Monika Griefahn

  • Home
  • Monika Griefahn
    • Dr. Monika Griefahn,
      Former Minister
    • Curriculum vitae (PDF)
    • Photos
    • References appointments
  • Volunteering
  • institute for media,
    environment, culture
    • Cradle to Cradle
  • Service
    • Archives German Parliament
    • Publications
    • References
    • Downloads
  • Blog
    • Politics
    • Culture
      and
      Media
    • Opinion
    • Cradle
      to
      Cradle
    • Right
      Livelihood
      Award
  • Contact
    • Site Notice/Imprint
    • Privacy Policy
  • Deutsch
You are here: Home / Culture and Media / New consensus after a long debate: “Computer games are a cultural asset”

28. September 2017 | Monika Griefahn

New consensus after a long debate: “Computer games are a cultural asset”

Monika Griefahn in 2015 at the award ceremony of the German "Computerspielpreis".<br>Photo (archives): Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Quinke Networks

Monika Griefahn in 2015 at the award ceremony of the German “Computerspielpreis”.
Photo (archives): Franziska Krug/Getty Images for Quinke Networks

Just ahead of the recent general elections the German Cultural Council issued a gratifying news release: “The Chancellor and the Secretaries-General of the CDU, SPD, Greens, the Left and the FDP consider computer games to be a cultural asset”, it announced. For a long time that was far from self-evident. As little as ten to 15 years ago efforts to broaden the cultural concept to include computer games were met with unconcealed resistance.

As a member of the Bundestag back then I and other members of parliament worked hard to establish the view that beyond the so-called shooters there are plenty of other, more valuable games. At the time public acceptance of this opinion was anything but universal. Nowadays the market for educational games, strategy and skills games is enormous. Basically, any activity on a mobile phone resembles a small computer game today – nobody would assume that this could be harmful somehow. Finally this year at Gamescom, the German trade fair for digital games, Chancellor Angela Merkel said something that many of us had already recognised ten years before: digital games can foster skills such as speed and logical thinking. Moreover, Angela Merkel said computer games were “a cultural asset” and “of paramount importance as a driver of innovation as well as an economic factor.” She added that around 500 companies with approximately 29,000 employees were active in the industry in Germany and that they had generated sales of over one billion Euros in the first half of 2017.

Only ten years ago we had to struggle to establish such a favourable perspective on the industry. The discussion among the German public back then was almost exclusively focused on the influence violent games may have on real-life perpetrators of violence. A conversation about potential positive aspects of digital games simply didn’t take place. The head of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann, provoked public outrage when he wrote: “The debate about violence in computer games should not be exaggerated. Provided they remain within the law, adults should have the right to look at tastelessness and trash, or to play the equivalent games. Freedom of expression and artistic freedom are among the basic legal principles that have been enshrined in the constitution. Artistic freedom is not dependent on the quality of the work. Artistic freedom also applies to computer games.” Not only did Zimmermann offer his protection to games developers with these words, he also put them on the same level as artists. If someone is able to create a virtual world and if he has sufficient imagination to convert it into a playable computer game, then what are they if not an artist?

As parliamentarians we tried to change the debate around computer games and to open the eyes of the public to all the positive aspects of the games industry. An important step was the creation of the German Computer Games Awards, which we launched in co-operation with the digital industry. However, until the present day the German Taxpayers Federation considers any federal funding in the sector to be a waste of money. It should ask itself where the industry in Germany – and its billions of Euros in sales – would be today if we still had to engage in the debates we had a decade ago. Moreover, the award has helped to establish the Foundation for Digital Games Culture that I helped set up and on whose advisory board I served for a number of years.

So, I am glad that the view of computer games as a cultural asset is increasingly being met with affirmation across all fractions today. Once again it shows that persistent commitment pays off and that meaningful change requires staying power.

Filed Under: Culture and Media, Politics

Please share this in your community:

« A greener future for Kazakhstan?
Right Livelihood Awards Honour Inspiring Changemakers and Champions of Justice »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Please stay in touch!

