Financial boost for the 175-year-old Wernigerode Local History Society
Rising costs, falling funding and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are posing major challenges for the Wernigeröder Männerchor 1848 e.V. By providing financial support, Katronic is helping to preserve the region’s community culture and setting an example of social responsibility in the region.
Katronic is making a donation to support the Wernigerode Men’s Choir 1848 e.V.
Like many other ensembles, the Wernigeröder Männerchor 1848 e.V. was forced to endure severe cutbacks as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Rehearsals and performances were banned, and income dried up. As the choir’s old premises at the August-Hermann-Francke Primary School were soon to become unavailable due to the school’s demolition and redevelopment, a new venue had to be found. A new venue was rented in the so-called ‘Haus der Vereine’ (House of Clubs), with the rent now nine times higher than before.
The loss of public funding from the Harz district and the town of Wernigerode has exacerbated the situation for this locally respected, long-established association. The ageing of the choir’s members, the resulting decline in membership and the shortfall in the choir’s funds due to falling membership fees have led to the bitter reality that the choir can no longer finance the necessary expenditure from its own resources.
Katronic AG & Co. KG, a technology company based in Wernigerode specialising in non-invasive ultrasonic flow measurement across various utility and industrial sectors, attaches great importance to social responsibility and the preservation of culture in the region, as the diversity of the local community life ultimately offers the company’s staff an oasis of relaxation, a source of joy and an opportunity for personal development outside their everyday working lives.
The Wernigerode Men’s Choir is delighted to receive this financial contribution, which will enable it, for example, to partially fund the choir director’s fees or urgently needed membership recruitment through public relations work.
All cultural initiatives and associations in the region welcome donations from local businesses, as the cultural work carried out there benefits people by providing a meaningful form of recreation, enabling them to feel revitalised and return to productive work.
