Cornelia Seibeld Criticized for Holocaust Speech
A speech intended to honor Holocaust victims recently ignited political controversy in Germany. On January 27, Cornelia Seibeld, President of the Berlin House of Representatives (CDU), addressed the assembly to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Instead of focusing solely on historical remembrance, she emphasized what she sees as a failure of Berlin’s academic institutions to address antisemitism on their campuses adequately.
Seibeld’s remarks, particularly her criticism of universities in Berlin, including the Free University (FU), Technical University (TU), and Alice Salomon University, sparked strong reactions from members of the SPD, Green Party, and the Left. Recent media reports indicate that SPD politician Matthias Schulz described Seibeld’s comments as “inappropriate” for the occasion. Laura Neugebauer from the Green Party called them “cheap and undignified.” SPD member Maja Lasić even left the plenary hall in protest.
Critics of Seibeld argue that Holocaust remembrance ceremonies should focus exclusively on historical reflection and that addressing contemporary political issues during such events is inappropriate. However, others, including leaders of Berlin’s Jewish community, view her intervention as necessary and timely.
Sigmount Königsberg, Antisemitism Commissioner for the Jewish Community of Berlin, defended Seibeld’s remarks, asserting that Holocaust memorial speeches should reflect on the past while also confronting present-day antisemitism.
“Universities were not safe for Jews before 1933; that they are not now is extraordinarily disturbing,” he said. Königsberg spoke of a growing number of antisemitic incidents on campuses in Germany, particularly in the wake of October 7, and castigated university administrations for doing too little to safeguard their Jewish students.
Recent reports bear Königsberg out. In the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack, antisemitic incidents in the city rose sharply, according to the Research and Information Center on Antisemitism Berlin, known as RIAS. Jewish students complained of increased hostility, threats, and harassment.
The backlash against Seibeld’s speech highlights a larger issue in Germany: a growing divide over how to address antisemitism. While the German government officially maintains a strong stance against antisemitism, reactions from certain political factions indicate discomfort in addressing antisemitism from sources beyond far-right extremism.
The opposition from the SPD and Green Party to Seibeld’s speech underscores this tension, as criticism of antisemitic incidents on university campuses has often faced accusations of politicization.