On August 31 of this year, the now ex-Chancellor Sebastian Kurz paid a farewell visit to the future German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. It was about their parting. The two never got along very well. Nevertheless, she received a farewell gift from Kurz: a lifelong permanent invitation to the Salzburg Festival.

The outgoing Chancellor has been coming to Salzburg for many years to attend operas and concerts with her husband Joachim Sauer. Helga Rabl-Stadler, outgoing Festival President: “Angela Merkel has never been invited to us. I would have liked to have invited her once, but as I heard, she never allowed herself to be invited in Berlin either. Culture is part of her life and she wants to pay for it herself. “

The Federal Chancellery takes care of the ticket request

However, many ask about the present from the ex-Chancellor to Angela Merkel: What does that mean in concrete terms, a permanent invitation to the Salzburg Festival? Here the answer from the Federal Chancellery dies: “The Federal Chancellery will send a letter to the retired Federal Chancellor every year and ask her about her wishes regarding possible festival performances for her and her husband. Furthermore, the Federal Chancellery WILL take care of booking tickets for the performances selected by Ms. Merkel (in cooperation with the Festival). “

Celebrities welcome

“It goes without saying that the festival benefits when very special people come to us,” says Rabl-Stadler when asked to what extent prominent guests would benefit from the festival and she adds: “Whether it is Ferdinand von Schirach who cares about everyone because of Lars Eidinger looks at whether this is the German Chancellor or whether this is the wonderful and eternally young Thomas Gottschalk. We look forward to seeing you there – that’s wonderful. When the German Chancellor goes to the festival every year, some think there must be something to it. ”On Thursday, the festival program for the coming year will be presented. Angela Merkel will also be sent one to choose from.