The municipality of Klütz in Mecklenburg finds itself at the center of a growing controversy after canceling a scheduled lecture by prominent public intellectual Michel Friedman. The event, planned for October 2026 to mark the 120th anniversary of Hannah Arendt's birth, was intended to feature Friedman speaking about democracy at the local literature house.

According to Oliver Hintz, director of the Klütz literature house, Mayor Jürgen Mevius informed him by telephone that a majority of the municipal committee had voted against hosting Friedman's lecture. The initial justification cited concerns that right-wing disruptors or Hamas sympathizers might come to Klütz to demonstrate, potentially creating security issues for the small community.

Friedman responded critically to the decision in an interview with NDR, stating that artistic, cultural, and freedom of expression should not be compromised due to perceived intimidation from right-wing extremists. However, Mayor Mevius later contradicted this account, pointing to financial considerations as the primary reason, noting that Friedman's speaking fee was significantly higher than what is typically paid for literary events in the town.

Felix Klein, the German government's antisemitism commissioner, has strongly condemned the cancellation, calling it "a direct attack on the constitutionally protected freedom of expression in our country." Klein argued that preemptive retreat by government bodies before enemies of democracy undermines fundamental societal values, adding that the municipality could have sought a proper threat assessment from security authorities if genuine concerns existed about an event still more than a year away.