RKI President
Lothar Wieler leaves the Robert Koch Institute
For politicians, he was one of the most important advisors on pandemic issues: Lothar Wieler. photo
© Carsten Koall/dpa
Hardly anyone knew him before 2020: with the start of the corona pandemic, however, Lothar Wieler became one of the most important voices in the country. The RKI boss had to take some criticism. Now he says goodbye.
It was three challenging Corona years for Lothar Wieler and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI): Now the RKI President is announcing his departure from the post. Wieler left the federal central public health facility at his own request on April 1st. This was announced jointly by the Federal Ministry of Health and the RKI. Accordingly, Wieler wants to devote himself to “new tasks in research and teaching”. The step was taken in agreement with Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD), it said.
“I have greatly appreciated the trusting cooperation with him over the years,” said the minister, according to the statement. “Without Prof. Wieler, Germany would have come through this pandemic much worse. I would like to thank you very much for that, also on behalf of the entire federal government.” In overcoming the pandemic, Wieler “acquired lasting and outstanding merits for the country”.
Wieler was a central figure in the corona pandemic
“It was a privilege to be able to work in an exposed position together with a motivated team of excellent experts during this crisis,” said Wieler according to the announcement. He thanked the RKI employees for their “extraordinary commitment” and also the health ministers with whom he was allowed to work.
Wieler was a central figure in the corona pandemic. Especially at the beginning, he regularly informed about the development at press conferences – he always dressed in a suit, for example, reported on the number of infections. Most recently, the 61-year-old appeared less often in public.
For politicians, he was one of the most important advisors on pandemic issues. For some opponents of corona measures, he has meanwhile become an enemy – like other scientists who took a cautious course in dealing with Sars-CoV-2. Wieler told the newspapers of the Funke media group in October 2021 that even death threats did not keep him from his work. “But the risk does not prevent me from my duty. As long as I am an official of this state, I will serve it responsibly.”
What will Wieler do in the future?
The RKI is part of the division of the Federal Ministry of Health. This structure was also partly criticized. Wieler and the RKI have repeatedly come under political pressure and criticism. The significance of the pandemic data provided by the RKI was also discussed again and again.
There was always speculation about the relationship between Wieler and Lauterbach. In the discussion about reducing the convalescent status in early 2022, the minister spoke of a “communication problem” between the RKI and his home. The point at the time was that this change had not been previously announced by the RKI. Many citizens lost their right to go to restaurants, bars or gyms almost overnight. There had previously been criticism of the RKI communication style before federal and state consultations on corona measures.
Details of Wieler’s future plans were not given. The microbiologist and veterinarian has been head of the RKI since 2015. For a transitional period, his deputy Lars Schaade will take over the post, it said. The RKI used the keyword #DankeWieler on Twitter – numerous other users joined in the course of the afternoon.