(Official press release from March 18, 2024)

In recent days, the organization behind the the UNESCO application, namely the non-profit organization rave the planet gGmbH, have become aware of several publications and interviews in the German press, in which demands from third parties have already been formulated due to the inclusion of the Intangible Cultural Heritage “Techno Culture in Berlin” in the nationwide UNESCO directory.

Rave The Planet welcomes the fact that particularly the management of the Clubcommission, the association of Berlin’s club culture, has positively welcomed the upgrade of Techno Culture in Berlin to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

During a television interview with Berlin TV station rbb24 and further statements, it was mentioned, that this decision now entails demands for state subsidies in favor of Berlin clubs.

Rave The Planet would like to clarify that the idea of cultural heritage arose 13 years ago (see previous press release) and at no time was the application to UNESCO linked to such a call to state authorities.

We consider it essential to examine in detail the requirements for the application process, the value of the award, the content, and the associated tasks and obligations resulting from the decision.

We would like to call once again for joint work on this designation as Intangible Cultural Heritage. For Berlin, but also nationwide, and with the current, global attention, there are now diverse opportunities to further develop the recognition of Techno Culture in society. This is likely to be in the interest of many of the association members of the Clubcommission.

Rave The Planet would have liked to have taken a common path with the management of the Clubcommission in recent years. However, our request for cooperation and support for the application process was strictly rejected. Especially against this background, we are puzzled by the statements from the Berlin Club Association, but we want to emphasize the importance of such a collaboration for Techno Culture.

Therefore, we invited the Clubcommission again last night to work together in the process of preserving and developing the now properly unfolding project of recognizing Techno Culture in Berlin and to truly acknowledge the years of effort of this work and its participants to the public.

Signed,
Timm Zeiss
Managing Director rave the planet gGmbH

#RaveThePlanet  #KulturerbeTechno
#ImmateriellesKulturerbeDeutschland

Header photo by Aleksandr Popov on Unsplash