Germany Approves €1.3 Billion in Cultural Funding

German cultural commissioner Monika Grütters announced on Friday that the country would increase its cultural funding by €90 million for a total €1.3 billion ($1.76 billion) in allocated funds for 2014. The additional funding marks a seven percent increase over 2013.

Grütters said that the budgetary approval by the Bundestag secured, “a solid foundation for the development and creation of successful cultural-political [initiatives].” Among her major achievements since taking over the post from predecessor Bernd Neumann was the doubling of funds allocated to provenance research. The move followed the Gurlitt saga, which initiated a wealth of renewed public support for restitution efforts. Four million euros are now available annually to assist in such research.

Preservation of historical monuments and buildings receives the highest funding increase, an additional €29 million in 2014. The Kulturstiftung des Bundes, an organization which funds many art initiatives and exhibitions, also received an additional €2.5 million. And the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), which oversees Berlin’s museum system among other things, received a funding increase of €7.5 million.