The federal government intends to provide greater support for the cultural excellence of the German capital. To this end, €2.9 billion will be made available over the next ten years. Representatives of the federal government and the Berlin state government signed a new capital city financing agreement on Tuesday. This agreement also allocates €2.1 billion over the same period for additional expenditures related to internal security and infrastructure in the capital.

Signing of capital city financing agreement

The cultural funding provided under the agreement focuses on nationally significant excellence projects and institutions, primarily in the fields of music and museums. The federal government is expected to contribute an additional €12.2 million, with funding to be increased in stages. These increases are subject to future budget approval processes.

The federal government is gradually increasing its funding for the Berlin Philharmonic by up to four million euros to 11.5 million euros per year. It is contributing up to 225 million euros to the renovation of the Philharmonie concert hall. The federal subsidy for the Berlin Opera Foundation will also increase gradually by up to four million euros, reaching 14 million euros. Of this, the Staatskapelle Berlin will receive one million euros. The federal government is also providing up to three million euros to support a collaboration between the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Barenboim-Said Academy to establish an excellence program for young musicians in the spirit of Daniel Barenboim, in cooperation with General Music Director Christian Thielemann. Further federal funding will go to museums and the Capital Cultural Fund.

"With the new, ten-year capital city funding agreement, the federal government is reliably backing the capital's cultural sector and initiating necessary structural changes," said Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (independent). "In doing so, we are focusing even more strongly on those cultural gems that shine far beyond Berlin and often represent Germany on the world stage."

"Berlin is a world-class cultural metropolis," declared Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD). "The concert halls, museums, and other cultural venues are flagships for our country, which we, as the federal government, support. This is money very well spent – ​​for Berlin and for Germany."

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