The Akademie der Künste, Berlin (Academy of the Arts, Berlin) is an arts institution in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Prussian Academy of Arts, an academic institution where members could meet and discuss and share ideas. As early as 1699, the academy served as the arts council to the government and since 1931 has been exclusively tasked with this function. The academics arm ultimately developed into the Universität der Künste Berlin (Berlin University of the Arts) of today. The Academy is used to promote art, as well as advise and support the states of Germany.
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The Akademie is an incorporated body of the public right under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. New members are nominated by secret ballot of the general assembly, and appointed by the president with membership never to exceed 500. The academy‘s current president is Klaus Staeck, who succeeded Adolf Muschg in 2006.