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Phone
  • xing
  • YouTube

Insights

Appointments

March 28, 2023: Keynote at the Automotive Industry Association VDA on “New Solutions for Climate Neutral Drives” Read more about the conference here (in German).

March 30, 2023: Participation in the real estate congress of the Federal Association of Free Real Estate and Housing Companies (BFW). Discussion in the panel “Departure into the circular economy.” Click here for the program (in German).

April 4, 2023: Announcement of the “Potato of the year” in the open-air museum at the Kiekeberg

April 19, 2023: Open excursion of the Klimabeirat Buchholz to the Fischbeker Höfe in Hamburg with Matthias Korff, managing director of DeepGreen Development. The topic is ecological building.

April 20, 2023: Start of the four-day nature film festival Lüneburger Heide under the patronage of Monika Griefahn. You will find the program here shortly (in German).

May 2, 2023: Guest speaker on “Sustainability & Cllimate Policy” at the annual German-American Conference (DAK) of Atlantik-Bruecke and American Council on Germany (ACG) in Washington, D.C.

 


Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath

Planning group for the next Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath.

April 20-24, 2023: 2nd Nature Film Festival Lueneburg Heath with Monika Griefahn as patron. At four venues in the region of the Lüneburger Heide Nature Park, after 2021, it is once again: “Film off!” Visitors can expect fantastic nature films, stirring documentaries and, above all, great conversations with filmmakers and experts. From now on, check the status of the program planning at www.films4future.de (German).


Cradle to Cradle Congress 2021

Logo C2C-Congress

Cradle to Cradle Congress 2021: Because of the Corona pandemic the C2C Conress took place in three parts this year: The first one was on June 14, 2021 in Freiburg. The second took place on September 7, 2021 in Mainz, the third November 4, 2021 in Mönchengladbach.


eFuels

Synthetic fuels are one of the decisive factors for the energy transition away from fossile fuels. That is why I am committed to the further development and practical use of eFuels and became a member of the Sounding Board of the eFuel Alliance in May 2021.
English website of the eFuel Alliance


Climate committee

Constituent session: Photo: City of Buchholz / Helms

In May 2021, the climate committee was constituted in the climate forum at my place of residence in Buchholz in the Nordheide. I am pleased to be chairwoman of the advisory board! The city has set itself the goal of becoming climate neutral and there is still a lot to do to achieve this. The committee advises the municipal  administration on fundamental questions of climate policy.
To the article on the Buchholz website (in German)


Right Livelihood Laureate 2021

Right Livelihood Award

They stand up against violence and climate change and address the most pressing questions of our time: Marthe Wandou (Cameroon), Wladimir Sliwjak (Russia), Freda Huson (People of the Wet’suwet’en, Canada) and the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (India) are the winners of the Right Livelohood Award (“Alternative Nobel Prize”) 2021. Please find here the award ceremony documentation or read more about the laureates in our blog.


Federal Order of Merit

After the award ceremony, Olaf Lies, Monika Griefahn and Rainer Rempe stand together. Photo: Frank Ossenbrink

After the award ceremony, Olaf Lies, Monika Griefahn and Rainer Rempe stand together. Photo: Frank Ossenbrink

Our CEO Dr. Monika Griefahn received the Federal Order of Merit. Please read more about her biography and about the award ceremony in our blog.


Blog Archive

  • Home
  • Monika Griefahn
  • Volunteering
  • institute for media, environment, culture
  • Service
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Site Notice/Imprint
  • Privacy Policy

 

Logo Monika Griefahn GmbH/institut medien umwelt kultur Monika Griefahn GmbH
PO Box 1135
21231 Buchholz
Germany
Phone: +49 4181 4069262
Email:
Website: www.institut-muk.de
  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • xing
  • YouTube
Customise Privacy Settings
Copyright © 2013–2023 | Zurück zum Seitenanfang/Back to top | Alle Rechte vorbehalten! – All rights reserved.