Cultural Diversity : Germany

Cultural federalism. Nowhere is the federal structure of the Federal Republic of Germany more evident than in the cultural sphere. Germany never had a cultural metropolis comparable to Paris in France or London in England. The considerable cultural autonomy of the federal states has led to the formation of large and small cultural centers with different profiles. Cultural and scholarly activity is to be found even in small towns and communities.

Berlin, as the capital and future seat of government the political center of united Germany, will continue to play an important role in the cultural sphere as well. This will not, however, in any way diminish the standing of other German cities as cultural centers. The country’s federal structure ensures that its cultural diversity will be preserved and that an intensive exchange will take place between its cities and cultural institutions - at the international level as well.

This diversity is apparent simply from the regional distribution of the different cultural institutions and activities in Germany. The Deutsche Bibliothek (German Library) is located in Frankfurt am Main, with branches in Berlin and Leipzig. The Federal Records Office is headquartered in Koblenz and has branches in a number of cities including Bayreuth, Berlin, Freiburg im Breisgau and Potsdam.

Hamburg has the largest concentration of media; Cologne, Dusseldorf and Kassel are just three of the centers of modern art. Berlin has the most theaters. The Academies of Science have their seat in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Gottingen, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Mainz and Munich. The principal museums are situated in Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Hildesheim, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart. The two most important literary archives are in Marbach and Weimar.

The Federal Republic is thus a country with many cultural centers. There are no cultural backwaters in Germany. No one must travel hundreds of miles to see good theater or hear good music. Even in some small towns, one can find valuable libraries or interesting art collections. This goes back to the days when Germany consisted of many principalities whose rulers vied with each other to make their residences centers of culture, and when civic-minded citizens patronized the arts and sciences in their towns.

The establishment and maintenance of most cultural institutions in the Federal Republic of Germany is the responsibility of the cities and municipalities. Legislation on cultural matters - with a few exceptions - is the prerogative of the federal states.