Autonomy, personal responsibility and the principle of networking
News from 08/20/2020
Foundation Board appoints reform commission to restructure the SPK – roadmap by the end of November
On August 19, the Board of the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation) gave detailed consideration to the recommendations made by the governmental Science Council as a result of its evaluation of the SPK's structure. At this meeting, it was decided to set up a reform commission, chaired by Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters, on which the states of Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg, and Saxony-Anhalt are to be represented by their respective ministers of culture. Also sitting on the commission will be SPK President Hermann Parzinger and Vice President Gero Dimter. In addition, there will be one representative from each of the SPK's institutions, on a rotating basis. The commission will be served by its own bureau, to be provided by the SPK and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The reform commission will maintain working groups on individual topics and, in addition, will draw on external expertise with regard to structural and governance issues. It is planned to have a roadmap for the reform process ready for discussion at the winter meeting of the Foundation Board at the end of November.
Foundation President Hermann Parzinger said: “The decision is an important step in the repositioning of the SPK. Together with the federal and state governments, we will now tackle the changes needed. In the future, the SPK's institutions should be able to act more autonomously and take on a greater degree of responsibility. At the same time, I am convinced that the networking of museums, libraries, archives, and research institutes must be furthered in a time of digital transformation and global interdependence. In order to do all of this, suitable structures need to be developed. This can only succeed if we enable the wide-ranging participation of all SPK employees in this reform process.”
Links for Additional Information
- Press release: Stiftungsrat der SPK unterstützt Reformprozess – Kulturstaatsministerin Grütters: „Gemeinsam wollen wir die Stiftung modern und zukunftsfähig aufstellen“ (20.08.2020)
- News „The cross-divisional structure should be regarded as an opportunity“ (20.08.2020)
- Press release „Stiftungspräsident Hermann Parzinger zu den Empfehlungen des Wissenschaftsrats: ein erster Schritt und eine große Chance“ (13.07.2020)
- Recommendations by the governmental Science Coucil