There was a long discussion: Where should the German Photo Institute go? With Düsseldorf and Essen, two cities from North Rhine-Westphalia were in the running. Now the final decision has been made.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The planned German Photo Institute should finally come to Düsseldorf. All sides have now decided to do so, said a spokesman for Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) on Friday of the German Press Agency. The "Rheinische Post" (Friday) reported about it first.
"The federal and state governments are now increasing the funding by 1.5 million euros each to 43 million euros each," says a statement from several CDU deputies from the Bundestag and the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament. "The next crucial step must be the full financing of this important project." There was initially no comment from the NRW state government.
In the institution, which has also been called the Federal Institute for Photography, photographers' estates are to be collected, research on restoration and conservation promoted, and exhibitions, publications and events organized. The question of the location was particularly controversial for a long time.
Both Düsseldorf and Essen wanted to settle the project, which was promoted by the former Minister of State for Culture, Monika Grütters (CDU). An initiative had made a push for Düsseldorf and worked out plans - the city, state and budget committee in the Bundestag also promised funding in the millions for Düsseldorf. A commission of experts convened by Grütters later came out in favor of Essen as the future city for the photo institute. A feasibility study commissioned by Grütters followed, which also recommended Essen.
Essen's Lord Mayor Thomas Kufen (CDU) now said in view of the decision of the budget committee in the Bundestag: "There is a great disappointment in Essen and the region." Essen, for example, is the photo city with the Folkwang University of the Arts and has relied on good cooperation with the institutions for years. "However, we have to state that we obviously did not succeed in convincing the majority of the members of the budget committee with our good technical and factual arguments in favor of Essen as a location. Düsseldorf is the second best location at most."
The artists' association DFI, an association for the establishment and promotion of a German photo institute, was pleased that the facility was to be realized at the Düsseldorf Ehrenhof. "With the German Photo Institute, a competence and research network on the history, present and future of photography is to be created, which promotes new approaches, imparts specialist knowledge and, as an open house, meets the challenges of the increasingly complex medium at the cutting edge," said the association With. "His ideal is the comprehensive promotion of the discussion of urgent issues of photography and its media contexts."
