Berlin’s budget cut proposals became known to the public on Tuesday afternoon. The smallest department, the arts sector, would be forced to save 12 %, affecting Berlin’s entire cultural landscape.
According to the list of cutbacks, the Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge would be required to reduce its spending by € 251.000. For the Berlin-based institution, which works on the product and design culture of the 20th and 21st centuries and has existed for over 50 years, that sum represents over 20 % of its budget, far more than the average cuts.
We are in a state of shock.
This massive financial setback would mean the complete cancellation of our programme budget and also considerable job losses. It would affect a museum that has worked for years at the very limits in terms of personnel. It is unclear how a comparatively small institution that was forced to relocate after the cancellation of its rent contract, just recently painstakingly re-establishing itself at a new address, should now bear the brunt of such a disproportionate shortfall in funding.
The consequences for the programme and team would be massive. Exhibitions, events and guided tours, as well as the popular holiday offers and cooperation events would be impossible. The educational programme for kindergartens, schools and universities, which has been successful for years, would have to be halted. Digital, accessibility and anti-discrimination offers also face cancellation.
According to the list of cutbacks, the admission-free Museum Sunday, the resilience dispatcher programme and funding for Diversity Arts Culture would also be revoked. It would represent a blow to inclusion, diversity and digitisation.
We call upon the Senator of Finances, the Cultural Senator and the Members of the Berlin Senate to correct their cutback proposals for our institution and the overall cultural sector, and to uphold our museum and therefore the diversity and existence of Berlin’s cultural landscape.
The Werkbundarchiv – Museum der Dinge is operated by the Werkbundarchiv e.V. and institutionally funded by the State of Land Berlin.
The Aktionsplattform #BerlinIstKultur has summarised the threatened 12 % cuts to the arts sector by the Berlin State Government.
In an open letter, the Berlin Museums Association addresses the Berlin Senate. You can access the open letter here.
The Berlin regional association of the German Theatre Association has also written an open letter on the cuts and initiated a petition.
If you have any enquiries, please contact:
Olivia Lott
lott@museumderdinge.de
+49 (0)30 92 10 63 77