to that, she had spent several years in Austria working as a cultural manager. She joined the cultural administration when the black-red Senate commenced at the end of April 2023.
Wegner addressed concerns about the lack of a German passport, stating, „We reviewed it again.“ He confirmed that Wedl-Wilson meets all the requirements for a senator and will become a civil servant for life.
Familiar with cultural challenges
Wedl-Wilson is already familiar with many of the issues she will face in the cultural administration. She has regularly participated in meetings with representatives from theaters as part of the so-called cultural dialogue alongside Wegner.
Wegner initiated discussions following protests and distrust from the cultural scene due to the black-red austerity policies. The dialogue aims to secure and stabilize Berlin’s cultural landscape, Wedl-Wilson remarked.
Wegner praises her communication skills
Wegner expressed support for her, stating that the goal of the regent mayor and the Senate is to avoid closing any institutions. However, the new cultural senator must prepare for potential further cuts to the cultural budget due to tight finances.
Conversations surrounding these issues are expected to be challenging. Wegner believes that the experienced cultural manager is the right fit for this task, having quickly recognized that Wedl-Wilson enjoys a high level of trust among the city’s cultural creators. He noted, „She is someone who can communicate excellently. And that is exactly what is needed right now.“
Chialo cited austerity constraints in Berlin’s culture as one reason for his resignation. The Senate had approved significant cuts across the entire 2025 budget last year. A recurring criticism of the former cultural senator was that he did not advocate sufficiently for the interests of the sector during budget negotiations.
Chialo was also discussed as a potential successor to Claudia Roth (Greens) as federal minister for culture and media. However, the CDU announced earlier last week that the media entrepreneur Wolfram Weimer would take on that role. There are no known ambitions for similar positions from Wedl-Wilson.
Union calls for a fresh start in cultural policy
The Verdi union has called for a fresh start in cultural policy, warning that massive cuts in education and plans to outsource public Berlin stages could severely harm the city’s cultural landscape. „The new senator, Sarah Wedl-Wilson, must immediately halt the outsourcing plans for Berlin’s stages,“ they stated.
From the Green faction in the House of Representatives, there were calls for her to demonstrate assertiveness, noting, „The substantial cuts of recent months have hit our city’s culture hard.“