The federal government has appointed Katharina von Schnurbein as the new anti-Semitism commissioner. The 53-year-old political scientist was previously responsible for the fight against anti-Semitism and the promotion of Jewish life at the EU Commission. She is scheduled to take up her new position in Berlin on October 28th.
Von Schnurbein succeeds Felix Klein, who moved to Paris at the end of August after eight years in office as German ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Since then, his duties have been temporarily taken over by the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Christoph de Vries. The delayed replacement sparked criticism in view of increasing anti-Semitism.
Former advisor to Commission President Barroso
Von Schnurbein was born in 1973 in Regen, Lower Bavaria. She studied political science and Slavic studies in Prague, Bonn and Oxford and has worked for the European Commission since 2002. First she was a press officer in the Czech Republic, later a spokeswoman in Brussels.
For five years she was part of the advisory team of the then EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Among other things, she was responsible for dialogue with churches, religious communities and civil society organizations.
Honored with an Israeli honorary doctorate
From 2015 onwards, von Schnurbein coordinated the fight against anti-Semitism and the promotion of Jewish life at the EU Commission. She was significantly involved in the first EU strategy against anti-Semitism, which was adopted in 2021, and accompanied its implementation.
She has received several awards for her work, including an honorary doctorate from Israel's Ben-Gurion University in the Negev in 2024.
Praise from the Central Council of Jews
The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, welcomed the appointment. Von Schnurbein is well connected internationally and enjoys a very high reputation in the Jewish community. He has known her for many years and considers her “an outstanding choice, both personally and professionally.”
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt also praised her as a “proven expert in the fight against anti-Semitism.” Jewish life belongs to Germany and must be protected against any form of anti-Semitism, emphasized the CSU politician.
Accusation of one-sidedness
However, von Schnurbein has not only received encouragement in her career so far. Last year, members of the European Parliament critical of Israel called for her removal.
They accused her of unilaterally taking sides with Israel during an internal exchange with diplomats. Dozens of Jewish organizations then publicly stood behind them.
From Schnurbein: “Great respect”
Von Schnurbein is taking on her new role at a time when many Jews in Germany feel increasingly threatened. After the sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents since Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Central Council President Schuster warned of a progressive normalization of hatred of Jews in the middle of society.
Von Schnurbein herself said that she looks forward to her new task “with great respect, humility, but also the necessary will to shape things.” Many Jews no longer feel safe and no longer identify themselves as Jewish in public.
As the federal government's anti-Semitism commissioner, her duties include coordinating federal and state measures against hatred of Jews and strengthening the visibility of Jewish life.
