The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation will receive more money from 2026

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation is set to receive more money from 2026. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states agreed on a new financing agreement, as Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) announced on Friday. Accordingly, the federal and state governments will increase their annual contributions by twelve million euros starting next year, with nine million euros coming from the federal government.

The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation is the largest cultural institution in Germany, with five institutions united under its roof. These include the Berlin State Museums with their 15 collections and several houses such as the Pergamon Museum as well as the State Library and other institutions. The foundation has around 2,100 employees. It is financed jointly by the federal and state governments. The federal government covers three quarters of the ongoing operating costs as well as all construction costs. The current financing agreement has not been adjusted since 1996. The change is to be signed by the Chancellor and the state leaders by March 12th after the participation of the state parliaments.

Roth wants to pass reform legislation before the federal election

The new agreement is part of an extensive reform process that the federal and state governments have initiated together with the foundation. The agreement is “a clear, cross-party commitment from the federal and state governments to Germany’s largest cultural institution,” said Minister of State for Culture Roth. Strengthening Berlin’s cultural landscape is an important political signal, especially in times of strained state budgets.

Roth called for the law to reform the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, which was introduced in the Bundestag at the end of the year, to be passed before the federal election on February 23rd. It is important that the law drawn up together with the states receives broad cross-party support in the Bundestag. After the traffic light coalition broke with the FDP, the SPD and the Greens no longer have their own majority in parliament.

The structural reform is intended to help the foundation attract more visitors to its facilities. Among other things, it is planned that management will no longer be the responsibility of the president alone, as was previously the case, but rather a collegial board of up to seven people. The individual facilities should also be able to decide independently about their personnel planning .