On Friday, May 7th, it will be presented to the federal government for final consent.
According to the Live Musik Kommission, a vote was held in the Berlin Building, Housing, and Urban Development committee yesterday, in favor of a recommendation to change the status of clubs and live venues from entertainment sites to cultural sites.
The vote comes after a year of work by the multi-party Parliamentary Forum For Club Culture & Nightlife. Apart from cultural recognition, the selected venues will receive tax breaks, be protected from possible displacement, and be permitted to operate in more parts of the city. Berghain was the only venue with the status of a cultural institution, awarded to the legendary nightclub back in 2016.
‘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 Now, an outdated law is to be adapted to reality.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,’ said Pamela Schobeß of the Berlin Club Commission on the subject.
