Overview

• Thousands gathered outside the Potsdam state parliament on May 22, 2025, performing music and holding signs to highlight the funding crisis in Brandenburg's music and art schools.
• Protesters called on the state to increase its contribution to operational costs, which currently stands at only 13% of school budgets.
• The 2022 Herrenberg court ruling, which reclassified teachers as employees with full social benefits, has significantly raised personnel costs, straining school finances.
• Families are facing higher fees or are deregistering children from arts programs, threatening accessibility to extracurricular arts education.
• The demonstration follows a May 21 protest by thousands of teachers against staff shortages and overtime demands, underscoring broader systemic challenges.