Culture crisis in Berlin: Savings threaten creative diversity!

Culture crisis in Berlin: Savings threaten creative diversity!

What actually happens in the cultural scene 2025? The cultural institutions of Berlin and Austria are currently under pressure. The financial prospects are nebulous and the discussions about cuts are circulating. The prominent cultural politician Wedl-Wilson emphasizes that the state has a responsibility towards culture that is part of German identity. "The financing of culture", says Wedl-Wilson, "depends heavily on the economic situation and the agreements with various institutions". ^NMZ

A savings rate of three percent for cultural institutions is currently planned in the budget draft for Berlin, and the budget for the free scene remains at the previous level - without increasing. This could significantly restrict the creative scope for many projects. Artists are forced to show entrepreneurial thinking in order to keep their projects afloat. Whether this succeeds remains questionable.

Savings and their consequences

Cultural funding in Berlin provides for savings of 130 million euros, which corresponds to 12 percent of the total budget. Targeted cuts are intended to serve to overcome the economic bottlenecks, but after public pressure, however, it is borne in mind that not all areas are affected. Children and youth theater and the Berlin Philharmonic are spared by cuts, while others, such as the "Werkbund Archive- Museum of Things", have to count on drastic cuts on Leipziger Strasse. ^{daily show}

The museum, which houses a collection of 20,000 objects and 40,000 archives, could be reduced by 20 percent of its funding, around 251,000 euros. This would not only result in the museum itself, but also for the employees that are at risk. Renate Grazilei, who rehearses in this museum for her performance "A Masque for the Multive", is alerted. Such cuts could rub the entire cultural scene.

The perspective of the federal government and future prospects

Despite a targeted increase in the cultural budget to 2.2 billion euros, the federal government reports that the funding for the "Alliance of International Production Houses" should be completely deleted. This has taken care of many in the free scene, such as Monika Gintersdorfer, who is worried about the future of their projects. ^NDR

While some institutions are supported by the governments when surviving these difficult financial times, the rest of the scene must become creative to find solutions. Amelie Deuflhard, the artistic director of Kampnagel in Hamburg, emphasizes the need for the federal subsidies for sustainable funding. More and more artists fear that these cuts could endanger the attractiveness of Berlin as a cultural capital. ^{daily show}

In summary, it can be said that the challenges that affect the culture in Berlin and beyond are by no means to be underestimated. Even if Wedl-Wilson shows some perspectives, the question remains how the cultural dialogue and the planned savings will affect the creative scene in the long term. A cultural agenda 2035 is already in the works, and a lot of time was dedicated to the dialogue between the institutions and the free scene. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be sufficient to preserve artistic vitality. ^NMZ