2023-04-22 06:22:00
The Jugendkulturkarte project is being implemented in Berlin since February 1, under which people aged 18-23 can get a subscription for 50 euros for trips to the museum, theater, cinema and clubs. The promotion is only valid for Berliners so far (the subscription is issued to everyone with a Berlin residence permit, regardless of citizenship), but soon residents of all of Germany who turn 18 in 2023 will receive a similar card.
How young Berliners are taught culture
Time is 21 years old, Anya is 19. They have been in Berlin for half a year, but they have already settled in well – the guys, among other things, received a Jugendkulturkarte and went to the cinema to see Martin McDonagh’s Banshee of Inisherin. “We learned about the card from friends. It’s very easy to get it. We registered on the site, went to the nearest library, and without any queues, in 5 minutes, we took our cards,” says Tima.
Berliners could get the Jugendkulturkarte from public libraries (VÖBB) throughout February and spend 50 euros until 30 April. The choice of places and events is huge – 159 institutions participate in the action, including cinemas, theaters, museums and clubs.
Museum Island is represented only by the New Museum, which houses the bust of Nefertiti. But the card allows you to visit the cannabis museum, the museum of the actor Bud Spencer, the museum of espionage and such famous clubs as Ritter Butzke and SchwuZ.
Carla is 21 years old, she studies at the Free University of Berlin and also learned about the map from friends. The girl has so far managed to use it once and went to Babylon Kino for the drama “Eight Mountains”, there were no difficulties when buying a ticket. “I want to go to the theater and the club, maybe even to the cinema. The idea of such a card is a super initiative, especially for people who are not very interested in culture,” says Carla. And 21-year-old student of the Free University Malik has not yet managed to use the card, but he thinks about a theater, such as Gorki, or a club. “Unfortunately, Queer clubs do not participate in the promotion,” the student notes.
KulturPass and 200 euros for youth leisure
The Jugendkulturkarte is the first trial step in the larger KulturPass project. In 2023, the German government plans to give everyone who turns 18 this year a subscription for 200 euros, which can be spent on museums, theaters and cinemas. The project aims not only to attract young people to participate in cultural life, but also to support cultural institutions that have suffered financial losses due to COVID-19. According to official estimates, 750,000 Germans will come of age this year. The budget for KulturPass is 100 million euros.
The American Memorial Library (Amerika-Gedenkbibliothek) told DW that by the end of February, 65,000 Jugendkulturkarte had been issued and 85,000 people had registered. Approximately 200,000 people aged 18-23 live in Berlin.
Student Anya noted for herself that almost all concert halls and the opera participate in the program – she wants to spend a subscription to music. Tima plans to go to the cinema more and discover different small cinemas in Berlin. “I think I haven’t been to the movies for two years now, and I forgot how great it is,” he shares.
Personal experience – card and annual library subscription
It is very easy to get a card, as the DW correspondent was convinced from her own experience. First, it was necessary to fill out a small questionnaire on the project website, and then come to one of the libraries from the list with an identity card, where the registration address is indicated. I didn’t have to stand in line – it took no more than 5 minutes to get it.
In addition, they gave out a free annual subscription to all VÖBB libraries – another smart move to attract young people, including to libraries. Many students visit only the university library, with the Jugendkulturkarte they have an additional motivation to look into other libraries in Berlin.
What do Jugendkulturkarte holders want to improve?
But there are also questions about the subscription. So, Tima and Anya first wanted to go to the Bode Museum on Museum Island, but found out that he was not participating in the program. Also, tickets cannot be purchased online. The guys were worried that all the tickets would be sold out if they didn’t show up early.
Carla fears that not all card holders will have time to use it before the end of April. “It would be nice to extend the subscription,” – says the girl.
And Malik believes that the initiative itself is very good, but not fully developed: “I think that small clubs, theaters and the like have suffered more financially in recent years. At the same time, most of the establishments where the subscription works are large institutions, where there are so many visitors.
In addition, some of them already have free admission or big discounts for students. But it’s still great that such an initiative has appeared.”
In addition to the Jugendkulturkarte and the planned Kulturpass, Berlin provides young people with a number of other discounts and subscriptions. For example, students can get an annual museum card (Jahreskarte Classic) for 25 euros and use it to visit all state museums for a year. With the Staatsoperncard you can attend operas, ballets and concerts throughout the season with a 20% discount. For students, such a subscription costs 20 euros.
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