The city of Eschborn has introduced new rules for promoting the cultural offerings in the region.

In their most recent meeting, the city council unanimously adopted guidelines for those grants that are awarded to museums and other institutions in Frankfurt and other cities.

The guidelines apply from the beginning of next year.

This stipulates the conditions and deadlines for the application.

Jan Schiefenhövel

Freelance author in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

  • Follow I follow

It is now stipulated that the funds from Eschborn should primarily benefit children and young people.

According to the guidelines, the “focus” of funding is on projects that serve to educate the next generation.

The new rules set an upper limit: no more than 150,000 euros can be paid for a single project.

Exceptions are possible, however, because it is said that this requirement applies “as a rule”.

In the past, several times this amount was awarded for individual projects, for example two million euros were paid in one year to the Frankfurt Museum Städel for its extension.

Clear reference to Eschborn necessary

Another important condition is that an institution does not become dependent on the money from Eschborn. The existence of a museum or other sponsor should not be endangered without the city's subsidy. In addition, institutions should be selected as recipients of the grants that have “a clear connection” to the city of Eschborn and its residents. The selection of the projects to be funded is left to the city councilors, who decide on the budget in their decision. It is made clear that the promotion of culture remains a voluntary service by the city, to which there is no entitlement.

Mayor Adnan Shaikh (CDU) said the new rules were based on the practice of previous years. The financially strong Eschborn makes money available for culture in other cities in the region, because great strength comes with great responsibility. Sebastian Brekner (CDU) recalled that the former mayor Wilhelm Speckhardt (CDU) recognized the sense of supra-local cultural funding in 2009 and introduced the subsidies. Since then it has become an Eschborn tradition to “think outside the box” and support institutions in neighboring cities. It is only fair to set conditions for it. After all, there are also guidelines for promoting the Eschborn clubs.

Lilli Becking from the Free Voters Eschborn (FWE) also emphasized the value of cultural funding: "Culture is part of our standard of living." The residents of the Rhine-Main area benefited from the cultural offerings outside their own town, from contact points in Frankfurt and other cities.

The opposition could not prevail with a proposed change.

According to the will of the left, the condition according to which there must be a "reference to Eschborn" should be deleted.

Roland Zenk (Die Linke) asks whether this condition means that an institution has to “curtsy at Eschborn” in order to receive a grant.

There was no majority for the proposed amendment.