Berlin’s legendary techno scene has been a key part of German music culture for years, and now a German court has ruled that the techno parties held at the city’s famous Berghain club should be considered as high art.
While Sydney’s music venues continue to struggle to stay afloat despite an independent review suggesting minor tweaks to the city’s lockout laws, the Berlin-Brandenberg fiscal court ruled in favour of the Berghain club – who’s hedonistic weekend-long parties will now officially considered culture and not entertainment.
German magazine Das Spiegel (via Factmag) reports that the ruling came as a result of an ongoing case which could have meant that the club would become subject to Germany’s 19% entertainment tax bracket, but as a result of the ruling it will now only be subject to 7% tax – the same as venues where classical music is performed.
Tax officials argued that because the Berghain club was a place where people dance, have fun and take drugs – that it was as such “ruled by entertainment, not by culture,” but representatives for the club successfully argued that the same logic could be applied to classical music events.
Watch: Berghain (Short Film)
