Ursula Caberta

Ursula Caberta
Speaking at a conference on Scientology in Hamburg, September 2008
Scientology Task Force of the Hamburg Interior Authority
Constituency	Hamburg, Germany
Personal details
Born	Hamburg, Germany
Nationality	Germany
Occupation	Commissioner for the Scientology Task Force of the Hamburg Interior Authority
Website	Hamburg Scientology Task Force

Ursula Caberta y Diaz (born 22 March 1950) is a German politician, former State of Hamburg government official and was the Commissioner for the Scientology Task Force of the Hamburg Interior Authority. She graduated in political economy. According to Deutsche Welle she was considered an expert on the subject of Scientology, and has been observing the organization since 1992^[1] to 2010.^[2] Her book Schwarzbuch Scientology (The Black Book of Scientology) was published in 2007.^[1] Caberta is also an official in Hamburg's authority for interior affairs.^[3][4]

The Hamburg Scientology Task Force (AGS) was founded in 1992, to monitor the activities of Scientology, and educate the public on the activities and objectives of Scientology. Furthermore, the AGS provided advice to people wishing to leave the organization.^[5] The Task Force was closed down in 2010 as a result of budget cuts.^[6]

Critic of Scientology

In 1995, Caberta took on an active role in controversies related to Scientology in schools in the Danish town of Bjerndrup near the German border.^[7] In 1996, Caberta stated in The New York Times that she saw similarities between Germany's prior history with the Third Reich, and the Church of Scientology.^[8] In 2000, Scientology filed a criminal complaint (Strafanzeige) against Caberta for alleged bribery after she was accused of receiving a private loan of 75,000 dollars from Bob Minton. The charges were dropped after Caberta paid a 7,500 Euro fine.^[9]

In 2007, Caberta was quoted in Spiegel as being worried that the Church of Scientology wanted to influence politics in Germany and throughout Europe.^[10] Caberta stated that the Church of Scientology aimed to undermine Germany's democracy with a "cynical ideology".^[3] In August 2007, along with Udo Nagel, Hamburg State Interior Minister, Caberta called for a ban on the Scientology organization, but this was rejected by Federal politicians in Berlin.^[11] Wolfgang Bosbach, deputy parliamentary group leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU said that a bid to outlaw Scientology may fail because Germany's domestic intelligence service is unlikely to have gathered enough evidence against it to back court action against the sect.^[12] In 2007 Caberta called Tom Cruise an enemy of the constitution.^[13] When the Task Force was closed down in 2010 as a result of budget cuts, Caberta moved to a position within the Hamburg interior authority, where she continues her work on Scientology.^[14][15]

On 31 January 2013, Caberta announced that, as of 1 February 2013, she was no longer working on fighting Scientology citing lack of governmental support as the reason. Her work for the state of Hamburg was celebrated on 20 March 2013 at Hamburg City Hall. She also alluded to another book she is working on. ^[16]

See also

• Scientology in Germany

Bibliography

• Caberta, Ursula (1997). Scientology greift an (in German) (Paperback ed.). Econ Verlag. ISBN 978-3-430-18249-2.  ("Scientology attacks")
• Caberta, Ursula (August 2007). Schwarzbuch Scientology (in German) (Paperback ed.). Gütersloher Verlagshaus. ISBN 978-3-579-06974-6.  ("The Black Book of Scientology")^[17]
• Caberta, Ursula (May 2008). Kindheit bei Scientology: Verboten (in German) (Paperback ed.). Gütersloher Verlagshaus. ISBN 978-3-579-06981-4.  ("Childhood in Scientology: Forbidden")

References

External links

• Homepage, Hamburg Scientology Task Force (German)

In the media