16 Feb 2026
Katja Wildermuth, Director-General of Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), studied at LMU and believes higher education should be seen as an opportunity: “What truly matters is developing your own intellectual and ethical stance.”
“At BR’s executive board meetings, I don’t inflict Latin or Greek quotations on the others,” Dr. Katja Wildermuth assures us. And should she ever feel constrained to do so on occasion, she might draw on Cicero’s in rebus ipsis versari—“to be immersed in the very substance of things,” or “to move at the heart of events.”
Her fascination with contemporary societal developments led her from the discipline of ancient history, which she studied at LMU, into journalism. “In October 1989, I had arranged to meet a fellow ancient historian in East Berlin and drove there in an old Renault 4—complete with an untimely breakdown and a frantic search for spare parts. I returned on November 4, the day of the huge demonstration on Alexanderplatz.” The experience, she recalls, proved formative: It prompted her to leave the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire behind in favor of a present day that was far more immediate and far more exciting.
Dr. Katja Wildermuth, Director General of Bayerischer Rundfunk since 2021
© 2025 Bayerischer RundfunkAfter completing her doctorate and research work, four years as a lecturer in ancient history and a brief stint at a schoolbook publisher, it also felt right to turn her back on Munich for a time. The city could no longer offer what the newly reunified federal states did: a period of extraordinary political and social dynamism, in which “no two days were alike and there was always something new happening.”
Thus it was that Wildermuth joined Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR; the public broadcaster for three of the former East German states) in Dresden. She initially worked in television as an author on political affairs and supervising historical documentaries, maintaining an intellectual link to her academic training.
Her professional path has since remained under the umbrella of ARD, Germany’s public broadcasting consortium. At Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR; the public broadcaster for four northern German states), she worked in culture and documentary programming before returning to MDR as Program Director. Her most recent move then brought her to Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk, where in 2021 she became the first woman to assume the role of Director-General.
I was never interested in producing Tutti Frutti but was always convinced of the societal importance of quality journalism as practiced by public broadcasters.Katja Wildermuth
Her desire to work in public broadcasting took shape very early on. “I was never interested in producing Tutti Frutti”—a 1990s commercial erotic game show put out by a private broadcasting company—“but was always convinced of the societal importance of quality journalism as practiced by public broadcasters.”
Equally clear to her was the medium itself: “Television is inherently collaborative: You can’t do it on your own. And I am a team player through and through. That is why, even in my free time, I always preferred playing handball rather than tennis.”
Wildermuth has never lost the ties that bind her to academia and her alma mater. “Apart from a few renovations and modernizations, LMU’s main building still feels very much as it did back then—right down to the smells and sounds.” Each visit remains emotionally charged, not least because of the building’s historical significance as the site where Sophie and Hans Scholl were arrested.
In her days as a student of ancient history, “LMU was a tremendous gift,” even though it demanded a great deal of personal initiative and good self-organization skills.
Precisely this freedom opened up remarkable spectrum of subject matter: from medieval poetry to Cicero to political science seminars. Her experience was further deepened through work as a research assistant at institutes of both historical and literary studies.
Looking back, Wildermuth believes she benefited especially from the need to shoulder responsibility during her studies. “Anyone who learns to navigate this kind of system develops a sense of agency, and that is more important today than ever.”
A decisive influence on her doctoral work and later teaching was her PhD supervisor, Professor Christian Meier, whom she describes as “a politically aware ancient historian who always linked historical precision with responsibility for the present.” This attitude made a deep impression on Wildermuth and continues to shape her thinking today.
Wildermuth argues passionately for the value of studying—though not primarily as vocational training. “The notion of getting educated once and then working in the same profession for forty or fifty years is no longer viable,” she notes, adding that even long-established institutions such as BR are seeing rapid changes in professional profiles.
What matters, she insists, is understanding higher education as a space for exploration, for changing perspectives, and even for making mistakes. “It is about developing your own stance rather than following others.” Such a stance, she argues, must rest on knowledge. It must also include a willingness to engage with complexity, take responsibility and put up with failure. In this sense, higher education is more than preparation for a profession: “It is, above all, about forming your personality.”
Her links to LMU remain close. Wildermuth now serves as an external member of the University Council, which recently elected LMU’s new executive leadership. Her role, she concedes, is less scholarly than strategic: “It involves management challenges and societal and political questions. I do believe there are many areas where these issues overlap.”
Both universities and public service broadcasters are facing increasing pressure from populist and anti-democratic actors. “The number of people attacking the liberal democratic order is clearly growing,” Wildermuth warns—and stresses that this is by no means a purely German phenomenon.
As Germany’s representative to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), she observes rising pressure on public broadcasters across Europe. Consequently, digital policy has become a key dimension where political action is needed: “If there were such a thing as a populist handbook, its first commandment would be to undermine trust in quality media.”
The appeal of seemingly simple truths is strongest where no corrective force exists in the form of scholarship and professional journalism. BR therefore invests specifically in digital media literacy and educational initiatives—explaining, for example, how newsfeeds function and why users encounter certain aspects of content and not others.
If there were such a thing as a populist handbook, its first commandment would be to undermine trust in quality media.Dr. Katja Wildermuth
These efforts appear to be bearing fruit. “Interestingly, it is often people under thirty who use our services and say: ‘Because we can rely on you.’” Young audiences, she notes, are highly critical of digital media and value carefully produced content. “That is a great opportunity for public broadcasting: they want dependable sources!”
The same trend is also reflected in recruitment. “This year we have received more applications for voluntary positions than we have in a very long time,” Wildermuth says with evident satisfaction—an encouraging sign of critical civic awareness.
Katja Wildermuth at the donation center of the charity campaign | © Ralf Wischewski
This February, Katja Wildermuth begins her second term as Director-General of BR, continuing as its first female leader. “I never seen the question of gender differences as a central issue in the course of my career,” she reflects. Having worked at several ARD broadcasters, has she found that, while organizational cultures vary, gender has rarely been a dominant issue.
For her, the twenty-first century is above all a century of cooperation—and hence of transformed leadership. Management today functions very differently from forty years ago, she asserts: The role of Director-General is at once representative and managerial. “Representation matters, especially in politically challenging times.” At the same time, she is equally passionate about budget planning, staffing structures and the development of a new AI strategy.
As in journalism, her work remains ideas-driven: “Creativity is not limited to editorial work. Developing financial strategies or an AI framework is also a creative process.”
Wildermuth grew gradually into the role of Director-General. She finds particular fulfilment in supporting staff through complex processes of transformation. “I really enjoy that.” There is no universal formula for her work—only a deeply held conviction: “Be inquisitive and enjoy what you do.”
Her leadership continues to be shaped by critical inquiry, contextual thinking and the ability to engage people in dialogue. Seeing the big picture is just as important as being accurate with the details. “Being Director-General does not mean standing on a soapbox: It means assuming responsibility every day—for an organization with around 5,000 employees.”
What advice does she give to aspiring journalists? “Quality journalism is not simply posting something.” Today’s technology may have made content production easy, but Wildermuth insists that “Journalism is a craft.”
This craft must be learned—along with one of its central virtues: impartiality. Journalistic diligence means accepting that you often won’t get quick answers. “Even when you think you have understood something, you have to ask again, verify what you have found and continuously question yourself.”
Journalism, as Wildermuth describes it, is a journey from youthful certainty toward self-criticism. Whereas professional equipment alone once created distance and authority, smartphones today suggest a deceptive proximity to the profession. “Having a smartphone doesn’t make you a TV station,” she says, adding: “That’s why journalism is such a demanding profession, but such a wonderful one, too.”