Klaus Doerr, the manager of a renowned Berlin theater, resigned after being accused of sexual harassment and bullying directed at women. He took "complete responsibility" for the accusations and announced his resignation from Volksbuehne Theater on Tuesday.
"I deeply regret it if I hurt employees with my behavior, with words or glances,” Doerr said in a statement released by the theater.
He added that he regretted not succeeding in "creating an open climate sensitive to discrimination” within the theater that would have recognized problems in time and enabled employees to come forward confidentially with complaints.
Klaus Lederer, the city government's culture minister, said Monday that employees had "reported incidents of abuse of power, bullying, verbal violence and sexual harassment.”
Officials spoke to the women concerned in late January and were still evaluating a meeting with Doerr held earlier this month, he said.
Doerr, an experienced theater manager, took over at the Volksbuehne in 2018.
Lederer's department has said that no one came forward with complaints against Doerr before he was appointed. But that changed in January when a letter setting out complaints was sent to a counseling office set up in 2018 for people in the film, television, theater and music sectors.
