The Federal culture budget will grow by almost six percent in 2017 to 1.35 billion Euros.
The increase was announced by the brilliant culture minister (and Merkel confidante) Monika Grütters.
The film industry alone will get an extra 15 million for promoting new work.
A social media activist has circulated a video…
The orchestra of Spain’s poorest region has just…
The Vienna State Opera has posted a death…
Jessica Duchen has an eye-catching provocation in the…
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It makes a person wonder how the Germans can afford supporting the arts and the British whine about no funds for classical music.
It’s a choice. The arts promote mental development, are a far superior vehicule for integration than sport and contribute more than they cost to the economy in cultural tourism. Germany understands this, many other countries do not.
The media voices that matter in the UK, including the largely foreign-owned press, have always looked down on anything remotely highbrow, just as it has always been tantamount to a coup de grâce to accuse a politician of being “too clever by half”. It has been a perennial struggle trying to convince British governments that man does not live by bread alone and that spending on the arts is an investment that yields huge dividends, not least in terms of tourism and the job opportunities thus created. German governments don’t need to be reminded of this, but then there is far less anti-intellectualism there than in the UK. The recent triumphant Ring cycle performed by Opera North is evidence that there is plenty to celebrate in terms of cultural achievement, but official support is still badly needed (George Osborne’s presence at the Götterdämmerung performance a laudable exception to the rule that politicians hate to be seen in public supporting anything remotely elitist).
It’s no surprise at all that Germany is so committed to that arts, given that one of the UK’s greatest arts/science/culture areas was also created by a German back in the 19th century – you know, the one who had a Royal Hall named after him!
It’s great news for Germany but one wonders how much of this is to keep the people quiet after the ‘migrants’ fiasco!!!
Which migrants fiasco?
In daily real life in Germany people don’t feel much of a difference from the influx, or even a fiasco.
Of course if some entities in control of mass media wanted to use the issue for propagandistic purposes further, they could use the ever sensitive subject. But in reality Germany is coping and making good investment decisions regarding public mental health and aspirations. In the meantime countries that think arts are not essential and to be paid for by the wealthy for their entertainment, Britain and the US, are these days at full steam in their race to the bottom of civilization.
‘Which migrants fiasco?’
The one in which all the women got raped and everyone in authority tried to cover it up because it got in the way of the great project. Sue’s spot on: ‘Look over there – a lovely new art gallery! Keep staring at that while the rapists and bombers slip past you on the other side.’
Get therapy for your hallucinations and paranoia.
On the contrary, it is you who’ve had the “therapy” of government propaganda and agitprop. If there isn’t a problem why is Merkel so busy insisting everybody takes “their fair share”?
Absolutely priceless!!
Man darf dabei aber nicht vergessen, dass die Förderung von Kultur erst einmal Länder-Sache ist. Das heißt, die “Federal” , also Bundesregierung nur für spezielle Förderungen zuständig ist. Alle Theater, Museen, Opernhäuser etc werden nicht durch den Bund sondern von den Ländern und Kommunen finanziert. Und das mag immer noch besser funktionieren als in manchen anderen Ländern aber die kulturelle n Einrichtungen haben hier auch gegen Kürzungen zu kämpfen.
Man darf auch hier die Kleinstaaterei nicht vergessen, die letzten Endes zur kulturellen Vielfalt Deutschlands geführt hat. Ohne die ständige Konkurrenz unter den Landesfürsten und das Bestreben um weiteres Prestige hätte es auch nicht die vielen Opernhäuser, Museen und andere kulturelle Einrichtungen gegeben. Gleichwohl ist die Beziehung zur Kultur, und die Bereitschaft dafür Geld auszugeben, auch in kleineren Städten, eine andere als in Großbritannien wo man, egal auf welcher Ebene, um jede Zuwendung hart kämpfen muss. Die Stadt Birmingham hat, trotz des Renommees des CBSO, erhebliche Kürzungen vorgenommen. Eine solche Vorgehensweise hätte weitaus mehr Widerstand in Deutschland hervorgerufen.