Law firm to further review Theater Erfurt

Accusations of alleged sexual assault and abuse of power have drawn attention to processes at Erfurt Theatre and in the city administration. The city has now commissioned a law firm to conduct an additional investigation into various aspects, as the administration announced on Friday. The city council had previously voted in favor of such an investigation.

The contract was awarded to PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal (PwC). The law firm is now to investigate the handling of the issue by the city administration, the responsible committees and the relevant bodies of the municipal enterprise. The experts are also to examine the future viability of the theater in terms of profitability. Parallel to this, investigations are being carried out by the audit office.

The city had already imposed a spending freeze of one million euros on the theater for 2024 late last year. The theater had incurred a deficit of around three million euros due to poor attendance figures at the otherwise popular Domstufen-Festspiele and higher personnel costs, among other things. An initial and as yet unpublished expert opinion on the allegations of abuse of power at the theater has also revealed suspected financial crimes.

The experts from PwC are also to evaluate the events in connection with the allegations at the theater in terms of employment law and draw up a termination agreement with General Director Guy Montavon, who has come under heavy criticism. The city council had rejected a contract drawn up by the city administration with Montavon, who has since been dismissed from the management. Among other things, the document had included a discharge clause for Montavon.

The development of the quarrels at and around the theater is complicated. Last autumn, the city's then Equal Opportunities Officer, Mary-Ellen Witzmann, made public the allegations of alleged sexually motivated breaches of duty towards women and abuse of power at the Erfurt Theater. The city then commissioned a law firm to investigate the allegations and dismissed Witzmann without notice, accusing her of having acted on her own authority. Witzmann is currently defending herself against her dismissal in court.

Montavon, in turn, was finally dismissed as works manager at the beginning of February in a non-public special meeting of the city council as a result of the disputes. The city administration stated that the leave of absence would initially be continued indefinitely by mutual agreement.