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+++ Updates +++ in the article are marked as such. A new and unprecedented event has occurred for all of us. In order to delay the number of coronavirus infections, public life in Berlin has been reduced to a minimum in recent days. Exhibitions, museums, trade fairs, theatres, operas, concert halls and similar establishments are also to be closed to the public with immediate effect until further notice. This is one of the provisions of the guidelines issued by the Federal Government yesterday (16.03.). The acute and long-term consequences of this shutdown are immense.
With a gross value added of more than 100 billion euros, the cultural and creative industries are one of the largest sectors of the economy – even ahead of the chemical industry, energy suppliers and financial service providers. This is why it is so important that the culture, creative and media industries are massively supported by the aid package of the Federal Government, explained Minister of State for Culture Prof. Monika Grütters in her announcement of aid for the aforementioned branches of industry today (17 March). > Ankündigung von Hilfen
Culture – not a decorative luxury
This gigantic sum shows the economic relevance of the art industry with its artists*, galleries, events and art fairs. But the situation cannot be assessed dramatically enough. “Whatever structures that have grown up in the culture and media sector break away once, cannot be rebuilt so quickly,” Monika Grütters warns. “In the medium term, this can have hardly conceivable effects on the diversity of our cultural and media landscape. That’s why now more than ever before, culture is not a decorative luxury that is only allowed in good times. We can see how much we need it – especially in terms of social cohesion – now that we have to do without it to a large extent. That is why this aid is …
