Weimar general director to retire in summer 2025
Hasko Weber, the long-standing General Director of the Deutsches Nationaltheater (DNT) and the Staatskapelle Weimar, will leave the theater at the end of the 2024/25 season. The 59-year-old wants to end his contract early for "personal reasons", the state chancellery in Erfurt announced after the DNT supervisory board meeting on Monday.
Weber explained that the theater was performing at a high artistic level and that it was great that the long-awaited federal and state funding for the general renovation of the theater was now available. "However, the prospect of completing the general refurbishment in 2031/32 requires a reassessment of all strategies and goals, including for me personally," Weber is further quoted as saying in the press release. For this reason, he considers a handover of the baton to be unavoidable and appropriate in summer 2025.
Weber has led the National Theatre since 2013 and the handover of the baton to be initiated now will be carried out in close coordination between the state and the city, explained Thuringia's Minister of Culture Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left Party). The minister also paid tribute to Weber's achievements. He had shaped the German National Theatre and contributed to making the traditional theater one of the leading theaters. The fact that the federal government agreed to finance the general refurbishment was due to Weber's perseverance.
It was only at the end of September that it was announced that around 167 million euros would be available for the general refurbishment. The federal and state governments are each providing half of the funding for the project.
Weimar's Lord Mayor Peter Kleine (non-party) also thanked Weber: "We will not ignore his wish to change." There will be a termination agreement to end the employment relationship by mutual agreement on July 31, 2025. In the coming weeks, the DNT's Supervisory Board and management will discuss the necessary steps to replace the General Director.
Hasko Weber expressed his desire to step down due to personal reasons, as he needs to reassess his strategies and goals with the projected completion of the theater's general renovation in 2031/32. Despite his upcoming departure, Weber's significant impact on the Deutsches Nationaltheater as General Director is undeniable, contributing to its transformation into one of the leading theaters.
Source: www.dpa.com
