Dispute over Erfurt pop-up museum: Costs explode before opening!

In Erfurt, the planned construction of a pop-up museum ensures increasing disputes between various political actors and the museum association. The city council and the Thuringian Museum Association have sharply criticized the planned investments in the pop-up museum, which is to be built in the defension barracks on the Petersberg. The cost of the project has already increased, although the opening is not yet in sight.

The groups of the Greens and Lefts are committed to the project, but demand clear information about the interior of the museum and its duration. In contrast, the CDU and the SPD are skeptical and strive to stop the project. In this way, possible steps to terminate the rental agreement are considered.

criticism of high expenses

Cultural director Christian Horn estimates that the costs for the lighting system will increase to around 250,000 euros. Steffen Raßloff, the chairman of the association of the Erfurt city museum, describes the Hohen expenditure for lighting as disproportionate. In addition, funds that were originally intended for the Natural History Museum are to be redirected to the financing of the pop-up hall, which Raßloff considers outrageous. As early as 2023, the city council had only approved the pop-up hall if no other museums were affected by the project.

Currently, 300,000 euros are planned for the Natural History Museum, as this has been waiting for an extension for over 20 years. City spokeswoman Heike Dobenecker said that 600,000 euros are planned for the expansion of the Natural History Museum for the years 2024 and 2025, but there are still no concrete plans. The Thuringian Museum Association criticizes the city's priorities and does not see the pop-up museum as a promising solution.

The running costs of the pop-up museum are estimated at 300,000 to 500,000 euros per year. The city council plans to question the project in its meeting on February 12 and to critically question the high costs. The SPD City Councilor Denny Möller also calls for the exhibition manager.

In a public meeting of the Committee on Education and Culture, the pop-up museum was also recently discussed. Cultural director Tobias Knoblich emphasized that the museum is not at the expense of the existing employees of the museums and acts as a "placeholder". However, specific content -related ideas or schedules were not presented in the public part of the session.

In the background, the project raises numerous questions because the owner and investor of the defense barracks, Frank Saturday, states that he will invest a significant amount in the renovation. In addition, the city and investors are striving for a decision on the rental offer by the end of 2023. The master plan for the museum aims for contemporary exhibitions and events and is to be expanded by the beginning of 2025, which is also reflected in the ongoing discussion.