Holger Friedrich (entrepreneur)

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Holger Friedrich (born September 22, 1966 in East Berlin ) is a German entrepreneur who became known nationwide in 2019 through the purchase of the Berliner Zeitung . He has admitted an obligation as an unofficial employee (IM) of the State Security under the code name "Peter Bernstein".

Career

According to his own statements, Friedrich grew up in a skyscraper near the Berlin Wall in Berlin-Mitte as the son of an academic couple. After training as a locksmith in Niederschöneweide , he studied literature and computer science in Potsdam and was a co-founder of the Institute for Theoretical Computer Science in Potsdam . As an IT entrepreneur, he was co-founder of SPM Technologies GmbH, which was taken over by the software company SAP in 2004.

After working as a consultant for McKinsey and as a member of the Management Board of Software AG , Friedrich founded the IT consultancy for technology topics Core SE in 2009 , with which he is also involved in the Verimi log-in platform . He is also involved with his wife Silke Friedrich (* 1972 in Saxony-Anhalt ) in the international school Berlin Metropolitan School and is the owner of the electrical works . Friedrich bundles the business activities in the holding company CCG-Commercial Coordination Germany GmbH , whose investment fields are technology, education, events and, since November 2019, media .

Friedrich's private and company headquarters Palais Parkschloss or Villa Schwabacher

Friedrich and his company Core reside in the Villa Schwabacher am Sandwerder in Berlin- Wannsee , in the works of the Core Art Collection by Karl-Heinz Adler , Norbert Bisky , Ruprecht von Kaufmann , Karl Lagerfeld , Jonathan Meese , David Schnell and Heidi Specker hang up.

The couple has three children. Friedrich is a member of Union Berlin .

Acquisition of the Berliner Zeitung and the Stasi affair in 2019

In September 2019, he and Silke Friedrich surprisingly bought the Berliner Zeitung as part of the Berliner Verlag from DuMont Verlag , as part of the Berliner Verlag , out of “civil society engagement in turbulent times”. In an interview with the RBB , he explained that the purchase was, as the taz called it, out of profit interests and idealism and was also “ Zonengabi's revenge”. The Tagesspiegel speculated that the sales proceeds for DuMont of the former SED newspaper may have been very low if “a negative purchase price for the deficit publishing house in the capital was not even agreed”. To mark the change of publisher, Holger and Silke Friedrich published an essay that was critically received by the media (“ What we want ”), in which the former editor-in-chief of the Berlin newspaper Uwe Vorkötter and individual critics objected to parallels to AfD and Pegida rhetoric. In the “Manifesto” the Friedrich couple showed understanding for Vladimir Putin's expansion policy, vehemently criticized the EU and demanded gratitude towards Egon Krenz .

Usage plans for "BerlinOnline"

In the NZZ , Friedrich explained that the central “lever” and the “real treasure of our deal” was the BerlinOnline city ​​portal belonging to the Berliner Verlag , which served as a central platform and could be used as a kind of digital citizens' office for every service in the Berlin administration . As a result of these statements, the Berlin State Secretary Sabine Smentek and the responsible Berlin Senate Chancellery rejected Friedrich's plans and announced that they were “far from giving a private company deeper insight into the sensitive data of Berliners.” The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller added, “[i] any form of data transfer was never our approach”, they wanted to make use of “direct intervention and access options” in the future and therefore had the contract concluded in 1998 between the Senate and BerlinOnline for the city portal “berlin.de” Terminated December 2021. According to Christian Gaebler, the city of Berlin is planning the “complete municipalization” of the portal in the future.

Uncovering the Stasi activities

"Peter Bernstein"

In November 2019, Die Welt am Sonntag disclosed Friedrich's activity as an IM from December 1987 to February 1989 during his military service. Friedrich, who had been a member of the SED since 1986, confirmed the allegations in his own paper: After attempting to flee the republic and thus desertion during his three years of military service in the NVA, he had accepted the Stasi’s offer of “reparation” and, after a declaration of commitment, some reports about his environment - according to research by Welt am Sonntag, especially about members of the NVA who are religiously bound and engaged in church work. In one case, Friedrich said he had agreed to the content of the reporting with the victim in order to only pass on harmless things. There are twelve reports in which he gives information on 20 identified people. In his 80-page so-called " perpetrator file ", according to Hubertus Knabe , there is no mention of an arrest, desertion or flight from the republic in the detailed descriptions of the establishment of contact with the Stasi. Friedrich only has access to the so-called "victim file", which is part of his 125-page Stasi file, or access requires Friedrich's consent. According to Knabe, the Stasi did not initiate an investigation against Friedrich. According to the boy, there was no evidence of an active deconspiracy alleged by Friedrich , which would have brought him a warning and an entry in his Stasi files. Rather, the Stasi committed him as an IM after a disciplinary punishment on the basis of his political convictions. In almost all of his reports, Friedrichs sometimes heavily incriminated the people around him he spied on. His command officer reported in December 1988 that Friedrich was supposed to prove that a soldier intended to flee .

