Schlesinger stands to receive a pension from RBB
In a recent court ruling on July 16, 2025, Patricia Schlesinger, the former intendant of RBB, has secured a partial legal victory in her claim for a pension (Ruhegeld) payments from the broadcaster. The Berlin Regional Court (Landgericht Berlin II) has ordered RBB to pay Schlesinger a pension installment for January 2023, amounting to approximately €18,300 to €18,400.
However, the court's ruling did not clarify whether Schlesinger is entitled to pension payments beyond that month. The court suggested a settlement during the January hearing, but it did not materialize. The court's ruling also did not clarify if RBB will pay the rest of Schlesinger's pension, estimated to be around 220,000 euros per year for the past three years and the future.
The legal dispute between Schlesinger and RBB is over a so-called pension, defined in this context as a monthly sum of money paid out after the end of the contract, before retirement, and then for life. Pension regulations are known from the context of top manager contracts.
RBB, on the other hand, succeeded to some extent in the counterclaims it made in the legal dispute related to a controversial and expensive construction project initiated under Schlesinger's management, known as the "Digitales Medienhaus" (digital media house), which was eventually canceled following the scandal. The court separated this part of the dispute, and the process continues regarding this matter.
The allegations of waste and nepotism, which emerged during the summer of 2022 and shook public broadcasting, remain part of the broader criticisms that led to Schlesinger's dismissal. These include allegations of company cars with massage seats, luxurious furnishings in the intendant's office, meals at the intendant's home at the broadcaster's expense, business trips, allowances for executives, and a now-scrapped million-euro building project for the editorial department.
Schlesinger has always denied the allegations. The presumption of innocence applies. A separate legal dispute in which RBB is claiming damages from Schlesinger regarding the planning of a digital media house has been separated and will be tried separately.
The court's ruling did not clarify if RBB will pay the rest of Schlesinger's pension, but RBB estimates the claim at over 1.7 million euros in the new breaches of duty. The amount of the claim in the new breaches of duty will be determined in a later decision.
In summary, Patricia Schlesinger currently has a partial legal win for her pension claim against RBB, while the broadcaster retains some successful counterclaims, and the more complex issues around the wasteful building project and any nepotism allegations are still being legally unsettled.
- Despite the court's ruling clarifying the payment for one month's pension, the entitlement of Patricia Schlesinger to pension payments beyond that month remains uncertain, potentially leading to further discussions between Schlesinger and RBB on general-news matters.
- The court's ruling does not decide if RBB will pay the rest of Schlesinger's pension, but it opens up a new legal dispute regarding breaches of duty, which could have significant financial implications for both parties, especially in the realm of Other finance and business, as the amount of the claim is substantial.
