Culture Senator Klaus Lederer: I decide what the independent scene is

Since Klaus Lederer has been Senator for Culture, Berlin’s independent scene has been doing better than ever. At least financially. As the first politician in this office, he can really draw on the full.

After years of austerity under Secretary of State for Culture André Schmitz and the rather stuttering upswing of the (short) Tim Renner period, a boom era began in 2016. The state funds only for the independent scene increased by more than 30 million euros in Lederer’s first two years alone.

Concept funding – one of Berlin’s most important instruments – was endowed with six million when it came. Today there are 14.5 million in the pot, and the trend is rising. So one would think that the man was a kind of pillar saint in Berlin performer circles.

Shouldn’t he be the natural ally of precariously working artists?

But he isn’t. This is mainly due to the fact that Lederer fills the leeway that was given to him with his own creative drive. Irony of history: After the free scene had found an opponent in SPD aristocrat Schmitz and a buddy in career changer Renner (who brought them to the advisory tables, but couldn’t do much), they were relegated to their places by the Left Party’s Senator for Culture, of all people .

That should actually be her natural ally. But never thought about granting the representatives of the scene decisive decision-making powers in the planning of the Alte Münze – which quite a few had hoped for.

Lederer, one has to give him his credit, does not engage in ideology-driven cultural politics. He just likes to make his own decisions. Be it about buying back the Radialsystem V (one of his first official acts). Or about what actually belongs to the independent scene.

For him not just the obvious combination of production houses, groups and artists from the performing arts, dance, music, visual arts and literature. But also, for example, the Chorverband Berlin eV – which is legitimate. Lederer will probably no longer be cultural senator of the hearts, even if he is re-elected in the independent scene. But perhaps the generous support makes up for it.

To home page