reception

Robert Ide criticized in the Tagesspiegel that Friedrich's behavior threatened the Berliner Zeitung with a credibility problem. Zeit Online , Deutschlandfunk and Der Spiegel complained that Friedrich had missed the opportunity to "deal openly with his past" when he thanked Krenz in the essay and did not explain his role as an army soldier in the later dpa interview, especially since he Activity only became known after research by Welt am Sonntag . Uwe Vorkötter assessed the situation in a similar way and concluded that Friedrich had disqualified himself as a publisher. Julian Reichelt mocked the Friedrich couple in a tweet : "Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the @berlinerzeitung is back in the hands of the Stasi." Friedrich replied to the FAS that you would "not sit here" if you did your Stasi work before buying it would have announced: “[W] e believe that an opportunity would be wasted. In this respect, we are discussing this topic at a time when we have already proven ourselves to the editorial staff as the new owner. ” Uwe Müller , who had researched IM activities for the world together with Christian Meier , criticized Zapp that Friedrich had with the Written answer to the questions of the world editors in their own newspaper made "his editors hostage to his own history". During that time , Jana Hensel summed up that Friedrich had "destroyed trust in the editorial team and far beyond by keeping quiet about his Stasi work."

Birthler-Kowalczuk investigation report

In response to the research into Friedrich's Stasi activities, the editor-in-chief declared its independence in a statement on November 15, 2019 and emphasized the intention to deal “objectively and appropriately with the situation” and continue to “contribute to coming to terms with GDR history " afford to. From now on, Marianne Birthler and Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk would advise the five-person reporter team on dealing with the matter , and there are plans to set up an editorial advisory board and introduce new editorial statutes. Historian Hubertus Knabe put a selection of important documents from Friedrich's Stasi files online at the end of November. After Birthler and Kowalczuk had examined the Stasi files - the BStU made them available to them - they noted in their report for publication in mid-December 2019 that the files also contained “subjective assessments and idiosyncratic file management”. Nobody should “assume that they will find the pure truth in the files” although the files also do not lie. They came to the conclusion that in the Friedrich case there were inconsistencies between the assessment of the command officer and the documented information with regard to the information provided. In one case, Friedrich's report led to the criminal law instruction of another. Birthler and Kowalczuk consider further consequences for other people to be unlikely. However, more precise information could only be determined if the files could be viewed by third parties. Birthler and Kowalczuk advocated disclosure of all files and pointed out that they refrained from "evaluating the findings resulting from the documents politically or morally and thus giving it a label."

Matthias Dell praised the investigation report on Deutschlandfunk for its detached, sober and differentiated approach and explained that the report largely confirmed Friedrich's own statements. The taz judged the report contained “no condemnation of the new publisher, but also no absolution.” The world editors Meier and Müller, who originally initiated the research, interpreted the Birthler-Kowalczuk report as “ultimately mainly exonerating or at least benevolent for Holger Friedrich "and agreed to the demand for the publication of all files in order to" allow the audience to get their own picture. "

Conflict of interest "Centogene"

