Germany Is Gifting Young People Money to Totally Just Party
Germany is giving 18-year-olds €200 to spend on entertainment.
The "culture pass" program is intended to encourage interest in, and investment in, the local art scene.
The money can be used on books, music, or outings to museums, the theater, or the cinema.
You might not think that 18-year-olds need any more encouragement to go out and have a good time with their friends. But over in the land of the Autobahn, where Prince Siegfried once battled the Saxons, the German government is offering money to the country's newest generation to encourage continued investment in the nation's rich cultural traditions.
As The Economic Times reports, Germany has recently introduced a "culture pass," which grants €200 (the equivalent of $223.97 as of this writing) to "all young people turning 18 in 2023, totaling around 750,000 individuals."
The purpose of the pass is to "encourage youth to engage in live cultural experiences and support the struggling arts scene." Each recipient has two years to use the credits, which can be used towards books, music, trips to museums, the theatre, and even the cinema.
The pass, which can be accessed online, is a conscious effort to encourage investment (both in terms of finances and general interest) in a national cultural and artistic scene with a rich history but is financially struggling today.
And Germany is far from the only European nation to make this move. The article notes, "Spain previously launched a similar initiative, offering a €400 Youth Cultural Bonus to 18-year-olds, aiming to revitalize the arts sector." Italy and France have also implemented similar programs.
Obviously, it's worth encouraging the youth of a country to explore and indulge in their country's cultural history. But quite frankly, Germany, why stop with 18-year-olds within Germany?
What we're getting at is we would be totally on board if you want to pay us €200 to down some Gaffel Kölsch, check out a Klimt exhibit, and listen to Kraftwerk. You know, to help out the culture and all.
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