Berlin Library Staff Advocates for Move to Former Lafayette Building

A protest day highlights the Central and Regional Library's push for relocation amid significant cultural budget cuts in Berlin.

The Central and Regional Library (ZLB) staff organized a protest day at the former Galeries Lafayette building in Berlin's Friedrichstraße to advocate for its relocation to the site.
The event featured workshops, readings, and public consultations to demonstrate the potential of the space as a suitable library location.
Berlin's 2025 budget includes a €130 million reduction in cultural funding, representing 12% of the cultural budget, with warnings of significant impacts on institutions and jobs.
The Lafayette building, vacated in July 2024, was proposed as a new library site by Culture Senator Joe Chialo, but no funding has been allocated for the move in the 2025 budget.
The library faces deteriorating conditions at its current locations, while the high cost of acquiring and renovating the Lafayette site has stalled the project.