Savings in culture: Berliner Schaubühne fears insolvency

The Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz is anticipating serious consequences for the theater in light of the planned million-dollar savings in Berlin’s culture. The cuts of 1.8 million euros planned for the Schaubühne attacked the structure of the building, it said in a statement. In addition, tariff increases of 700,000 euros should not be compensated for, as it was said. “That would lead to the Schaubühne’s insolvency as early as the end of 2025.”

Insolvency could only be avoided “if the Schaubühne undergoes a massive dismantling and conversion program and thereby loses what it stands for in Berlin and all over the world.” In view of the cost-cutting constraints, the first emergency measure planned is the small experimental one Venue Studio to close.

“The Senate is opening a new chapter in the city’s history, in which the priorities in the budget show what importance culture will have in Berlin in the future,” criticized the Schaubühne’s artistic director, Thomas Ostermeier.

So far over 600 performances annually

The Schaubühne was founded in 1962 and is one of the most famous theaters in Germany. It has been artistic director of Ostermeier since 1999. According to the theater, there are more than 500 performances in Berlin on the schedule every year and up to 100 guest performances around the world. “This extensive program could only be maintained for a short period of time,” said the Schaubühne.

In Berlin, many cultural businesses will have to prepare for significant savings next year. The reason for this is a billion-dollar savings program for the state budget, which representatives of the governing coalition presented on Tuesday. The House of Representatives will discuss the savings plans at its meeting on Thursday.

Berlin’s culture should save 130 million

In total, Berlin culture will lose around 130 million euros, around 12 percent of its budget. The budget for 2025 is around 1.12 billion euros.

Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) said on Tuesday that the decisions for the cultural sector were painful. “We now have to look, and I hope the same from the institutions, also in discussions with our cultural institutions, to see how we can ensure that work here is even more economical.”

The Schaubühne appealed to Parliament to take the specific situation of the Schaubühne and other theaters facing similar problems into account in its final decisions – and to make decisions based on a cultural policy strategy.