Structure and Tasks

The Akademie der Künste is a legal body governed by public law and funded by the Federal Republic of Germany. It has the statutory remit of “promoting the arts and representing the affairs of the arts in society. The Akademie der Künste speaks on its own authority. From Germany’s capital city of Berlin, it aims to exert influence on the international stage and, as a leading national institution, dedicate itself to cultural development and the preservation of cultural heritage. The Akademie der Künste advises and supports the Federal Republic of Germany in matters related to arts and culture.” – The wording of the law that went into effect on 1 May 2005, establishing and regulating the transfer of the Akademie der Künste into a trusteeship of the German Federal Government.

The Akademie der Künste is structured into six Sections: Visual Arts, Architecture, Music, Literature, Performing Arts, and Film and Media Arts. As an international community of artists, the Akademie elects (by secret ballot) members who have contributed to the art of their day. Admission into the Akademie der Künste is recognised as a particular tribute to an artist’s work.

The members elect the president and vice-president, as well as the Section directors and their deputy directors, for a term of three years. The directors of the Sections are all members of the Akademie Senate, which, along with the president as chair, meets to consult and decide on all the Akademie der Künste’s plans and projects. The president, vice-president, directors and their deputies hold office in an honorary capacity. The Akademie’s decision-making bodies are the Sections, the Senate and the Plenary Assembly, which meets twice a year during meetings of the General Assembly.

The directors of the six Art Sections, together with their deputies, form the Senate of the Akademie der Künste.

The presidential secretary assists and represents the president in his role as spokesperson for the Akademie vis-à-vis the state and the public and as chair of the General Assembly and the Senate. They head the President’s Office, which also includes the KUNSTWELTEN Education Programme, the European Alliance of Academies, and the Communications Department.

Bettina C. Huber-Evers has been the presidential secretary and a member of the Executive Board since 2018.

The Akademie der Künste’s unique characteristic – and one that distinguishes it from other arts institutions – is the active engagement and support of the artists who are its members. They work closely with the head of Programming to shape the programme content and make it a reality.

The work of the Art Sections is carried out by their secretaries. The Sections develop, coordinate and carry out art projects, exhibitions and events. These include both specific initiatives of the individual art genres and interdisciplinary, Akademie-wide projects, in which several Sections collaborate or work in parallel.

The head of Programming plans and coordinates the Akademie’s programme parameters – in collaboration with the president and vice-president, the Section directors and secretaries as well as the Archives director – and is responsible for the implementation of cross-section projects.

Johanna M. Keller has been head of Programming and a member of the Executive Board since 2022.

The current secretaries of the Sections are:

In fulfilment of its statutory task of preserving cultural heritage, the Akademie der Künste conserves in its Archives the largest interdisciplinary collection of leading literary and artistic estates and papers from artists and artists’ organisations in Germany, maintains an art collection and an extensive library, and supervises its archival records, which date back to 1696.

The administrative department consists of finance and personnel, building management, internal services, information technology, legal affairs, and contract management. The Verwaltungsbeirat (Administrative Advisory Council) deals with the economic and personnel matters of the Akademie der Künste.

Maximilian Müllner has been director of Administration and a member of the Executive Board since 2017.