Zilkens' News Blog

Zilkens'News Blog 33 2025

The coalition has made the first adjustments to the pension system. The pension level is to be stabilized at 48% of average income by 2031, and the mothers' pension has been expanded. In addition, working in retirement has been made more attractive. From 2027, this is to be financed not only by billions in tax revenue but also by an increase in the pension contribution rate from 18.6% to 18.8%.

At least everyone agreed that something had to be done. The situation is different for Ms. Brosius-Gersdorf, who broke the deadlock in the coalition with her resignation this week.

Dr. Andrée Sfeir-Semler was chosen as the recipient of the 2025 Art Cologne Prize. With her galleries in Hamburg and Beirut, she has established an international art space. With her background in social history, the art historian links art from the Middle East with the global art canon – which is more relevant than ever.

Monika Grütters will receive the German Cultural Policy Prize in 2025 and will be honored for her work as former Minister of State for Culture. The art historian was a member of the German Bundestag for around 20 years, serving as chair of the Committee for Culture and Media from 2009 to 2013 and as Minister of State for Culture from 2013 to 2021.

Her term in office was a “stroke of luck for art and culture,” according to Olaf Zimmermann, former art dealer and now full-time director of the German Cultural Council. Active art dealers would probably not describe this as a stroke of luck, especially in view of the Cultural Property Protection Act that Ms. Grütters pushed through.

The law covers commendable issues such as protection against emigration, import controls, trade, and restitution. For the art trade, however, it leads to extensive documentation requirements and bureaucracy, which, among other things, contributes to increasing inactivity in the German antiquities trade.

Speaking of rare species: This Friday, in the far north of America, there will be a clash between a clumsy American bison and an aggressive Russian brown bear. (We will leave it to the reader to flesh out this metaphor further.) It will be exciting to see whether there will be a duel between the alpha animals over Ukraine or a deal between the heads of state. Hopefully, Trump will not offer part of Ukraine's territory as a “welcome gift,” but will instead bring President Zelensky to the table. Decisions about Ukraine should only be made together with Ukraine itself.

The world can only hope that the clash between these two stubborn individuals does not spark further conflict.

Meanwhile, a prolonged heatwave in Europe is creating ideal conditions for forest fires. In addition to the devastating fire in southern France, further fires broke out around the Mediterranean last week. Many holiday resorts in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey are struggling with fires. For example, hotels in Tarifa have been evacuated, and the ascent to Mount Vesuvius and some areas south of Athens have been closed. The latter is also the place where today's photo was taken under similar conditions just under four years ago.

It has now been reported that most of the fires are under control, but the situation remains tense due to the high temperatures. The damage cannot yet be accurately assessed, and it remains to be seen how high the insurance claims will be. If your holiday destination is directly affected, package tours can usually be canceled. No matter where you are, look for cooler temperatures in Germany next week so you can enjoy the high temperatures.

Look forward to some refreshing input: Stefan Kobel provides interesting insights with the first part of his review of this year's art market.

We wish you a successful start to the week!

Your team at Zilkens Fine Art Insurance Broker GmbH in Cologne and Solothurn