Germany: CFWIJ Condemns Degrading Attack On Journalist Wiebke Hüster
Location: Germany, Hannover
Date: February 11, 2023
Wiebke Hüster, a dance critic with the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) was attacked by Marco Goecke, chief choreographer and director of the Hannover State Ballet. Goecke approached Hüster, pulled out a bag of excrement and smeared her face with it. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the abhorrent attack and demands police authorities hold the perpetrator accountable.
On Sunday, ballet critic Wiebke Hüster was in attendance at the premiere of "Glaube – Liebe – Hoffnung" at the State Opera of Hannover. During the break Hüster was approached by the ballet director Marco Goecke. Goecke accused Hüster of being responsible for the cancellation of season tickets following a review Hüster wrote about Goecke's production of "In the Dutch Mountains'' which the critic described as "alternately driven mad and killed by boredom".. According to Goecke, Hüster’s piece contained personal attacks on him. As the ballet director got increasingly upset, he eventually pulled out a bag of dog excrement and smeared Hüster’s face with it. Following the degrading assault, Hüster immediately left to file a criminal complaint.
Wiebke Hüster is a ballet critic for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Hüster also reviews non-fiction books. Deutschlandradio Kultur and Deutschlandfunk broadcast her radio contributions and studio talks. Hüster studied Theater Studies and General and Comparative Literature at the Free University of Berlin, Ballet at the Dance Academy of the Deutsche Oper and Cunningham Technique with Janine Schneider.
In a statement, the State Opera of Hannover apologized and announced that Goecke had been suspended from his post effective immediately. The award-winning ballet director is also barred from entering the opera house. The German Journalists Union (DJV) denounced the attack and called the statement by the Hannover State Ballet “insufficient”. Goecke himself has failed to apologize, saying he was responding to decades of “annihilatory criticism”. In an interview with the broadcaster NDR, Goecke said that his “means of attack” were “certainly not super” but that he had acted on impulse on seeing journalist Wiebke Hüster. Goecke, who is the 2022 winner of the German dance prize, is being investigated by police on charges of criminal assault.
Hüster described in an interview with NDR Kultur how the situation escalated from her point of view and whether she sees an overall imbalance between art and criticism. The journalist emphasized that she had not followed Goecke with negative reports over a period of 17 years as Goecke had claimed. Furthermore, Hüster referred to the ballet director as a legend.
Hüster recalls that during the first break of the three-part ballet evening, she walked around the foyer and also the first floor. When Hüster came down again, Goecke stepped in her way and started confronting her. The journalist stood calm and relaxed because she "didn't feel guilty" about the piece she had written on Goecke's production. While the critique was a clear smear, it was not a personal attack on Goecke, nor was it unfair, exaggerated, ironic, or cynical. Hüster said to him: "Mr. Goecke, please excuse me, this text is not personal either. It goes against your work, but not against you". Then Goecke pulled out of his pocket the bag of excrement slammed it open on Hüster’s right cheek and rubbed it.
Hüster said she was in pure shock. Upon realizing what had occurred she screamed and panicked. The journalist felt that her "physical integrity was blatantly violated."
The Coalition For Women In Journalism extends support to Wiebke Hüster and strongly denounces the deliberate demeaning and humiliating attack on the journalist. We view the attempted intimidation against free and critical views of art as an attack on freedom of expression.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
