Court stops Salzburg Festival: Brüggemann wins in legal dispute!

Court stops Salzburg Festival: Brüggemann wins in legal dispute!

Cultural journalist Axel Brüggemann is at the center of a heated legal dispute with the Salzburg Festival Fund and its director Markus Hinterhäuser. Last year they received warnings totaling 100,000 euros from Brüggemann after he reported critically about the festival. Two of his articles on his website BackstageClassical.com were attacked, although he had already agreed to cease and desist on three out of ten points, meaning he would no longer repeat these statements publicly. Despite these concessions, the festival continued to pursue the remaining seven issues in court.

The Hamburg Regional Court has now rejected the injunctions on all points raised. The court ruled that Brüggemann was entitled to report critically on Hinterhäuser and to accuse him of silencing internal and external critics. This decision was welcomed by Brüggemann, who thanked his supporters and emphasized the importance of independent journalism. In order to avert the lawsuit and cover his legal costs, he had previously asked for financial support from his readership. The Salzburg Festival, represented by President Kristina Hammer and others, was dissatisfied with the court decision and has already filed a complaint with the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court to take action against the ruling, as also reported on “BackstageClassical.com”.

The legal consequences

With the decision now in hand, the fight for freedom of expression and journalistic integrity remains in the balance. The court also noted that the criticisms made so far, including allegations of mismanagement at the Salzburg Festival, were legitimate. Brüggemann highlighted the legal action as a sign of the resilience and importance of investigative journalism, especially in times when criticism is often dismissed. The case is now being reheard before the Hamburg Higher Regional Court, and an important chapter in cultural reporting remains open.