The extraordinary general meeting will take place on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 7 p.m. (punctual) in the Neue Nationalgalerie, Potsdamer Strasse 50, 10785 Berlin. Agenda includes the following items:
- Greeting,
- Proposal from the board to change the statutes (increase in contributions),
- Pronunciation,
- Vote on the amendment to the statutes.
Dear friends of the National Gallery,
It is an extraordinary invitation in two senses that is attached to these lines: It is an invitation to an extraordinary general meeting, the occasion of which is the second increase in membership fees in our association's history.
To clarify, we decided last year at the 46th general meeting not to regulate the changes in contributions in a contribution regulation, but rather to leave them in the sphere of changing the statutes and even complain about them (again) with a ¾ majority. The topic is very important to us and it should last for a longer period of time and not be discussed or even decided on annually.
We narrowly missed this ¾ majority at the last general meeting (69% approval).
Our report at this year's general meeting impressively demonstrated how much we were able to achieve for the National Gallery - now with three directorates - last year, how much life we were able to give to the institution, how many visitors we were able to inspire for art . If we want to continue to do this at the usual level (see attached minutes), we have to position ourselves financially more broadly for the future - with increased income from donations and legacies (which has already been achieved quite well in 2023), but also with higher membership numbers -weary.
Our last contribution increase was decades ago: in 1987, ten years after the FREUNDE was re-founded in 1977, the contribution was increased for the first time from 1,000 to 1,200 DM and since then it has been constant at 1,200 DM or 600 EUR. In 1987, this corresponded to a purchasing power of EUR 1,250 today. The contribution has remained unchanged for 37 years, but our activities have grown much larger. That's why we need a noticeable change, not just a gradual increase.
With our commitment we celebrate the artists, the art and make it accessible to an audience of millions every year!
In these times, this is a task that fills us with passion because we love art and its impact and because we consider access to cultural education to be essential for the success of our social interaction!
This task is of course first and foremost a patronage task! All the better that there are still a few advantages for us: the proximity to art that we experience together, free entry to the houses, direct access without waiting times, for example currently at Caspar David Friedrich. And what's more, the membership fee is recognized as a donation and is fully tax deductible. In the future, all of this will cost around 20 euros more per month.
We ask you to support the board's proposal to increase membership fees from January 1, 2025. Be there and vote for it so that we can continue to stand up for the Nationalgalerie as much as before.
Until then, we warmly greet you
Your board
Christian Kohorst Jan Oelmann
Dr. Anja Böckmann Dr. Christian Bauschke
