Cabaret artist Maximilian Schafroth will no longer perform as Fastenredner at the Nockherberg beer tapping event after five years. Officially termed a change, Schafroth describes it in an interview as a dismissal. His final speech drew sharp criticism from parts of the CSU.
In July, it became known that Maximilian Schafroth, known as 'Maxi' to all, will no longer perform as Fastenredner at the traditional strong beer tapping event on the Nockherberg in Munich. Since 2019, the 40-year-old cabaret artist had taken politicians to task there. What the Paulaner Brewery, as organizer, called a 'change' was a dismissal for Schafroth, as he told the 'Süddeutsche Zeitung'.
'It was just communicated a bit more diplomatically, also by me myself, because I didn't want to trigger a wave of indignation,' Schafroth said. He admitted that the decision had hurt him: 'Yes, of course, I put my heart into it, I'm making no secret of that.' Nevertheless, he saw no reason to react angrily.
His 2024 speech drew harsh criticism especially from parts of the CSU, as it was too hard and too serious. The brewery then decided in July to replace Schafroth with cabaret artist Stephan Zinner. Schafroth defended his performances: 'The 2024 speech was actually harder,' he explained, describing how in previous years he had to first 'tenderize the audience like a schnitzel' before sharpening his points.
For 2025, he skipped this approach because he was annoyed by the mudslinging in the election campaign and Premier Markus Söder's 'Green-bashing.' 'I did say: stay sovereign. But try staying sovereign with Söder and Aiwanger. Not easy, that the anger doesn't get the better of you,' he said.
Schafroth looks ahead: On Friday, his play 'Wachse oder weiche' premieres at the Münchner Kammerspiele, in which he acts and directs. On October 30, he voices the kobold Pumuckl in the film 'Pumuckl und das große Missverständnis'.