Berlin’s Techno Now Recognized as Cultural Heritage by UNESCO

Berlin Techno is one of six German entries added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, which was unveiled on Wednesday, March 13.

This decision is "another milestone for Berlin techno producers, artists, club operators and event organisers," said Berlin club and musician network Clubcommission via X.

In an interview with the German news outlet DW, Clubcommission board member Lutz Leichsenring pointed out that this move shows how club culture is an important and deserving industry that deserves protection and support.

Loveparade Returns As — Germany now has ten entries on the UNESCO list. (Photo: Omer Messinger / Getty Images)

Techno Culture and Music

Rave the Planet, a nonprofit organization advocating electronic music culture has been leading a push to add techno culture and music to the list for over ten years. In November 2022, the group applied for techno to be included on the list.

The group congratulated all the cultural producers who have contributed to shaping Berlin's techno culture. "This is a major milestone for the entire culture, and our joy is beyond words," it stated, as reported by The Guardian.

Berlin-based DJ and producer Peter Kirn claims that techno is an integral aspect of the city. "Techno has become a refuge for people who are marginalised, and there's a natural attraction to Berlin as a place which is more permissive when you come from places that are less permissive."

Germany's Cultural Legacy

Music, art, religion, food, and dance are all intangible forms of culture that the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, established in 2003, aims to protect and promote.

Along with fruit wine and mountaineering, the techno scene is one of six new intangible cultural heritage treasures from Germany. There is also a parade in the German state of Bavaria called the Kirchseeoner Perchtenlauf, where people dress up as fuzzy monsters.

The number of German intangible cultural heritage items listed by UNESCO has increased to ten.