Head of Museum Island: We Must Defend the Foundation of Values

Marion Ackermann, president of the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), has warned of a creeping erosion of democracy in Germany and Europe. In an interview with the German Press Agency, she cited disinformation on social media, attacks on scientific credibility, and threats to social achievements like gender equality. Ackermann, who has led the foundation for a year, is calling for a Democracy Day on June 7 at Berlin's Museumsinsel (Museum Island), featuring debates on patriotism, military service, and artistic freedom, organized with the Stiftung Hambacher Schloss and the Stiftung Berliner Mauer.

This matters because Ackermann oversees one of Germany's largest cultural institutions, including the UNESCO-listed Museumsinsel with its world-famous collections. Her remarks highlight growing political pressure on cultural institutions in Europe, where museum directors have been dismissed for not aligning with ruling parties. The Democracy Day event underscores the role of museums as defenders of democratic values and artistic freedom, especially as far-right parties like the AfD gain ground in regional elections and threaten to defund cultural activities that do not fit their nationalist agenda.