Berlin theaters fear privatization: Senate must save

Berlin still has five national stages, but this could soon be over. Currently, a new organization is being discussed. Employees fear for their jobs. By Nathalie Daiber, Tina Friedrich and Anne Kohlick

Berlin's theater scene is facing tough austerity measures. Even the privatization of several state-owned theaters is no longer taboo.

The Berlin Senate plans to reorganize the five state-owned theatres, including the Volksbühne and the Deutsches Theater. Discussions on a possible privatisation are pending. Cultural State Secretary Sarah Wedl-Wilson invited the theatre directors to a meeting to talk about legal forms and "shared services". The meeting is part of the cultural dialogue started in February. More about it by Nathalie Daiber from the rbb cultural research team.