Uwe Steimle signs cease and desist after Stauffenberg remarks

German cabaret artist Uwe Steimle has signed a cease and desist declaration following controversial remarks made at an AfD event in Dessau-Roßlau. The legal action follows comments Steimle made in mid-July regarding Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

During the event, Steimle stated, ‘When I see Friedrich Merz, I sometimes wonder: where is Stauffenberg actually, when one really needs him?’ This prompted a sharp rebuke from Karl Graf von Stauffenberg, the grandson of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, who accused the comedian of ‘history distortion par excellence’ and stated his grandfather was being ‘dragged through the mud.’

Steimle’s lawyer, Peter-Michael Diestel, stated that the artist signed the declaration not because he believed it was correct, but because he recognized that while his remarks were legally permissible, they had offended others. Under the agreement, Steimle is prohibited from mentioning Stauffenberg in connection with calls for violence against Chancellor Merz; failure to comply could result in contractual penalties. Karl Graf von Stauffenberg noted he accepts the declaration but expressed that a public apology would have been appropriate.