Michel Friedman
Encyclopedia
Michel Friedman is a German lawyer, former CDU
politician and talk show host. From 2000 to 2003 Friedman was vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany
, and president of the European Jewish Congress
from 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2003 he had his own show on German television. Since 2004 he has been hosting a weekly talk show on N24
.
Friedman is a lawyer by profession and studied law and philosophy.
had recruited them for slave labor, thereby rescuing them from a concentration camp. They had been in the most infamous of all camps
, the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. After the Second World War
, his family opened a fur shop in Paris. In 1965, the family returned to Germany and settled in Frankfurt am Main. Friedman began studying medicine, but then switched to law. He graduated from law school in 1988 and became a doctor of law in 1994. He has a brother living in Israel
.
Since July 2004 he has been married to Bärbel Schäfer, a former German TV celebrity. They have two sons, Samuel (*2005) and Oscar (*2008 - named after Oskar Schindler).
and drug usage
. Friedman had been accused of offering cocaine
to Ukrainian
prostitutes he had ordered through an escort service that was being investigated for forced prostitution. Friedman's crime was discovered almost by chance, when police wiretaps for the investigation into forced prostitution led them to the name "Paolo Pinkas", which turned out to be Friedman's alias when using the service. However several Jewish leaders claimed Friedman's arrest was part of an anti-Semitic witch-hunt. Investigators raided his home and found small quantities of cocaine. He was fined €17,400 for possession of cocaine
, on July 8, 2003. The settlement enabled him to avoid a trial. After publicly admitting to the drug possession Friedman stated "I have made a mistake. Drugs are no help. I am resigning from all public offices that I hold." As well as resigning from the Central Council of Jews Friedman also resigned from the Christian Democratic Party
.
However, since he did not apologise to the forced prostitutes themselves (keeping silent about the nature of his "mistake"), the German women's' rights organisation Terre des Femmes and others strongly criticised Friedman's speech.
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
politician and talk show host. From 2000 to 2003 Friedman was vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany
Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland
The Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland is a federation of German Jews organizing many Jewish organisations in Germany. It was founded on July 19, 1950, as a response to the increasing isolation of German Jews by the international Jewish community and increasing interest in Jewish affairs by the ...
, and president of the European Jewish Congress
European Jewish Congress
The European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
from 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2003 he had his own show on German television. Since 2004 he has been hosting a weekly talk show on N24
N24 (Germany)
N24 is a television news channel based in Germany. It is owned N24 Media GmbH. It was previously owned and operated by ProSiebenSat.1 Media. N24 provides regular news updates to ProSiebenSat.1 Media properties like kabel eins and ProSieben.-History:...
.
Friedman is a lawyer by profession and studied law and philosophy.
Background and personal life
Friedman was born to a Polish-Jewish family. His parents and his grandmother were Schindlerjuden, i.e. Oskar SchindlerOskar Schindler
Oskar Schindler was an ethnic German industrialist born in Moravia. He is credited with saving over 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ammunitions factories, which were located in what is now Poland and the Czech Republic respectively.He is the subject of the...
had recruited them for slave labor, thereby rescuing them from a concentration camp. They had been in the most infamous of all camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
, the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. After the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his family opened a fur shop in Paris. In 1965, the family returned to Germany and settled in Frankfurt am Main. Friedman began studying medicine, but then switched to law. He graduated from law school in 1988 and became a doctor of law in 1994. He has a brother living in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Since July 2004 he has been married to Bärbel Schäfer, a former German TV celebrity. They have two sons, Samuel (*2005) and Oscar (*2008 - named after Oskar Schindler).
Prostitution and drug use
In 2003, Friedman was convicted in a case involving prostitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
and drug usage
Drug usage
Drug usage is an umbrella term that may be used to refer to:* Substance abuse* Responsible drug use* Recreational drug use* Medical cannabis...
. Friedman had been accused of offering cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
to Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
prostitutes he had ordered through an escort service that was being investigated for forced prostitution. Friedman's crime was discovered almost by chance, when police wiretaps for the investigation into forced prostitution led them to the name "Paolo Pinkas", which turned out to be Friedman's alias when using the service. However several Jewish leaders claimed Friedman's arrest was part of an anti-Semitic witch-hunt. Investigators raided his home and found small quantities of cocaine. He was fined €17,400 for possession of cocaine
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
, on July 8, 2003. The settlement enabled him to avoid a trial. After publicly admitting to the drug possession Friedman stated "I have made a mistake. Drugs are no help. I am resigning from all public offices that I hold." As well as resigning from the Central Council of Jews Friedman also resigned from the Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democratic Union (Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Germany. It is regarded as on the centre-right of the German political spectrum...
.
However, since he did not apologise to the forced prostitutes themselves (keeping silent about the nature of his "mistake"), the German women's' rights organisation Terre des Femmes and others strongly criticised Friedman's speech.