German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer has announced a “Cultural Infrastructure Offensive” with plans to invest in cultural buildings nationwide. The minister stated at the Architecture Biennale in Venice, “We will invest in cultural infrastructure across Germany. We will support and accelerate numerous building projects in the cultural sector, thereby strengthening the cultural and creative industry as a driving force for innovation, while also promoting growth, employment in the construction industry and craftsmanship.”
The minister cited several examples of ongoing and planned projects, including the recent restoration of the historic grounds of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens on Pfaueninsel, the energy-efficient renovation of the Luther House in Wittenberg and the restoration of the Augsburg Synagogue.
Weimer also emphasized the need for long-term investments in the restoration of the Paulskirche and the planned House of Democracy in Frankfurt, as well as the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, Schloss Friedenstein in Gotha, the German Maritime Museum in Hamburg, the German Literature Archive in Marbach, the planned German Photography Institute in Düsseldorf, the city hall in Görlitz and the expansion of the German National Library.
The minister also highlighted the importance of projects related to remembrance culture, such as the planned German-Polish House and the re-design of the NS memorial sites in Dachau, Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen.
“Website of our country’s identity as a cultural nation” the minister said, “cultural buildings contribute to the country’s visibility and strength. They promote social cohesion by enabling inspiration and encounter. We should make our cultural beacons shine brighter in the international context.