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C U LT U R E & T H E M E D I A
CULTURE & THE MEDIA
Vibrant Nation of Culture ∙ Innovative Creative Industry ∙ Intercultural
Dialogue ∙ Cosmopolitan Positions ∙ Rapid Change in the Media ∙
Exciting World Heritage Sites ∙ Attractive Language
INSIGHT
VIBRANT NATION OF CULTURE
There is no one single German culture. There
small and medium-sized states and free cit-
are many German cultures which simultan-
ies, there are, amongst other things, around
eously coexist despite what are often aston-
300 theatres, 130 professional orchestras
ishing differences; they are intertwined, re-
(which are in some instances paired with radio
pelling and attracting one another. To speak
stations), and 80 musical theatres. Further-
of Germany as a nation of culture in the 21st
more, 630 art museums with outstanding in-
century is to talk of a mature and continu-
ternational collections form an unprece-
ously developing living organism whose
dented gallery scene. Germany is a world
variety is astounding, unsettling, indeed often
leader in terms of sheer variety in cultural
taxing. This can in part be attributed to the
facilities. The population generally welcomes
country’s federal traditions: After all, Ger-
the fact that theatres, orchestras and mu-
many was not a unified state until 1871. Not
seums are predominantly public institutions
only the Federal Republic of Germany found-
run by the federal states. Against the back-
ed in 1949, but also the Germany that was re-
drop of public budget constraints, socio-
unified in 1990 has consciously upheld the
demographic change and shifts in the media
federal traditions and left the federal states
landscape (such as digitisation) the cultural
firmly responsible for cultural policy. It was
system is currently in a phase of upheaval and
not until 1998 that there was a minister of
reorientation.
state in charge of culture and the media attached to the Federal Chancellery. One of the
Germany’s reputation as a major cultural
effects of Germany having arisen from many
nation rests on the great names of the past,