Mr. Parzinger, after more than twenty years of planning and construction, the Humboldt Forum is finally finished. At the last opening two weeks ago, many speakers, including you, conjured up what was unfinished, provisional and in need of supplementation in the institution. At the same time, it was heard that the Humboldt Forum Foundation’s operating funds had been cut and that there was no longer any money available for temporary exhibitions. How does that fit together?
Financially, of course, it’s clear that we’re all going to have tough times. Still, I’m not that pessimistic about the features. Almost fifty million euros are available for operation, and if the project continues to be successful, more funds will flow again. The incompleteness has to do with the enormous size of the building. The area used by the State Museums alone covers almost 20,000 square meters. Despite all our efforts, there are always areas that still need to be improved. For example, you will have to check again whether the message of the big show magazines is really understood by the public. In addition, there is the ever-increasing cooperation with the cultures of origin: there are many projects in which third-party funds are also used and the results of which will be included in the presentation. In the course of provenance research, there will be returns. What can be seen now may not be there at some point, other objects will be exhibited instead.
