The state stud in Redefin is going through a turbulent time as the minister of agriculture, Till Backhaus, has stepped in and ordered a major restructuring of the loss making operation.
Period of Transition
At the start of 2024 Backhaus relieved Christoph Seite (55), the director of the Redefin State Stud, of his duties after four years on the job. Kristin Romanowski was appointed as ad interim director. Redefin employs 32 people and has 15 working students.
"The separation from Christoph Seite as managing director of the State Stud Farm was by mutual agreement. We have agreed not to disclose the details of the termination of our contract," the ministry stated.
In 2024 Redefin needed €3.2 million of state aid to survive, which was almost 30 percent more than in 2023.
In August 2024 Backhaus announced a "strategic realignment" and the external firm "Matthias Munz Consulting and Interim Management" was hired to investigate and define the stud's brand essence, strategic initiatives, clear budget planning, and organizational guidelines to make Redefin more financially sustainable. Munz report cost 25,000 euro according to NDR.
A job advertisement for a new managing director was posted, but a permanent appointment to the top position has yet to be made. According to NDR, an unsuccessful applicant has apparently successfully filed a lawsuit. The so-called competitor lawsuit is currently pending an appeal with the State Labor Court
The CDI/CSI Redefin in May 2025 got cancelled after title sponsor "Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB)" dropped out and a gap of 250,000 euro was created. The show was managed by Hof Kasselmann who stated that high cost pressure in general led to this decision. He said that the expenses cannot be recouped through spectator tickets.
Delayed Restructuring
At the end of May 2025, Backhaus confirmed that the restructuring of the Redefin has been delayed. Restructuring officer Munz has been forced to step in as a management assistant as the acting stud farm manager is currently out of commission due to illness.
CDU state parliament member Thomas Diener questioned Backhaus and expressed concern "that a consulting firm has now been entrusted with the provisional management of the Redefin State Stud." Diener spoke of "poor personnel management by the ministry."
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