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Concert by the band Meute in Dresden: Events with a reduced number of spectators
Photo: Sebastian Kahnert / dpa
There was no shortage of big words when the federal government presented a special fund for the cultural sector last year.
Olaf Scholz (SPD), who was still the Federal Minister of Finance at the time, spoke of the "largest cultural promotion program since the founding of the Federal Republic".
Ex-Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters (CDU) called the fund a “gift to culture in all of Germany”.
But this gift has hardly been received so far. This is shown in a report by the Minister of State for Culture to the Bundestag's budget committee, which is available to SPIEGEL. Until mid-December, applications for funds amounting to around 44 million euros had therefore only been made - a fraction of the total volume of 2.5 billion euros.
Around 40 million of the applications relate to the so-called profitability aid, which started in July last year.
It is intended to compensate for losses at smaller events when the number of visitors is reduced due to Corona requirements.
A so-called failure protection has been in place for major events since the beginning of September.
In the event of a cancellation, postponement or reduction in the number of participants due to a pandemic, it will cover up to 90 percent of the costs.
So far, around four million euros have been applied for from this pot.
Despite the modest amount of applications, the report states that the special fund has met with "great response" from organizers.
The Minister of State for Culture points out that applications for both funding pots can only be made retrospectively, when the respective event has already taken place.
Much registered, little requested
In fact, the number of events registered for aid is significantly higher than the number of actual applications: around 23,400 events have so far been registered for economic aid, which corresponds to a funding volume of up to 795 million euros.
Around half of the amount goes to concerts and festivals, and another 40 percent to performances of the performing arts.
To date, around 2000 events have been registered for failure protection, which would mean a maximum funding volume of around 859 million euros.
Almost three quarters of the total goes to concerts and festivals.
According to the report, it is to be expected "that the number and volume of applications will increase significantly in the coming weeks and months because events are being avoided or increasingly canceled in the current pandemic situation."
How many funds will actually be approved in the end cannot yet be said because of the duration and application deadlines for the programs.
One thing is clear, however: Measured against the volume of the special fund, very little money has really arrived so far.
There was early criticism of the implementation of the fund - as well as of the slow disbursement of two so-called "culture billions".
In the election campaign, Scholz "threw the billions of euros around," says Gesine Lötzsch, budgetary spokeswoman for the Left.
In view of the funds that have not yet flowed out, »disillusionment and frustration« set in.
»I have the impression that the funding programs are so complicated that as little money as possible reaches the people who urgently need help.
Unless it's about corporations that want to be saved.
As a rule, the money flows out quickly and unbureaucratically. "
