Detail page - Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the heads of government of the federal states signed the new financing agreement for the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation on Wednesday (12 March) in the presence of Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and Foundation President Hermann Parzinger at the Bode Museum, which will come into force on 1 January 2026.
The agreement provides for an increase in the annual contributions from the federal and state governments to finance the SPK by a total of €12 million from 2026, of which the federal government will contribute €9 million. This means a ten per cent increase in the base amount of the SPK's operating costs to just under €135 million. With the exception of Berlin, subsidies from the federal states have not increased since 1996. Their share of the basic amount of operating costs now amounts to around EUR 33.7 million, while the federal government bears the remaining 75 per cent of around EUR 101.2 million. In addition, there are grants from the federal government and the state of Berlin for ongoing operations and special payments from the federal government for construction measures.

The financing agreement is part of the extensive reform process that the federal and state governments have initiated together with the SPK. On 31 January 2025, the German Bundestag passed a new law on the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation by a large majority, which provides for changes to the structure and governance of the SPK. The law replaces the so-called Establishment Act of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation of 25 July 1957, which established the SPK as a foundation under public law with direct federal funding and transferred responsibility for the collections of the former State of Prussia to it.

Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, who is also Chair of the SPK Foundation Council, says: "With the new funding agreement, the federal and state governments are making a clear commitment to the SPK. Together, we are ensuring that the Foundation can showcase its extraordinary art treasures even more successfully and is well equipped for the future. This is a very important signal, because especially in difficult times we need strong, efficient and well-positioned cultural institutions. I would like to thank everyone who has played a constructive role in the reform of the SPK - especially the federal states and the approximately 2,000 SPK employees who have supported the reform with a great deal of energy and passion."

SPK President Hermann Parzinger explains: "This really is a great day for the Foundation. I would like to thank Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Minister Presidents of the federal states from the bottom of my heart for this strong signal. I would also like to thank Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and her organisation. We know how tight the situation of public cultural budgets is everywhere at this time. This makes this step all the more important. It is also a recognition of the Foundation's successful reform efforts, which we will finalise this year. We are responding to the justified wish of the federal states for the SPK to have an even stronger presence in the federal states with a new federal programme."

According to the SPK President, the money will be used to improve the quality of the facilities. This includes strengthening the autonomy and self-control options, making the museum teams at the respective locations more effective, improving communication, especially in the social media area, massively expanding the area of education and mediation including digital presence and, last but not least, providing more offers for visitors and users: "This requires personnel and also financial resources."

Hermann Parzinger thanked the Chancellor, the Minister Presidents and the Minister of State for Culture by presenting them with coin sponsorships from the Numismatic Collection: "We are receiving more money and returning sponsorships for valuable coins. Bernhard Weisser and Karsten Dahmen from the Coin Cabinet have selected objects that are linked to the history of the respective countries - the oldest is a Celtic coin dating from 75-50 BC, the most recent commemorates the first German National Assembly on 6 November 1919 in Weimar."

By becoming a coin sponsor, you contribute to the documentation of a coin, medal or other object in the Coin Cabinet in the interactive coin catalogue. The name under the corresponding object is listed as the coin sponsor. Some of the selected coins are on display in the permanent exhibition at the Bode-Museum, others are in the vault. The coin sponsor supports the scientific documentation of the objects.