For corona skeptics, it is proof that the state has overshot the target in the pandemic. Public health officer Pürner was transferred to a new post after public criticism of the government. Now he wants to save his reputation with the help of the judiciary.
Augsburg (dpa / lby) – Friedrich Pürner, who was replaced as head of the health department in the Aichach-Friedberg district in the Corona crisis, is trying to restore his reputation in court. The administrative court in Augsburg heard several lawsuits by the doctor against the Free State on Thursday. “I want to be rehabilitated,” Pürner said at the hearing.
Pürner had to vacate his post at short notice in autumn 2020 after criticizing the state government’s corona policy. Pürner was then transferred to the State Office for Health and Food Safety. This was understood by him and many others as a punitive transfer of the officer.
He is now employed by the government of Upper Bavaria. There he is responsible for the acceptance of health examinations. The 55-year-old made it clear that he wanted to be appropriately employed again as a public health officer. He still has 10 to 12 years to work in the job and is already at the end of his career. “I’m politically burned,” he said.
The representative of the Free State contradicted in the process that Pürner should be sanctioned with his transfer to the state office. Pürner was supposed to work on the digitization of the health authorities and was qualified for it. “The plaintiff did not suffer any damage.”
The case had attracted a lot of attention in the pandemic beyond Swabia. For example, Pürner had criticized the obligation to wear masks and the closure of entire school classes in individual cases of corona. Corona skeptics therefore saw him as a role model, and colleagues also showed solidarity with him. An open letter published on the Internet was signed by hundreds of medical professionals. To this day, Pürner comments critically on the corona policy, especially on Twitter.
In March 2021, the state parliament in Munich also dealt with the case because a citizen had submitted a petition pro Pürner. Because of the pending proceedings at the administrative court, no decision was initially made on the petition at the time.
Ultimately, the parties agreed in the hearing on Thursday to look for an amicable settlement again with moderation by the court. Pürner’s complaints have been suspended for so long.
