Minister of Culture (France)
The French Ministry of Culture (French Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication ) exists since 1959. It has no equivalent in Germany and Switzerland, but in Austria with the German Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture. In the French unitary state, the central government is responsible for the culture. Seat is the Palais Royal in Paris. Responsible Minister in the Cabinet Ayrault II since 2012 Aurélie Filippetti (PS).
In contrast to the German Ministries of Education or Ministry of Science, it does not deal with questions of education or university education, but with the cultural treasures of the nation. The Ministry employs 10,928 employees.
Since the Fifth Republic under Charles de Gaulle and his first minister André Malraux promotes and preserves it the cultural heritage of the country. With a budget of around 7.4 billion euros, it is responsible for language, literature, painting, museums, music, theater, dance, monuments, film, libraries and archives.
In the archives it maintains the National Archives. In the libraries, it is responsible for the National Library with its 17 million books and 4200 other libraries. The Ministry of Culture promotes the French film by the National Film Centre and has an archive of 20.000 films ( starting in 1883). It promotes music by the Fête de la Musique ( since 1982) and maintains the CDMC, a documentary about contemporary music.
It protects about 200,000 monuments and makes it through the Base Mérimée available on the internet. It promotes dance and theater and develops by a different database 1000 plays. The Ministry of Culture maintains the National Museums and makes their holdings by the Base Joconde approximately 400,000 entries available. Together with the regions it promotes the visual arts through the Regional Fund for Contemporary Art. It gives awards such as the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
The Ministry of Culture promotes the modern art. It is also responsible for literature by the Centre national des livres and maintains the French language and the languages of France. It maintains a database of 390,000 bearer of the Order of the Legion of Honour ( Base Léonore ).
First Minister was 1959-1969 André Malraux. Under François Mitterrand took over Jack Lang (1981-1986 and 1988-1993 ). Since May 17, 2012 Aurélie Filippetti has served as Minister of Culture.