Rüdiger Kruse

Rüdiger Kruse is a politician specializing in cultural and sustainability policy. From 2009 to 2021, he served as a member of the German Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and sat on the Budget Committee, where he was responsible for cultural affairs for nine years. During this period, he helped secure fundings for numerous cultural initiatives in addition to government-supported projects, including the Anthropocene Project at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Immersion at the Berliner Festspiele, the Privattheatertage Festival, and the Lausitz Festival. In the field of dance, he facilitated the establishment of the German National Youth Ballet (Bundesjugendballett), directed by John Neumeier. On his initiative, the Alliance of Production Houses (Allianz der Produktionshäuser) was also founded.
Most recently, he addressed the topic of conservative cultural policy in a guest commentary for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) entitled “The Fight for Culture Is Not a Culture War.”