The Berliner Zeitung was also criticized in November for a possible conflict of interest because it had published a conspicuously praising article about an East German biotech company, Centogene AG, in which publisher Holger Friedrich is a shareholder and on whose supervisory board he sits. According to Spiegel, the company paid him remuneration of 23,000 euros in 2018 for his work as a member of the Supervisory Board. On request, Friedrich had his lawyer Christian Schertz inform him that he “currently sees no reason to comment on internal business matters”. However, Friedrich let his Centogene supervisory board post “until the complete documents of the Stasi records authority are available and have been evaluated by experts”. In the course of further research, Manager Magazin and Der Spiegel raised further allegations of mixing publishing and entrepreneurial interests: Friedrich gave the impetus to a positive article about cashless payments - a field in which he is entrepreneurially active - and his wife Silke, head of the Metropolitan School, had an interview with the former Berlin School Secretary Mark Rackles and an education researcher about the advantages of private schools . This gives the impression that the couple are using the “newspaper as a platform for their own business interests”. Editor Michael Maier assured that he would act as a firewall between the publisher and the editorial team in the future: “You have to admit to a young publisher that you say: You can't just place PR articles here or something as a favor.” Friedrich said to Jana Hensel that “he has not considering what effect this [his position at Centogene] could have. He insists on not wanting to interfere with the editorial freedom of the Berliner Zeitung. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Judith Luig: Berliner Verlag: The new publisher of the "Berliner Zeitung" was Stasi-IM . In: The time . November 15, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Jana Hensel : Holger and Silke Friedrich: East German nightmare . In: The time . December 11, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed December 11, 2019]).
  3. ↑ SPIEGEL ONLINE: Silke and Holger Friedrich, new owners of the "Berliner Zeitung": What are they going to do? Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  4. ↑ a b Gregory Lipinski: Idealism or business acumen? What drives the new owners of the Berlin publishing house. Meedia , September 18, 2019, accessed November 17, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Jochen Arntz, Elmar Jehn, Julia Haak: Interview with the new owners of the Berlin publishing house: “We need good media”. September 19, 2019, accessed on November 19, 2019 (German).
  6. ^ A b Kai-Hinrich Renner: DuMont: Holger and Silke Friedrich buy Berliner Verlag. September 17, 2019, accessed on November 17, 2019 (German).
  7. ↑ a b c "We have the potential to give the readers answers". Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  8. ↑ a b Zacharias Zacharakis: Berlin Publisher: Buy two East Berlin newspaper . In: The time . September 17, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  9. ↑ Electricity works again. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  10. ↑ a b c Christian Meier: Holger and Silke Friedrich: Two millionaires who do not want to lose . November 17, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed November 18, 2019]).
  11. ↑ a b c d e Marc Felix Serrao, Berlin: Berliner Zeitung: an interview with the new owners . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . ( nzz.ch [accessed on November 17, 2019]).
  12. ↑ CORE SE: CORE SE opens new location in Berlin in the E-Werk. Retrieved November 18, 2019 (German).
  13. ^ List, map, database / Landesdenkmalamt Berlin. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  14. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  15. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  16. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  17. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  18. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  19. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved November 19, 2019 .
  20. ^ CORE SE. Retrieved on November 19, 2019 (Facebook post from Core SE : “This week is your last chance to admire around 60 pieces of # DavidSchnell's artwork in the MKM Museum Küppersmühle für Moderne Kunst at once. The three paintings you see on the photos from the COREcampus below, titled "Glass", "Level", and "Code", are on loan from our CORE art collection. ").
  21. ↑ From the feature pages - Alone at home with Google. Accessed November 17, 2019 (German).
  22. ↑ Alexander Nabert: Sale of the Berlin publishing house: Idealism or Profit . In: The daily newspaper: taz . September 17, 2019, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  23. ↑ DuMont sells Berliner Verlag to a couple of entrepreneurs. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  24. ↑ Future of the "Berliner Zeitung" - contradictions and little concrete. Accessed November 17, 2019 (German).
  25. ↑ Guest author: The five stupidest sentences from the completely crazy Manifesto by Holger and Silke Friedrich. Accessed November 17, 2019 (German).
  26. ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung: Boredom ...! Accessed December 12, 2019 (German).
  27. ↑ a b Daniel Bouhs: Holger and Silke Friedrich: Everything in their own right . In: The time . November 18, 2019, ISSN  0044-2070 ( zeit.de [accessed December 12, 2019]).
  28. ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung: The wrong publishers. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  29. ↑ Stefan Kuzmany: Manifesto in the "Berliner Zeitung": So much, so quickly, around us . In: Spiegel Online . November 11, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  30. ↑ Johanna Treblin: You don't know what they want. In what feels like an endless text, Silke and Holger Friedrich explain what they plan to do with the 'Berliner Zeitung' - but you are left at a loss. In: Neues Deutschland , November 15, 2019, p. 14.
