Steffen Seibert

Steffen Rüdiger Seibert (born 7 June 1960 in Munich) is a German journalist and former television host who serves as German Ambassador to Israel. He previously served as head of the German Federal Government's Press and Information Office and as the German government's spokesperson from 2010 to 2021.^[2][3] During his tenure, Seibert was officially ranked as a Secretary of State.

Steffen Seibert
Seibert in 2012
German Ambassador to Israel
Incumbent
Assumed office 2022[1]
President	Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Preceded by	Susanne Wasum-Rainer
Spokesperson of the Federal Government
In office 11 August 2010 – 8 December 2021
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Deputy	Ulrike Demmer Martina Fietz
Preceded by	Ulrich Wilhelm
Succeeded by	Steffen Hebestreit
Chief of the Federal Press Office
In office 11 August 2010 – 8 December 2021
Chancellor	Angela Merkel
Deputy	Ulrike Demmer
Preceded by	Ulrich Wilhelm
Succeeded by	Steffen Hebestreit
Personal details
Born	(1960-06-07) 7 June 1960 (age 65) Munich, West Germany
Political party	Christian Democratic Union
Alma mater	University of Hamburg London School of Economics
Profession	Historian

From late 2016 Seibert was a member of the German government's cabinet committee on Brexit at which ministers discuss organizational and structural issues related to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.^[4][5]

Previously Seibert worked for the German television station ZDF as a journalist and presenter of the popular heute-journal (until 2010).

Biography

Seibert was born in Munich in 1960, and went to school at the Tellkampfschule in Hanover. He then studied history in Hamburg and at the London School of Economics.

Seibert is married (his wife is an artist), and has a daughter and two sons. They lived in Wiesbaden before moving to Berlin's Dahlem district in 2011.^[6]

Television journalist at ZDF

Seibert worked for ZDF from 1989 to 2010. In addition to his roles at ZDF, he co-hosted the Bavarian TV Awards in 2005 (alongside Nina Ruge) and in 2009 (alongside Markus Kavka). He also moderated the event series Nobelpreisträger in Mönchengladbach with guests F. W. de Klerk (2004), Mikhail Gorbachev (2007) and the 14th Dalai Lama (2008).^[7]

Years	function
1989–1992	Journalist
1992–1995	Correspondent for ZDF News (ZDF heute) in Washington, D.C.
1995–1996	Presenter of (ZDF Morgenmagazin) in Berlin
1996–1997	Presenter of ZDF Abendmagazin
1997–2000	Presenter of hallo deutschland (translated: hello Germany)
2000–2003	Presenter of ZDF.reporter
2003–2010	News presenter (heute) in Mainz
2007–2010	Presenter of heute-journal alongside co-anchor Dunja Hayali in Mainz
2009–2010	Presenter of Sternstunden der Deutschen ('Magic Moments in German History')

Recognition

• 2001 – Goldene Kamera (for Special Show 9/11)
• 2005 – Bambi (shared with Johannes B. Kerner for a show for the disaster victims of the tsunami in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake)
• 2013 – Order of the Star of Italy^[8][9]

Other activities

• UNICEF National Committee of Germany, Member^[10]
• "Club for early born babies" (Bundesverband "Das frühgeborene Kind"), Chairman (until 2008)
• International Journalists' Programmes, Arthur F. Burns Fellowship Program, Member of the Board of Trustees
• Städel Museum, Member of the Board of Trustees^[11]
• Kinderhospiz Bethel, Official Partner

Before taking on his current position, Seibert was an ambassador of UNICEF in Germany. In this capacity, he visited some of the organization's projects in Angola in 2003.