As of: February 20, 2024, 5:00 p.m
By: Bettina Stuhlweißenburg
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Christine von Löwis (l.) and Veronika Leo hope to welcome even more visitors this year than in 2023 (archive photo).
© Thomas Plettenberg
Culture in Oberbräu has picked up speed again and the number of visitors has reached pre-Corona levels.
The numbers are expected to continue to rise in 2024.
The cultural offering is largely financed by the market community.
Holzkirchen
– Holzkirchen’s cultural life has quickly recovered from the consequences of the pandemic.
As Christine von Löwis, managing director of Kultur im Oberbräu, explained at the most recent local council meeting, her house was able to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 with more than 20,000 visitors and 177 events.
“In 2024 we want to bring even more people in with a new program,” she said.
Löwis came to present the annual financial statements for the 2022 financial year of the three municipal cultural companies.
The pandemic was particularly reflected in the figures for Kultur im Oberbräu GmbH & Co. KG - which is responsible for the direct costs of cultural events, such as artist fees and Gema fees.
Your main task is to organize and hold cultural events and festivals, and this was only possible to a limited extent, especially in the first quarter of 2022.
Only 86 events took place in 2022.
“It wasn’t a normal year,” explained Mayor Christoph Schmid (CSU).
Due to the requirement to maintain minimum distances, only low capacity utilization was possible.
“We still tried to offer cultural life.” Because more culture means more deficit in the budget, the annual deficit of 179,809 euros was larger than in 2021, when cultural life had almost completely come to a standstill.
The deficit was 55,931 euros.
“We saved money during the pandemic,” explained Schmid.
Because the community subsidizes culture to keep it affordable.
The municipality provides subsidies of 30 to 35 euros per year per resident.
“We can create culture without having to worry,” said Löwis.
The seniors' program, for example, which costs twelve euros, also includes coffee and cake.
It's not profitable, but it is an enrichment for seniors.
Kultur- und Bürgerhaus GmbH & Co. KG was also affected by the pandemic in 2022.
Their budget pays for all of the staff and maintenance of the building.
According to Löwis, the deficit amounts to 672,636 euros, which is lower than the previous year's figure of 733,988 euros.
This is due to sales revenue, which increased by more than 63 percent compared to 2021.
However, the revenue of 250,184 euros was offset by expenses of 922,821 euros.
Because the company could not generate enough equity, the municipality of Holzkirchen granted a grant of 400,000 euros.
Holzkirchner Kultur- und Bürgerhaus Verwaltungs GmbH, on the other hand, achieved a positive result of 311 euros in 2022. The general partner is a “must-have GmbH”, as Schmid (CSU) put it: “You have to have it for liability reasons, But it has no other purpose.” Among other things, insurance is paid for from your budget.
Their balance sheet total was 38,301 euros.
The local council granted discharge to the company's management.
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