Who Actually Talks to the State Legislature? A Look at the Lobbying Registry

dieKunstBauStelle e. V. is now listed at the federal and state levels

When decisions are made in Munich or Berlin about cultural funding programs, there’s rarely anyone at the table who just happens to be passing by.

Anyone who engages in ongoing political discussions with Parliament and the government must register in the lobbyist registry—the public directory that shows who represents which interests. The Bundestag has maintained its registry since January 2022.

The Bavarian State Parliament, too. What can you find there?

The Bavarian State Parliament’s lobby registry contains approximately 944 entries for the 2025 reporting year. From farmers’ associations to chambers of pharmacists, energy providers, industry associations, and local government organizations, the register includes what one would expect. And much that one might not have on their radar—from all sectors of the economy, representing every conceivable economic interest.

However, anyone searching for “culture of remembrance” there will find no results. Nor will anyone searching for “memorial work.” In a state with Bavaria’s history—Dachau, Flossenbürg, Landsberg, Munich as the movement’s capital—coming to terms with the Nazi past is not a minor issue. Yet it does not appear in the index of formally organized political consultation.

At the federal level, the situation is less dramatic, but similar. Under “Culture of Remembrance,” there are eight entries, three of which relate to Nazi history. Under “Memorial Sites,” there are two more. That’s all there is.

That surprised us

Once we saw that, the question was no longer whether we would sign up, but how quickly we would do it.
Since June 12, 2026, dieKunstBauStelle e. V. has been listed in the German Bundestag’s lobby registry under registration number R008055. Since June 20, 2026, we have also been listed under registration number DEBYLT04A1 in the lobbying registry of the Bavarian State Parliament. As things stand, this makes us the only civil society organization dedicated to remembrance culture in Bavaria that is formally listed there.

This is in connection with our ongoing discussions with members of the Bundestag and the Bavarian State Parliament, as well as with the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media—at the federal level regarding the future of federal funding for remembrance culture, and at the state level regarding the expansion of digital remembrance culture as an independent area of funding. Anyone who regularly engages in such discussions is required to register under the lobbying registry laws of the federal government and the Free State of Bavaria. There is no longer a voluntary option once the contacts go beyond individual cases.

Why This Is More Than Just an Administrative Act

Today, the lobby registry is the first place where lawmakers and government agencies look to find out who they can speak with about a particular issue. Anyone not listed there does not appear on the political radar. For the culture of remembrance at the state level, this has meant, until now, that there are no direct points of contact from civil society. At the federal level, there are a few actors—but too few to represent the full breadth of the field.

This stems from our two flagship projects: the NaziCrimesAtlas and the digital cataloging of Nazi memorial sites in Bavaria. Both projects carry out work for which no reliable funding is provided under existing funding mechanisms. Anyone working without basic institutional funding falls through the cracks. This applies to us as well as to many other smaller organizations dedicated to remembrance culture.

Upon registration, we take on two responsibilities:

We bring together the concerns of smaller, non-institutionally funded organizations dedicated to remembrance and present them to the Bundestag, the Federal Government, the Bavarian State Parliament, and the State Government. At the same time, as a specialized organization, we are available to provide information and advice to members of parliament, ministries, foundations, local organizations, and colleagues working in the field.

Registration is mandatory — and transparency in action

Anyone who regularly or on an ongoing basis discusses funding programs or legal frameworks with members of parliament, parliamentary caucuses, or governments is required to register under the Lobby Registry Act. At the federal level, this requirement applies all the way down to department heads within the ministries.

The registry publicly shows who we are, where our funding comes from, and what causes we advocate for. This transparency is part of the process.

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The association represents its own interests, not those of third parties. Wolfgang Hauck performs this work on a volunteer basis.

Complete entries:
Bavarian Lobby Register (DEBYLT04A1): https://lobbyregister.bayern.landtag.de
Federal Lobby Register (R008055): https://www.lobbyregister.bundestag.de/suche/R008055