Save The Kmb!

Bürger:inneninitiative: Rettet die KMB!

Petitionen behandles

Stadt Köln

2.904 Underskrifter

Samlingen er afsluttet

2.904 Underskrifter

Samlingen er afsluttet

Startede december 2024
Samlingen er afsluttet
Forbered indsendelse
Dialog med modtageren
Beslutning

Vi mere

Andragendet er rettet til: Stadt Köln

SAVE THE KMB!
Support the petition to preserve the Art and Museum Library of the City of Cologne (Kunst- und Museumsbibliothek, KMB).

Without an interim solution that ensures access to the collections and the prospect of long-term accommodation, the future of the library is acutely threatened.
We are therefore advocating for the preservation of the KMB as a publicly accessible institution and urgently and emphatically ask the political leaders and administration of the City of Cologne to work toward a permanent location on Leonhard-Tietz-Straße or at Sachsenring. In the interim, a solution must be found to house the collections of the main site, ensuring continued public access.

By signing this petition, you support the following urgent demands to the City of Cologne:

A suitable interim solution for the main library location, ensuring both access to and the preservation of its collections until new premises are ready.
A long-term solution to house the KMB in a facility that integrates its collections, reading rooms, administrative offices, and workshops.

In the interest of young and future generations and their right to comprehensive knowledge and education, we demand that Cologne’s Art and Museum Library remains publicly accessible and is preserved.

Begrundelse

One of Germany's largest art libraries, particularly in the fields of modern and contemporary art, is at risk. The library is spread across several rented locations in Cologne, which must be regularly relocated when lease contracts expire. Currently, the closure of the main site at Kattenbug in the city center is imminent. Without an interim solution ensuring access to the collections and the prospect of long-term accommodation, the future of the library is critically endangered.

The KMB is a globally significant institution with over 550,000 volumes, offering a unique collection, particularly in modern and contemporary art. Alongside the leading art libraries in Berlin and Munich, it forms an indispensable resource of knowledge. The library is not only an open space for research and education but also a central part of Cologne's cultural identity. For the younger generation of researchers and artists, the KMB is an essential place for discovery, inspiration, and exchange.

The closure of the library would be an irreparably loss. It would mark a turning point for the cultural development of the city, a catastrophic precedent with far-reaching consequences. The books in the KMB are a central foundation for the future of art and culture in Cologne. As Umberto Eco writes, a library is "something alive, a space full of energy," and as such, it holds crucial societal relevance.
_____________________________________________
Supporters include, among others:

Gisela Capitain, Gallerist, Cologne
Marcus Dekiert, Director Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne
Yilmaz Dziewior, Director Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Maria Eichhorn, Artist, Berlin
VALIE EXPORT, Artist, Vienna
Andreas Gursky, Artist, Düsseldorf
Petra Hesse, Director Museum of Applied Arts Cologne
Walther König, Publisher and Bookseller, Cologne
Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, Former Minister for Culture and Science NRW
Gerhard Richter, Artist, Cologne
Rosemarie Trockel, Artist, Cologne, Berlin
Günter Wallraff, Journalist and Author, Cologne
Christopher Williams, Artist, Cologne, Chicago, Los Angeles, professor at the Art Academy Düsseldorf

and many more.
_____________________________________________
An appeal by the “Save the KMB!” Initiative
"Save the KMB!" is a citizens' initiative and the revival of the protests from 2013, led by young professionals. As a coalition of various stakeholders, it serves as the voice of a broad and diverse community.

Campaign Team: Jana Hecht, Helena Kuhlmann, Simone Schmahl, Thomas Spallek
More info: rettetdiekmb.de
Contact: info@rettetdiekmb.de
Instagram: @rettetdiekmb

Tak for jeres støtte, Bürger:inneninitiative: Rettet die KMB!, Köln

Spørgsmål til initiativtageren