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Donation Facts

Important Remarks regarding the Donation Amounts Shown on the “Clock”

The Donations Clock – A Mirror of the Status of our Collected Donations

Our collection of donations for the rebuilding of the Berlin Palace was begun officially in the year 2004, in accordance with the decisions of the German Bundestag of July 4, 2002 and November 13, 2003.

Up to now, we have shown  the millions of Euros of donations  which  have been  promised to us in binding pledges, in the Donations Clock. However, since we cannot immediately lay hands on this money, we have decided to set back this sector to “0″ now that we have broken through   the “sound barrier” of 10 million Euros in direct donations. This sum is substantially higher than that which the Dresden Frauenkirche had available when its reconstruction began in 2008. Given the considerable political resistance to our project in which all the stops were pulled out, up to and including discrimination, we are proud to have already achieved this result.

Accordingly, effective immediately the Donations Clock will show only the actual amount of donations received.
 

Cash in Hand is not the Same as the Amount of Donations

Naturally, the Donations Clock does not reflect the cash on hand of the  Foerderverein, since we have already begun taking steps for planning and reconstruction and thus bills from this work are continually being received and paid. Moreover, the cost for administration and publicity naturally fall due as well.

The cash on hand and the bank account status (the liquidity of the Verein) are therefore lower than the amount of the donations shown. We direct you in this connection to the published  yearend accounting for 2007 found under “Foerderverein Berliner Schloss” where you can obtain more detailed information.

Our Financial Commitment for the Extra Cost of the Palace Facades above that of a Modern Facade Remains Unaltered

The Foerderverein has promised the German Bundestag  to finance the extra cost of the three baroque facades of the Palace as well as the three baroque facades of the  Schlueterhof courtyard through a wide-ranging collection of donations. This is calculated on a figure subsequently announced by us of 80 million Euros, which is based on a generous price estimate which was rounded upwards and contains substantial safety reserves.  This commitment contains provision for the planning  and the artistic production of decorative and facade elements in the hand-crafted tradition of more than 300 years ago, and it is this that makes the Berlin Palace, in its exterior  appearance, more expensive than a modern facade.

Logically enough, in view of the foregoing, our price does not contain any costs for the actual outer walls, the construction of the building site, the attachment of the Palace facade elements  to the walls etc. since these items are also a normal cost of a modern facade. Moreover, since the construction of the Palace walls was not defined until 2009 through the implementation planning, the attachment costs could not until now be seriously calculated.

The previous  donation goal of 80 million Euros in total costs, which in large part rests on exact calculations by reason of the results of the architectural competition, will be retained through 2010.

This sum contains reserves for price increases from the firms carrying out the work, tax increases and naturally for the running costs of the Verein such as promotional work and administration, as well as the associated exhibitions and publicity.  We are holding ourselves ready to accommodate the presently uncertain outlook whatever it might be. The results of the November 2008 competition in which the reconstruction of the historic cupola was decided upon, could result in the extra cost for it also being financed through additional donations. This could accordingly lead to a change in our donation goal.

But this does not change anything with regard to our basic stated commitment to finance  the aforementioned extra cost. This commitment was never tied to a sum certain.

Important Remarks

The federal government office for Construction and Living Space (BBR)Berlin, which is under the Federal Ministry for Construction has estimated the cost of building  the Palace facades at around 81 million Euros. These costs were ascertained on the instructions of the BBR for the opening of bids for the architectural competition on the basis of expert input. In so doing,  a substantial amount of valuable experience gained from the restoration of historic buildings, such as the Berlin arsenal, was taken into account and incorporated into the determination.

However, so far, no one has been in a position to  estimate a realistically exact figure for the Palace facades. The facades are unique in their magnificent artistry and diversity, and thus there is no exact prior experience for them. The true costs are accordingly only able to de determined through bids  received in the marketplace. This is what we have done.

Our above-mentioned numbers lie below the estimates of the BBR because in the meantime we were able, on the basis of numerous representative  applicable calls for bids, to exactly fix the costs for the individual sections of the facades in accordance with the bid responses.

The additional facade sections which have not yet been covered by cost bids were able to be  likewise  determined through a realistic interpolation calculation. They will be assigned figures through additional bids. So far, there has not been any substantial deviation from our interpolations.

Our Donation Goal will be Adjusted to meet the Circumstances

Our figures already reflected previously, and continue to reflect today, the then  current state of knowledge derived from our planning and calculations, which naturally must be steadily refined with increasing experience. But in the final analysis there is no previous experience with the artistic reconstruction of such a complicated gigantic building. Even the experience with the rebuilding of  the Dresden Frauenkirche can hardly be compared to our project since that structure was considerably simpler in its architectural decoration.

Basis for Calculations

At present, the calculations of the cost of the Palace facades  are based on the following:

According to the high end estimate of the Berlin architectural firm of Stuhlemmer whom we have engaged, the cost  of producing all of the facade elements in sandstone, based on bids received for many sections of the walls, comes to 67 million Euros. There remains therefore an additional 13 million Euros. of further costs mentioned above.

Application of the Donated Funds

The Foerderverein will use the donations it has received for the completion of the entire plans for the facades. These plans have already become an integral part of the call for entries in the international architectural  competition held by  the German Federal government under the title ” The Reconstruction of the Berlin Palace – Humboldt Forum” which was concluded in November 2008. In addition,  models in the scale of 1 to 1  of facade elements are being developed as prototypes for the creation of the actual elements in sandstone, as are some of the sandstone prototypes themselves. In this way we are insuring the artistic quality of the work.  All of these preliminary preparations will be legally transferred to the new Palace foundation which is presently in the process of being established as a public charitable organization and for which the German Bundestag has recently authorized the initial funds. It will also take over the function of being the client for whom the building is to be constructed.

The mass production of the facade elements in accordance with these quality criteria will be a matter for the general contractor engaged by the foundation for reasons of the guarantee of the total building.

Thus the major portion of the donations will be put at the disposal of the foundation, the future charitable owner of the building.

ANNUAL  INCOME

The yearly sums received by the Foerderverein, as shown in the table below, are composed of donations, receipts from the sale of Palace souvenirs etc. and the receipt of testamentary bequests and gifts.

23, December, 2008

Wilhelm von Boddien, Business Manager Foerderverein Berliner Schloss e.V.