Germany mulls shuttering Russian cultural center in Berlin, media reports
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The German government is considering terminating an agreement with Moscow that underpins the Russian House of Science and Culture in downtown Berlin, German news outlet Der Spiegel reported on Aug. 21.
The proposal is being evaluated in response to drone disruptions at Leipzig airport at the start of August, with increasing signs that Russia orchestrated what German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called a "hybrid attack scenario."
Four years since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian House has been allowed to continue operating at its location on Friedrichstrasse, one of Berlin's most famous streets.
Up the road lies Checkpoint Charlie, a former border control post between what was East and West Berlin. The cultural center is also minutes away from Germany's parliament and governmental district.
Like similar Russian centers in other countries, it seems to be operating despite sanctions that should restrict its activities and is suspected of facilitating espionage.
As recently as Aug. 17, German lawmaker Roderich Kiesewetter expressed his alarm that part of the German Digital Ministry is located directly next door to the Russian House, calling it "truly incomprehensible."
Der Spiegel reports that the German government had so far been reluctant to terminate its agreement with Moscow because they expect retaliation against Germany's Goethe Institute, the last representative of German civil society in Russia.
That taboo appears to be breaking, with the German Foreign Ministry telling the newspaper that the German government is "comprehensively and continuously reviewing the foundations of the Russian House under international treaty law."
Der Spiegel predicts that a preliminary decision could be reached as early as next week.
