Overview
- The Hamburgisches Oberverwaltungsgericht dismissed a complaint by applicant Eike Steinig, clearing the selection process and allowing the city to complete the appointment.
- City reporting and officials say Anna von Villiez is expected to begin around July 1 and serve in the honorary post through summer 2029 with the office administratively attached to the Gleichstellungsbehörde.
- Von Villiez is a historian who leads the VHS Gedenk- und Bildungsstätte Israelitische Töchterschule and has published work on Nazi-era persecution and restitution, credentials the selection panel cited when choosing a neutral academic.
- The vacancy followed the 2025 resignation of Stefan Hensel after repeated harassment, a history that officials cite to explain the urgency of filling the role and the need to protect the postholder.
- The city says von Villiez will chair the local Round Table and represent Hamburg in federal bodies on antisemitism prevention, and observers will watch whether the appointment helps rebuild trust between rival Jewish communities and leads to concrete safety and education measures.