Choir crisis in Freiburg: escalate protests against Böhmann's termination!

Choir crisis in Freiburg: escalate protests against Böhmann's termination!

Freiburg, Deutschland - In the Archdiocese of Freiburg, the exemption of cathedral bandmaster Boris Böhmann has led to a significant conflict about the future of cathedral music. Parent representatives of the cathedral singing and the board of the Freiburg cathedral choir resigned in protest against the church leadership. This was followed by long -lasting differences, which finally led to the termination of Böhmann on February 28, 2025. Protest actions and width resistors from various choirs became loud, including the sponsorship of a new choral academy of former members of the cathedral choirs and parents of the cathedral boy, which has since been founded. SWR reports .

The termination of Böhmann, who was head of the Freiburg cathedral school until the end, fell into a time of tensions between him and the diocesan guide. Archbishop Stephan Burger interrupted a measurement ceremony on Christmas Eve, while protests took place for Böhmann, and ended live transmission after they led to long -lasting applause. In the middle of this situation, at least 130 singers have already enrolled the new choral academy in which Böhmann temporarily took over the artistic direction. The aim of the choral academy is to holistically maintain Western choral music.

resignation and resistance

The resignation of the board of the Freiburg cathedral choir and the parents' representatives of the cathedral singing was largely shaped by the rejection of the diocesan instructions for a mediating conversation. The board said that there was no longer a basis for cooperation and resigned with immediate effect. Despite this resignation, the membership of the singers in the cathedral choir remains unaffected, which raises questions about the future activity of the choir members. These diverse protests and resignations show the strong resistance to the decision of the archbishopric and dissatisfaction with the situation. katholisch.de tears out the situation comprehensively .

Sheila Mesenholl, the outgoing parents' spokeswoman, expressed the uncertainties about the perspectives for a new beginning. She explained that there was a lack of promises and a clear course, which is an indispensable basis for a constructive future of cathedral music. The Archdiocese was surprised at the resignation of the parents' representatives, but found that the last conversation with cathedral propstation Peter Birkhofer was constructive and concrete agreements were made. Katholisch.de also reports on the resignation .

future perspectives

For the transitional period, Karin Karle, Clemens Morgenthaler and Andreas Mölder took over the management of the various choirs of the cathedral music. Mölder will invite the first rehearsals in January. However, the future of the cathedral choir remains uncertain, while Böhmann has taken legal action against his termination. The whereabouts of the cathedral singing boy in the Münster is also questionable because they have announced that they no longer sing there for the time being. The current situation indicates a profound crisis in the area of ​​cathedral music, which is due to both institutional and personal conflicts.