Given cuts to the country’s cultural institutions, the Green Party faces decline Cultural business be warned. With the current double budget, they are forced to take strict austerity measures, explained lawmaker Claudia Maicher, who submitted a small question to the state parliament on this matter. “These backdoor cuts represent a serious burden on the future of state-owned cultural enterprises.”
The Green Party is concerned the facility will become less attractive
According to Maicher, savings greatly influence the attractiveness of the offer. “What signal does it give when admission prices rise and opening hours have to be limited at the same time? If new productions, festivals, offers for the younger generation and special exhibitions have to be reduced or cancelled,” asked the MP.
Maicher, the Green Party’s cultural policy spokesperson in state parliament, also sees important work in the background at risk – from research to digitization to restoration and maintenance. In 2026 too, many actions will have to be postponed due to pressure to save money. “Therefore, I am deeply concerned about the development of our country’s cultural enterprises. These cuts jeopardize their international and regional impact and their importance as cultural ambassadors in our society.”
Appeal to Minister of Culture Klepsch
“It is now up to Minister of Culture Barbara Klepsch to continue this invisible downward spiral. I hope the minister will be more committed to preserving our cultural heritage and the level of excellence of our country’s cultural enterprise when drawing up the double budget for 2027/2028,” Maicher said in his appeal to the CDU politician.
Maicher calculated that the Dresden State Art Collection alone should save 5.7 percent of its overall budget and the German Barrier-Free Reading Center in Leipzig should save 6.6 percent. The Semperoper and Staatsschauspiel in Dresden will lose more than three million euros this year.
Fewer premieres, less money for guest fees
Responding to this small question, the Ministry of Culture also referred to the savings measures that had been implemented by each institution. For the state-owned Saxon Theater (Semperoper and State Theatre), among other things, it mentioned fewer new productions, reduced guest fees and the predicted end of the Fast Forward theater festival by 2026 – unless further funding sources opened up.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251112-930-281717/1
