A vote in favour of Berlin clubs becoming cultural institutions opposed to entertainment sites was passed by an overwhelming majority yesterday, May 5, by the Berlin Building, Housing and Urban Development committee.
If the new law is passed, clubs will be offered additional support and protections, including financial aid to overcome the economic impact of the pandemic, tax breaks, permits allowing them to operate in wider areas of the city and potential exemptions from noise limits.
According to Live Musik Kommission, the vote in favour was almost unanimous and will see clubs and live venues join theatres, museums and concert halls as cultural sites, while ‘entertainment venues’ include brothels, cinemas and casinos.
The result follows a year of campaigning led by the Parliamentary Forum For Club Culture & Nightlife.
Speaking about the change in status, Pamela Schobeß of the Berlin Club Commission said: “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,” she added. “Now, an outdated law is to be adapted to reality.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.”
Berghain was already recognised as a cultural instituion in 2016, as DJ mag writes.
