The long-term impact of the title "European Capital of Culture"
"Visions of Europe"
Conference on the long-term impact of Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025 ends
On 12 April 2024, the first legacy conference of the city of Chemnitz came to an end under the title "Visions of Europe". The three-day conference marked the start of a process designed to secure the legacy of Chemnitz's title as European Capital of Culture 2025 in the long term.
Around 200 participants from Chemnitz, the region, the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH and many other representatives from the Saxon State Chancellery and state ministries, organisations, associations and urban society have been discussing the expectations, experiences and challenges of successfully implementing the legacy with experts from six former European Capitals of Culture since Wednesday.
The conference was the starting point for the legacy process. The workshops initially focussed on taking stock of the change process that has already begun. Ideas were then collected in workshops on which topics and aspects could be relevant in the long term and which structures could be necessary for the continuation. An important focus here is on the European dimension. Other topics included how infrastructure projects such as the intervention areas can continue to be used and developed in the long term and how the projects from the 2025 programme can be made independent and economically sound in subsequent years.
Ferenc Csák, Project Manager of the Capital of Culture programme at the City of Chemnitz: "The question seems absurd at first: What remains of an event that has not even begun? But that's not the case at all. You can't start thinking about the time after the title year soon enough. We can already feel that a lot has been set in motion on the way to the title year as Capital of Culture: Intensive links have been established with new partners throughout Europe, players in the city and throughout the region are working together with a completely new energy, the intervention area programme is taking the idea of the Capital of Culture into the city and districts ... All of this now needs to be secured beyond 2025. The lively discussions of the past few days make me optimistic that this will succeed."
Michal Hladky, Kosice 2013: "2025 throws a great spotlight on the city and is a unique opportunity to really show the unseen side of Chemnitz. This could be the starting point for a great collaboration beyond the title year."
The legacy plan is to be developed over the next one and a half years. It is set to run for ten years and covers the period from 2026 to 2035. The EU Commission recommends taking sustainability into account at an early stage of the preparations. As the years 2024 and 2025 are inevitably very labour-intensive, the planning of the legacy cannot wait until the end of the title year.
The State Government Commissioner for the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, State Secretary Prof Thomas Popp, said at the launch event: "The title of European Capital of Culture has a lasting effect. All European Capitals of Culture have shown this in the past. The title therefore also opens up medium to long-term development opportunities for the city of Chemnitz and the region. The Legacy Conference marks the start of the process - early and with foresight. This is very good for areas such as urban and cultural development, tourism, city marketing, international co-operation and social commitment. The Saxon state government will be happy to provide further support."
The "Visions of Europe" conference was co-financed by tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament.
Keyword Legacy
The Legacy Conference marks a milestone in the European Capital of Culture 2025 process and emphasises the city of Chemnitz's goal of driving sustainable change in all areas of life. In accordance with the requirements of the European Commission, various aspects are to be taken into account, including the promotion of the cultural and creative sectors as well as long-term links with the economic and social sectors. The plan is set to run for ten years and covers the period from 2026 to 2035.
Photos of the three-day Legacy Conference
Recording of the public launch event on 10 April 2024
The conference was opened by Lord Mayor Sven Schulze in the Carlowitz Hall of the Carlowitz Congress Centre together with Prof. Thomas Popp, State Government Commissioner for the Capital of Culture in the Saxon State Chancellery. The public kick-off event began with a keynote speech by Stefanie Reichart, Head of the Department of Culture and Sport at the Ruhr Regional Association, the organiser of RUHR.2010, who outlined the process of how the last German European Capital of Culture to date has prepared its legacy and is still successfully shaping it today.