Understanding to Act — in the service of Freedom.

The Zera Institute unequivocally rejects SPIEGEL’s reporting on the institute and its funding. The article relies on selective presentation, omits essential facts, and engages in systematic disparagement of staff—particularly female employees—despite all relevant questions being answered comprehensively and in writing in advance.

We object in particular to the following:

The article constructs an alleged lack of professional competence at the Zera Institute by sensationalizing individual employees’ past fields of study or secondary activities from earlier phases of their lives and presenting these as their primary qualifications. At the same time, relevant degrees, professional experience, and concrete project responsibilities are either minimized or entirely omitted. This mode of representation amounts to a blanket denial of competence without any factual basis.

Notably, this devaluation is directed almost exclusively at female employees. Male contributors with established expertise are either not mentioned at all or their qualifications are left unquestioned. The resulting portrayal falsely suggests incompetence where interdisciplinary, research-based work is in fact taking place.

In addition, the article omits key project achievements. The podcast Arguably, for example, is portrayed as allegedly non-existent, despite the journalist being explicitly informed that multiple episodes had already been pre-produced and were scheduled for release in January. This information was provided in writing and knowingly excluded from the final article.

The article further ignores the Zera Institute’s expert panels, specialist formats, and expert council, which includes, among others:

• Seyran Ateş, lawyer and human rights activist

• Sigmount A. Königsberg, Commissioner for Antisemitism of the Jewish Community of Berlin

• Ali Ertan Toprak, Federal Chairman of the Kurdish Community of Germany

• Hudhaifa Al-Mashhadani, Dean of the Ibn Khaldun School in Berlin-Neukölln and expert on extremism and terrorism prevention

The work and contributions of these experts are entirely omitted.

Moreover, the article suppresses the well-documented internal conflict within Berlin’s cultural administration, which has been the subject of extensive reporting for months, including by WELT and BILD. These reports detail structural blockages, power struggles, and the effective delay or non-use of funds earmarked for combating antisemitism. This context is essential for understanding the internal administrative documents selectively cited by SPIEGEL, yet it is completely excluded.

Instead, the article points to the party affiliations of individual association members as purported evidence of an “unfair” allocation of public funds, despite the fact that the funding was approved through a regular administrative procedure and no improper influence has been demonstrated or documented.

Taken as a whole, the article does not resemble an objective journalistic review. Rather, it gives the impression of a coordinated campaign against the Zera Institute: professional competence is denied, achievements are concealed, context is removed, and a scandalizing narrative is constructed from selective biographical details—irrespective of the factual record.

The Zera Institute has therefore filed a formal complaint with SPIEGEL’s ombudsman and reserves the right to pursue further legal remedies under press law.

Zera Institute
Berlin, December 27, 2025