Before the Semper Opera Ball there was a scandal about an award ceremony. After Judith Rakers, Mareile Höppner also waved away. Then Peter Maffay intervenes.
- A controversial award causes a stir and criticism at the Semper Opera Ball.
- The moderators Judith Rakers and Roland Kaiser threaten “consequences”.
- Mareile Höppner should step in as a replacement - but she also canceled.
Update of February 4, 2020: After the harsh criticism, those responsible at the Semperopernball Club are taking consequences: the controversial awarding of the St. George's Order to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has now been reversed. The award will be revoked, ball manager Hans-Joachim Frey decided after a meeting with rock singer Peter Maffay on Tuesday, said press spokesman Holger Zastrow. "Saechsische.de" reported about this first. Maffay, who is booked for the midnight act at the ball, has insisted on the withdrawal. Zastrow did not provide information on how this should be done.
The honor of Al-Sisi, who came to power after a military coup and is cracking down on critics and opposition figures as "hope bearers and encouragers of an entire continent", "bridge builder and peacemaker" a week ago in Cairo had sparked outrage and protest.
The "Tagesschau" spokeswoman Judith Rakers , who was engaged as a co-moderator , canceled, as did Mareile Höppner , who was named for her. Pop singer Roland Kaiser also distanced himself, but decided after the excuse from Frey to lead through the evening.
After the award winner and SAP founder Dietmar Hopp and football manager Uli Hoeneß refused to give the speech, the ball club had declared that this time there would be no further honors and that the awarding of the order would be completely dispensed with.
Vortex around Semper Opera Ball: Mareile Höppner also canceled moderation - "We are shocked by ..."
Update of February 1, 2020, 7:06 p.m .: After the retreat from Mareile Höppner , the organizers of the Semperoper ball react. Ball Club boss Hans-Joachim Frey said: "We are shocked by the agitation and hatred that Mareile Höppner suddenly encountered in the past two days." That she was exposed to such hostility "was beyond our imagination and horrified us deeply". It is seen with great concern "how a few face the Semperoper ball with complete relentlessness and unforgiveness and thereby avoid any means, not even personal threats".
Cancellation follows cancellation: Mareile Höppner (right) will not take on the role of moderator from Judith Rakers.
© dpa / Gerald Mat zka, dpa / Soeren Stache
Update from February 1, 5:42 pm: After Judith Rakers , Mareile Höppner also canceled the moderation of the Semperoper ball in Dresden. The reason was an unbearable "degree of hate to threats", she told the MDR , as the station announced. "We at MDR are shocked by the extent of the brutalization," it said.
The broadcaster also said: "We do not allow individual radical voices on the net to influence our work." Therefore, despite the controversial award ceremony, the broadcaster wanted to broadcast the Semper Opera Ball on February 7th. However, a future TV broadcast should then be “critically examined internally”.
At first, neither the organizer nor the MDR could be reached for information about who would now take over Höppner's moderation. According to its own statements, the broadcaster Höppner has offered legal support in dealing with hate and baiting on the Internet.
“I have now become the victim and target of the worst hatred and hostility . Even in front of my child, we didn't stop there, ”Höppner wrote on Instagram on Saturday. She hoped "after all the scandals and the very justified criticism of the selection of a prize winner" to be able to design a Semper Opera ball in the sense of "our good democratic values". “I wish my colleague Roland Kaiser a lot of strength for this evening. I expect the person responsible for the ball to finally set new standards. "
Dietmar Hopp and Uli Hoeneß also refused to participate, as reported by heidelberg24.de *.
Check out this post on Instagram
I was asked to take over the Semper Opera Ball. In a very difficult phase. It should be an evening for Dresden. For the city and the people. That mean so much to me. Now more than ever. After all the scandals and the very justified criticism of the selection of a prize winner, I was hoping that I could design this evening for a new sign, for an evening in the spirit of our good democratic values. Instead, some reactions have crossed every border: I have now become the victim and target of the worst hatred and hostility. Even my child was not stopped. Therefore I withdraw from the planned moderation of the ball. I wish my colleague Roland Kaiser a lot of strength for this evening. I expect the person in charge of the ball to finally set new standards.
A post shared by Mareile Höppner (@mareilehoeppner_official) on Feb 1, 2020 at 8:11 am PST
Update from January 31, 1:42 pm: Now it's official: After “Tagesschau” spokeswoman Judith Rakers canceled the moderation, Mareile Höppner is now taking over the job during the Semperoper ball on February 7 in Dresden. "She is a wonderful host for the anniversary ball and we are very much looking forward to working together again," Ballverein boss Hans-Joachim Frey said on Thursday.
Judith Rakers speaks of "consequences"
© dpa / Ingo Wagner
Mareile Höppner takes over the moderation of the Dresden Semper Opera Ball for Judith Rakers
Höppner had already moderated the ball alongside designer Guido Maria Kretschmer in 2016. “There was a lot of hustle and bustle around the opera ball this year. All of them learned their lessons from it, showed their attitude and that was important, ”Mareile Höppner told dpa.
“In the end, this ball is an evening for the Dresdeners . And I know how much this ball means to people. So I like to play the fire brigade with all my heart and I am honored to moderate the ball for the second time, ”said Höppner.
Scandal in Dresden: moderator Judith Rakers draws consequences
First announcement from January 29, 2 p.m .: Dresden - "Fairytale-like rushing - Dresden jubilated" was the motto of the anniversary ball and the program should also appear like a fairytale, "is how the MDR describes the 15th Semper Opera Ball taking place on February 7th .
Anything but "fairytale rushing" is the huge annoyance that is currently taking place. In the main roles: moderator Judith Rakers, ball manager Prof. Hans-Joachim Frey and the Egyptian ruler Abdel Fattah al-Sisi .
Semper Opera Ball: Judith Rakers speaks of "consequences" - event on the verge?
On Sunday, head of ball Prof. Hans-Joachim Frey awarded the Egyptian ruler Abdel Farrah al-Sisi in Cairo the St. George's Order - an order for humanitarian engagement. A controversial decision, because according to the human rights organization "Amnesty International" there are around 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. And a decision that this year's presenter Judith Rakers apparently did not want to accept.
On Tuesday, the moderator publicly threatened to withdraw via Twitter : "I am very irritated by the award and I have been in discussions since then about the consequences that I, as the ball's moderator, would like to draw." Sisi has become political, said Rakers in her statement.
Co-moderator Roland Kaiser also commented on Facebook and wrote that he was in discussions about the consequences that he would probably also take.
The cultural event #Semperopernball has become a political one by awarding the Order of St. George to al-Sisi. I am very irritated by this award and since then I have been talking about the consequences that I would like to take as the moderator of the ball.
- Judith Rakers (@JudithRakers) January 28, 2020Judith Rakers: Huge trouble with medal award in Dresden - Ball boss reacts
Meanwhile, head of ball Prof. Hans-Joachim Frey has spoken in an official statement . Accordingly, the Semper Opera Ball eV takes the criticism very seriously . “We are aware of the irritation that has arisen and we deeply regret it. We would like to apologize for this award ceremony and distance ourselves from it. The award was a mistake, ”continued Frey.
There is no doubt that the event stands for cultural diversity and freedom of expression and the press . Furthermore, the aim was to make it clear that the award ceremony could not be seen either in words or in pictures on the program or on television.
So far it is unclear whether Al-Sisi has to return his medal. Judith Rakers and Roland Kaiser have also not spoken so far.
Most recently, the ARD Tagesschau spokeswoman surprised her fans. The moderator showed unusually naturally.
* heidelberg24.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Sebastian Willnow