Michael Soendermann

Michael Soendermann is a consultant in the field of cultural statistics for regional and federal ministries of cultural and economic affairs, e.g. Federal Commissioner for Cultural and Media Affairs or Ministry of Economics.

Formerly, a member of the research unit for Creative Industries at HGKZ (2002-2009) and prior to that Head of the Research Unit for Cultural Statistics at the Centre for Cultural Research, Bonn. His early career includes work as a researcher at the Department of Culture of the Deutsche Landkreistag (umbrella organisation of German counties) in Bonn (1989-1998).

Since 1998, Michael Soendermann has also been an independent consultant for Cultural Statistics, Culture Industries and Cultural policy research, Cologne, Germany. From 2002 until 2009 he was a Member of the Research Unit for Creative Industries at the University of Art and Design Zurich, Switzerland. Prior to this, Head of the Research Unit for Cultural Statistics at the Centre for Cultural Research, Bonn (1989-1998) and before this Researcher at the Department of Culture of the Deutsche Landkreistag (umbrella organisation of German counties) in Bonn (1986).

Since 2009 he has been a Statistical Advisor for the Council of Europe/ERICarts "Compendium Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe". And, since 2006 he has been a member of the Governing Board of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Montreal, Canada.

His studies were in social sciences and pedagogy at the Universities of Cologne and Hildesheim; study of church music at the School of Church Music, Hanover. State Exam in social sciences and pedagogy, Master's Degree in Cultural Studies.