Former cultural minister and Bundestag Vice President Claudia Roth has sharply criticized the Berlin CDU and Governing Mayor Kai Wegner regarding the controversy involving the Volksbad. Roth commented to Der Tagesspiegel, stating that it is “bitter that they adopt this cultural conflict instead of confronting it.”
Roth criticized Wegner’s silence on the matter, arguing that it allowed the sentiment against a specific social group to run unchecked, particularly against a community that already faces daily hostility. She warned against any politicians who avoid taking a stand against right-wing vitriol simply because it appears politically convenient, claiming such complacency makes them “a lever for those forces that seek to divide our society.”
The conflict stems from a planned event involving the Berlin Theater and the association “Each One Teach One” (EOTO). An event originally scheduled for a Friday afternoon was cancelled due to security concerns. The plan was to open the “Volksbad,” a temporary swimming pool set up in front of the Volksbühne, for several hours exclusively to Black people, especially children and young people.
AfD leader Alice Weidel had characterized this planned event as “apartheid” and demanded the cutting of funding. Furthermore, a young CDU local politician expressed bewilderment and spoke of a feeling of discrimination because she, as a white person, would be unable to enter the open-air pool. Following these statements, EOTO reported receiving racist threat emails, threats of violence, and discriminatory comments on social media.
Roth does not view this as a “spontaneous shitstorm” but rather as the outcome of a pattern of behavior that has been unfolding for months. She criticized right-wing media for exploiting a low-key, benevolent offer aimed at Black children and youth, amplifying it through their machine of outrage. This process transformed an association dedicated to fighting everyday racism into a perceived enemy overnight. Due to the threats, children who should have enjoyed an carefree holiday must now stay home. “This is the real price of this culture war that is being waged increasingly fiercely,” Roth stated. She demands that Wegner publicly stand up for EOTO and the team at the Berliner Volksbühne, thereby “giving a clear rejection to this cultural war instead of fueling it through silence.”