  31. ↑ Home - BerlinOnline Stadtportal GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  32. ↑ BerlinOnline city portal :: Internet service. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Berliner Verlag completely takes over the portal operator Berlin Online. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  34. ↑ How a statement on “berlin.de” startled the Berlin administration. Retrieved November 18, 2019 .
  35. ↑ a b Berlin administration is the sole provider of services for citizens. November 18, 2019, accessed November 18, 2019 .
  36. ↑ Müller wants the state to have “direct access” for berlin.de. Retrieved November 21, 2019 .
  37. ↑ Senate wants to buy city portal Berlin.de. Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
  38. ↑ Berlin.de: The capital wants to digitize - but "not with Mr. Friedrich". Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
  39. ^ A b c Christian Meier: Holger Friedrich: The owner of the "Berliner Zeitung" was Stasi-IM . November 15, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  40. ^ A b Christian Meier: Code name "Bernstein": The Stasi files of the publisher Holger Friedrich . November 17, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed November 18, 2019]).
  41. ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung: Statement by Holger Friedrich. Retrieved November 28, 2019 (German).
  42. ↑ a b Analysis by Hubertus Knabe The "Bernstein" file: What newspaper publisher Holger Friedrich really reported to the Stasi , Focus November 21, 2019.
  43. ^ "Berliner Zeitung" works on Holger Friedrich's Stasi files. In: turi2. Accessed December 2, 2019 (German).
  44. ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung: Marianne Birthler and Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk advise Berliner Zeitung. Retrieved November 18, 2019 (German).
  45. ↑ Berliner Zeitung is planning a review and a new editorial statute. Retrieved December 2, 2019 .
  46. ↑ The past can be covered up, but it remains present. Retrieved November 17, 2019 .
  47. ^ Janko Tietz: New owner of the "Berliner Zeitung": Yesterday a star, today a fool . In: Spiegel Online . November 16, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  48. ↑ a b Berliner Zeitung - Stasi report exonerates Holger Friedrich. Accessed December 12, 2019 (German).
  49. ↑ Julian Reichelt: Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the @berlinerzeitung is back in the Stasi-Hand.https: //www.berliner-zeitung.de/politik-gesellschaft/holger-friedrich-in-eigener-sache-li.1468… In : @jreichelt. November 15, 2019, accessed December 12, 2019 .
  50. ↑ Harald Staun: Debate about "Berliner Zeitung": The Friedrich files . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed November 25, 2019]).
  51. ^ A b NDR: New publisher of the "Berliner Zeitung" in the criticism. Retrieved November 28, 2019 .
  52. ↑ Berliner Zeitung: Dear Readers. Retrieved November 18, 2019 (German).
  53. ↑ Gregory Lipinski: According to “Centogene” and “IM Bernstein” - “Berliner Zeitung” plans editorial status and advisory board. Meedia , November 21, 2019, accessed November 21, 2019 .
  54. ↑ The “Bernstein” file. November 27, 2019, accessed on November 28, 2019 (German).
  55. ↑ Expertise of the former federal commissioner for the Stasi files Marianne Birthler and the historian Dr. Ilko Sascha-Kowalczuk on the Stasi past of the Berlin publisher Holger Friedrich. In: turi2. Accessed December 11, 2019 (German).
  56. ↑ Birthler recommends disclosure of Friedrich's Stasi files. Retrieved December 12, 2019 .
  57. ↑ Expertise of the former federal commissioner for the Stasi files Marianne Birthler and the historian Dr. Ilko Sascha-Kowalczuk on the Stasi past of the Berlin publisher Holger Friedrich. Retrieved December 12, 2019 .
  58. ^ Daniél Kretschmar: Stasi charge against Holger Friedrich: No final judgment . In: The daily newspaper: taz . December 12, 2019, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed December 12, 2019]).
  59. ↑ Uwe Müller: Stasi files: How Holger Friedrich became Peter Bernstein . December 11, 2019 ( welt.de [accessed December 12, 2019]).
  60. ↑ a b c Stefan Berg, Sven Röbel: New owner Holger Friedrich: "Berliner Zeitung" publishes jubilee report about the company - in which the publisher is involved . In: Spiegel Online . November 15, 2019 ( spiegel.de [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  61. ^ Axel Weidemann: Publisher of the "Berliner Zeitung": Holger Friedrich was a Stasi spy . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed November 17, 2019]).
  62. ↑ Stefan Winterbauer: “Is it all stupid here” - the media contempt of the AfD triumvirate Weidel, Brandner, Gauland. Meedia , November 15, 2019, accessed November 18, 2019 .
  63. ↑ Stefan Winterbauer: Media Week: the background to the Stasi disclosure about “Berliner Zeitung” publisher Holger Friedrich. Meedia , November 17, 2019, accessed November 18, 2019 .
  64. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Holger Friedrich cancels supervisory board post. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  65. ↑ a b manager magazin premium: Berliner Zeitung: How Silke and Holger Friedrich earn their money. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  66. ↑ "Spiegel": Holger Friedrich brings further conflicts of interest to the "Berliner Zeitung". In: turi2. Retrieved November 25, 2019 (German).
  67. ↑ SPIEGEL ONLINE: Do Holger and Silke Friedrich use the "Berliner Zeitung" as a PR organ? Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
  68. ^ Berlin Metropolitan School - Leadership Team. Retrieved November 25, 2019 .
personal data
SURNAME Friedrich, Holger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German company founder and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH September 22, 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH East Berlin