Germany’s Ministry of Research and Technology intends to replace the head of the board of the German-Polish Science Foundation. The proposed candidate – a singer known for his pop hits – has raised concerns both in Germany and Poland, reports the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). The candidate, a German performer of Polish-language disco polo music published on YouTube, is Tobias Thalhammer.
The article, titled “A Hit Performer as Foundation Director?” by Timo Frasch and Stefan Locke, appeared yesterday on the FAZ website. According to the authors, in mid-October, members of the board of trustees of the German-Polish Science Foundation received a letter from Germany’s Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space. While the letter contained a positive assessment of the Foundation’s activities so far, it also included a proposal to appoint the singer Tobias Thalhammer as the new chair of the Foundation’s executive board.
Most of the seven members of the Foundation’s board of trustees and the six-member advisory council were reportedly taken aback, asking: “Tobias who?”
according to FAZ.
The paper recalls that the Foundation was established in 2009 as a joint initiative of Germany, Poland, and the German state of Brandenburg. Prominent figures from both countries were involved in its creation, including former Bundestag President Rita Süssmuth and former Polish Foreign Minister Władysław Bartoszewski.
The Foundation’s endowment amounts to €60 million, and its purpose is to support German-Polish research projects. The right to nominate the chair of the three-person management board belongs to the German Ministry of Research, currently headed by CSU politician Dorothee Bär. Germany is the Foundation’s principal donor, FAZ notes.
The Disco Polo Singer Turns to Politics
The Foundation’s first chair was Süssmuth, succeeded by Cornelia Pieper, a former German Deputy Foreign Minister and later, for eleven years, Consul General in Gdańsk. The authors highlight that Pieper speaks fluent Polish and maintains excellent contacts with Polish universities. Both she and her Polish deputy, Jan Rydel of Kraków, have expressed willingness to seek re-election.
However, re-election is unlikely, as the German ministry has another proposal: Tobias Thalhammer, a politician from Bavaria’s CSU party. The CSU is the smallest coalition partner in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government, alongside the CDU and SPD.
In a letter to the Foundation, Deputy Minister for Research and Technology Silke Launert praised the candidate in glowing terms, writing that he has been “closely connected with Poland professionally and personally for over 20 years.”
Due to his long-standing involvement in politics and culture, combined with his experience as a research associate in business economics, Thalhammer could become “an important initiator of new impulses” in the Foundation’s work, the letter claims. He is described as someone who “understands people and is open toward them.”
According to his résumé, Thalhammer’s partner is Polish, and he has a basic knowledge of the Polish language. For a time, he was a shareholder in “Romance TV Polska,” based in Warsaw, and he remains a co-owner of the concert agency Piosenka Plus Sp. z o.o. in Katowice. The 46-year-old is known in Poland as the performer of popular hits under the stage name “Toby from Munich.”
Academics Say ‘No’!
According to FAZ journalists, opposition to the ministry’s candidate is growing on both sides of the German-Polish border. Critics question the candidate’s qualifications to lead the Foundation.
“Thalhammer may be a nice guy, but he lacks any qualifications and sufficient connections in the academic world,”
FAZ quotes one trustee member as saying anonymously.
The Foundation has so far supported nearly 500 research projects and young scholars. Cooperation with leading universities, critics say, requires a competent leadership team familiar with higher education.
The authors note that another point of criticism is the lack of consultation with the Polish side. “We were informed,” a Polish representative said. The Polish side “has so far refrained from public criticism,” FAZ observes. Behind the scenes, however, it is said that the ministry’s proposal will be rejected.
Party Gratitude Instead of Experience
According to FAZ, Thalhammer’s nomination is believed to stem from his affiliation with the CSU. He currently serves on the municipal council of Neubiberg. In 2018, the “disco-politician” switched from the Free Democratic Party (FDP) to the CSU after his former party failed to offer him a favorable spot on its electoral list. His change of party allegiance was reportedly accompanied by “hymns of praise for Bavarian Premier Markus Söder.”
“I was very pleased when the ministry asked me whether I could imagine taking on this honorary position,” Thalhammer told FAZ. He added that his life is “deeply rooted in German-Polish friendship, both professionally and privately.”
But for German members of the Foundation’s leadership, such statements are not convincing. Brandenburg reportedly intends to oppose the nomination. “Why should an experienced, long-serving chairwoman step aside for a local politician, performer, and music producer?” asked historian Stefan Troebst, a member of the board of trustees.
Troebst has submitted two motions to all board members to amend the agenda for the upcoming November 3 meeting. He proposed holding a secret ballot and re-electing the current executive board under Cornelia Pieper’s leadership, Locke and Frasch conclude.