Cessation of Jesting - Reduction Imminent
In a challenging financial climate, cultural institutions across Germany and Austria are bracing for significant changes. With municipalities facing significant budget deficits, cultural funding is often the first to be cut, as municipalities are not looking at where they want to cut but where they have to.
In Austria, the Bregenz Festival, a renowned cultural event, will face a 30% reduction in subsidies from 2025 to 2026. This cut could affect collaborations and technical innovations, potentially impacting the quality of future performances. Similarly, the cultural sector in Austria is set to shrink from 670 million euros in 2025 to 522 million euros in 2028, a reduction of around 150 million euros over three years.
Germany's cultural landscape is also undergoing restructuring. Berlin, for instance, is facing drastic cuts of around 130 million euros for 2025, with further cuts planned for 2026 and 2027. Dresden's cultural budget will be reduced by 2.5 million euros annually from the 2025/26 budget, while Leipzig's opera, theater, and Gewandhaus are likely to be affected by further cuts of 914,200 euros in 2026.
Munich is also facing significant cuts in the cultural budget, with savings in the cultural area making up around 8.5% of the total cuts for 2025. The city of Cologne plans cuts of around 6 million euros in the cultural budget, with cuts of 27% threatened in the music sector.
The Association of Municipalities in Germany has warned of rapidly rising expenditures, particularly in the social sector and for personnel. This has led to a debate on how to secure the financing of culture in Germany. Marc Grandmontagne, cultural referent of Ingolstadt, has stated that the decline in municipal revenues is dramatic and that it is now about the very existence of cultural life in the city.
Artists will have to justify their state support more than ever before. Questions about whether we can afford too much culture that is no longer in demand, whether the houses are handling their money carefully enough, and whether it is right to support a system where lavish fees meet precarious working conditions, are becoming increasingly relevant.
In Berlin, cultural institutions are preparing for significant changes and justifying public support amidst financial pressure and shifting priorities. The Salzburg Festival, for example, will have to save money due to the tight budget situation, potentially leading to delays in important construction and investment projects.
Ingolstadt, particularly affected due to its heavy dependence on the trade tax of the Volkswagen Group, must save 25 million euros each year from 2026 to 2028. The Baden Theatre Orchestra in Lower Austria will be dissolved, with the Tonkünstler Orchestra taking over its performances from the 2027/28 season.
Cultural funding is important for urban cohesion, but it seems that a new debate is needed on how to secure the financing of culture in Germany, according to Grandmontagne, or else the country risks digging its own grave.
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