Germany Chooses "Culture Capital" Finalists
Two very different German cities -- Görlitz and Essen -- have been chosen as finalists from among 10 hopefuls to compete for the title "European Capital of Culture" in 2010.
The jury which made the decision said it chose Essen due to its successful transformation from an industrial hub at the heart of the Ruhr region to a center of culture and science whose influence extends beyond its municipal borders. Görlitz/Zgorzelec, a city on the German/Polish border that was split in two by political developments, was chosen because judges said it represents a spirit of reconciliation and a Europe which is growing ever closer together after a century of war, expulsion and division. Tourist magnet The citizens of Görlitz let the champagne corks fly when the news was announced on Thursday evening. The city worked hard to restore its historic city center, left intact after the war, to its former glory, and for that reason, has become a tourist magnet in eastern Germany. But beauty aside, the town has been hit hard by the unemployment, westward migration and high vacancy rates seen throughout the eastern states. City officials are counting on the title of Culture Capital to dispel some of the gloom. "We were both anxious and hopeful," said Kai Grebasch, spokesman for the city's Culture Capital office. "When the good news finally came, we were all speechless with joy." In Essen, too, the relief over remaining in the race was palpable. Faced with the decline of traditional industries such as mining, the Ruhr region is attempting to reinvent itself, in the same way that British industrial cities such as Manchester and Liverpool have transformed themselves into hip cultural centers. Whole new future "The jury picked up exactly our concern, which is to rededicate the whole region culturally, and make a whole new future possible," said North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Culture, Michael Vesper. The jury judged each candidate city's application on whether it presented a theme which explored ideas that were central to the European experience. And in this, Essen and Görlitz came out ahead of the other candidates Braunschweig, Bremen, Halle, Karlsruhe, Kassel, Lübeck, Potsdam and Regensburg. Germany is expected to pass on the recommendations to Brüssels in the fall, where the final decision will be made in 2006.
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
German
Görlitz
Görlitz Görlitz_(district) Görlitz_station Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Görlitz Gorlice Gorlitz,_Saskatchewan Waggonbau_Görlitz Zgorzelec
Essen
Essen Essen_Hauptbahnhof Essen,_Belgium Essen_Abbey Faber_Grand_Prix Eurocard_Open Timeline_of_Essen Bombing_of_Essen_in_World_War_II Grand_Prix_Rouwmoer Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Essen University_of_Duisburg-Essen Essen,_Lower_Saxony Aalto_Theatre Rot-Weiss_Essen Essen_(B)_railway_station Nikolai_Ottovich_von_Essen
title
European Capital of Culture
European_Capital_of_Culture
2010
Essen
Essen Essen_Hauptbahnhof Essen,_Belgium Essen_Abbey Faber_Grand_Prix Eurocard_Open Timeline_of_Essen Bombing_of_Essen_in_World_War_II Grand_Prix_Rouwmoer Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Essen University_of_Duisburg-Essen Essen,_Lower_Saxony Aalto_Theatre Rot-Weiss_Essen Essen_(B)_railway_station Nikolai_Ottovich_von_Essen
Ruhr
Ruhr Ruhr_(river) Rhine-Ruhr Christopher_Rühr Occupation_of_the_Ruhr Ruhr_(department) Battle_of_the_Ruhr
Görlitz
Görlitz Görlitz_(district) Görlitz_station Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Görlitz Gorlice Gorlitz,_Saskatchewan Waggonbau_Görlitz Zgorzelec
Zgorzelec
Zgorzelec Zgorzelec_railway_station Gmina_Zgorzelec Zgorzelec_County Zgorzelec,_Greater_Poland_Voivodeship
German
Polish
Europe
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Görlitz
Görlitz Görlitz_(district) Görlitz_station Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Görlitz Gorlice Gorlitz,_Saskatchewan Waggonbau_Görlitz Zgorzelec
Thursday
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Culture Capital
Cultural_capital
Kai Grebasch
Culture Capital
Cultural_capital
Essen
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Ruhr
Ruhr Ruhr_(river) Rhine-Ruhr Christopher_Rühr Occupation_of_the_Ruhr Ruhr_(department) Battle_of_the_Ruhr
British
Manchester
Manchester Manchester,_New_Hampshire Manchester_Rugby_Club Manchester,_Connecticut Manchester_Airport University_of_Manchester Old_Trafford_Cricket_Ground Manchester,_Tennessee Manchester,_Vermont Manchester_Piccadilly_station Manchester,_Richmond,_Virginia Manchester_Parish Manchester,_New_York Manchester_(UK_Parliament_constituency) Manchester,_Kentucky Manchester_Velodrome
Liverpool
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North Rhine-Westphalia
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Minister for Culture
Michael Vesper
European
Essen
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Görlitz
Görlitz Görlitz_(district) Görlitz_station Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Görlitz Gorlice Gorlitz,_Saskatchewan Waggonbau_Görlitz Zgorzelec
Braunschweig
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Bremen
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Halle
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Karlsruhe
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Kassel
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Lübeck
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Potsdam
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Regensburg
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Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Brüssels
Brussels City_of_Brussels R.W.D.M._Brussels_F.C. King_Baudouin_Stadium Brussels_Airport Memorial_Van_Damme Brussels-South_railway_station Donnay_Indoor_Championships Arrondissement_of_Brussels Brussels,_Ontario Belgian_Open_Championships Free_University_of_Brussels Brussels,_Illinois Brussels,_Wisconsin Trams_in_Brussels Brussels_and_the_European_Union
2006
European Capital of Culture
European_Capital_of_Culture
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Essen
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Liverpool
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