Kulturstiftung der Länder

The Kulturstiftung der Länder is the joint funding institution of the 16 German federal states. It supports projects and initiatives in art and culture that are of nationwide significance and are implemented together with several partners. Its focus is on tangible cultural heritage, particularly assisting museums, archives and libraries in acquiring, preserving, presenting, communicating and documenting artworks and cultural assets of outstanding importance for Germany's history or cultural self-understanding. It was founded in 1987 for the purpose of "promoting and preserving art and culture of national rank" and began its activities in 1988. It operates three funding lines: acquisition funding, exhibition funding and restoration funding.

The Kulturstiftung der Länder was founded in 1987 for the purpose of "promoting and preserving art and culture of national rank" and began its activities in 1988. It enables the federal states to pool their financial resources in order to acquire cultural assets of national significance that would often be unaffordable for individual institutions or states. Since its founding, with the foundation's support, over 1,000 artworks, collections of archival materials, literary estates, manuscripts and other cultural assets have been secured for public collections. In doing so, the foundation has spent around 200 million euros from state funds without itself acquiring ownership of the acquisitions. The idea of a state cultural foundation goes back to Günter Grass, who in a letter to Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt in May 1972 proposed a foundation active at national level to promote art and culture. Willy Brandt then announced in his government statement of 18 January 1973: "Many dreams would come true if one day public and private efforts to promote the arts could flow into a German National Foundation!" As early as April 1974, an extensive "Concept for the Establishment of a German National Foundation" prepared in the Federal Ministry of the Interior was available, which assumed "close cooperation" of this national foundation with "the states and municipalities as the main bearers of state cultural activities."

Joint funding institution of the 16 German federal states for nationally significant art and culture, focused on tangible cultural heritage.

1. 1Kulturstiftung der Länderkulturstiftung.de
2. 2Über uns - Kulturstiftungkulturstiftung.de
3. 3Geschichte der Kulturstiftung der Länder - Kulturstiftungkulturstiftung.de
4. 4Kulturstiftung der Länderwikidata.org