Departures of note

Felix Semmelroth began his political career in the Social Democratic Party before switching to the Christian Democratic Union in 2006 to take up the post of Kulturdezernent (culture commissioner) in Frankfurt. He had previously worked as a senior aide to CDU mayor Petra Roth, where he helped shape the city's cultural policy. As culture commissioner, Semmelroth oversaw the administration of Frankfurt's cultural institutions, festivals, and funding programs for a decade, earning a reputation as a thoughtful and low‑profile public servant. He left the office in 2016 after internal party disputes and remained a respected figure in the city's cultural scene until his death in 2026.