Germany declares clubs as cultural institutions

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A historical achievement at the Bundestag: Clubs and live music venues with a demonstrable cultural reference are no longer considered entertainment venues, but “facilities of cultural purpose!”
Building committee, German Bundestag, Feb 2020

A historical achievement at the Bundestag: Clubs and live music venues with a demonstrable cultural reference are no longer considered entertainment venues, but “facilities of cultural purpose”!

Last year, members of the GRÜNEN, LINKE, FDP, SPD and CDU / CSU founded the “Parliamentary Forum Club Culture & Nightlife” at the German Bundestag, to give the issue of club culture more support and visibility across the board.

The first and most primary concern was to obtain recognition of clubs as cultural regulations under the building law. The decisive meeting with the construction committee took place on May 5, 2021 and much to the delight of the stakeholders: LiveKomm – the Federal Association of Music Venues in Germany e.V. , the decision was made in favour of club culture. The motion was passed almost unanimously in the committee and will go to the vote in plenary tomorrow, Friday afternoon, under agenda item 36.

According to said “agenda item 36”, music clubs with a focus on artists, young talent and program curation will no longer be classified alongside arcades, betting shops, sex cinemas and brothels, but rather regarded as facilities for cultural purposes. Now clubs are aligned with theaters, operas, museums and concert halls,  making clubs less vulnerable to urban development,  investors, and gentrification.

Nightlife and club culture have seldom been given consideration in the building law and federal politics in Germany or across the world. However by passing this law, Germany now acknowledges how club culture has impacted an important part of cultural diversity over the past few decades.

The support and  protection of cultural areas and preventing their displacement is one of the most important issues in the city of Berlin, which is becoming increasingly dense, and something that needs to be addressed even more in the urgent post corona future.

Pamela Schobeß CEO and political spokeswoman for LiveKomm comments: 

“We would like to thank the members of the Parliamentary Forum in particular for their commitment and perseverance in this matter. With today’s decision, the Bundestag is sending a strong and long overdue signal to the republic. Music clubs are cultural institutions that shape the identity of city districts as an integral part of cultural and economic life. Now an outdated law is to be adapted to reality. This helps to keep cities and neighborhoods alive and liveable and to protect cultural places from displacement.” 

Lutz Leichsenring, partner at the global nighttime consultancy agency VibeLab and spokesperson for Clubcommission Berlin comments: 

“This is the result of more than 20 years of nighttime advocacy in Berlin and at the federal level. The draft law was passed across political parties and has a very good chance of being adopted in government action. This is an extraordinary decision and hopefully this example sets a worldwide precedent.” 

More information here