On 13 December a panel discussion took place in the Stadtbad Chemnitz. The people of Chemnitz were invited to find out about the potential of the city’s application for the title of “European Capital of Culture 2025”. The choice of the location was no coincidence.

In 1925 the then town planning director Fred Otto had a vision of a modern city and designed the bathroom in the Bauhaus style. The award-winning architectural and cultural monument has defied the changes in the city over the last almost 100 years and now inspires new visions: Chemnitz – European Capital of Culture 2025.

The discussion in the City Spa was attended by Mayor Barbara Ludwig, General Director of the Chemnitz Theatre, Dr. Christoph Dittrich, Cultural Director Ferenc Csák, Dr. Simona Neumann, General Director of the Timisoara 2021 Company and Jiří Suchánek, General Director of the Pilsen 2015 Company.

In two lively presentations, the guests from Romania and the Czech Republic shared their experiences with the audience, explained about costs and showed how they managed to convince the citizens of their cities and the jury of their merits.

The podium participants answered many questions. Below is a selection:

How are different areas like university, industry or small groups like the do-it-yourself scene integrated into the application process?

The city of Chemnitz has already started to participate and has held discussions with citizens at many public and private events. In workshops, representatives of the city together with actors from culture, economy, politics and science have sounded out potentials, risks and ideas of an application.

In Timisoara, over a period of five years, the Capital of Culture organisers have organised workshops, information evenings, public debates, mobilisation campaigns, seminars and countless informal meetings with artists, cultural operators, politicians, officials, businessmen, young people, volunteers and the city’s citizens. This has proved its worth and convinced the jury.

Chemnitz can learn from the positive experiences. Another event, the Debate Day, is already planned for January. In addition, the initiators of the Chemnitz Capital of Culture application would like to invite the citizens and representatives of all social areas to further consultations in the two years until the application is submitted. Sound opinion-forming is of eminent importance in the process.

The city of Chemnitz has estimated the cost of implementing the Capital of Culture year at 20 million euros. Is this estimate realistic?

If Chemnitz is successful with its application, preparations will begin in 2021 for the Capital of Culture year 2025, when the final budget will depend on the concrete overall programme consisting of investment measures and the content of the programme.

Experience shows that the municipalities themselves bear about one third of the costs of preparing and implementing the Capital of Culture year, about one third is financed by federal and state funds and one third by EU funds, ticket sales and sponsorship.

In Timisoara, 48,5 million euro has been entered in the budget, 20 million euro of which is also financed from the municipal budget. The national government contributes EUR 12 million, the country EUR 5 million. Timisoara wants to generate a further 11.5 million euros from EU programmes, foundations and the private sector.

The City of Pilsen has spent around 18.2 million euros on programmes, administration and marketing. The budgets of the example cities support the estimate of Chemnitz. Nevertheless, there is no “cost model” for Chemnitz. Each European Capital of Culture had its own individual requirements at the time of application and for the preparation and implementation of the Capital of Culture year.

How can we make the application process run smoothly?

The application for the title is a long journey on which not everything always succeeds immediately, report the guests from Pilsen and Timisoara. On the way to the title, both cities have had to overcome crises and overcome challenges.

Neither of the two speakers has any prospect of a smooth process. Faith in their own strengths, a good portion of self-criticism, the will to participate, cooperate and network, a professional team of local staff and external experts, together with a convincing programme for the Capital of Culture year, have led the two winning cities to the title.

What can I as a private person contribute to the success?

“You can only become a Capital of Culture if you work together,” Ferenc Csák said when announcing the application idea in August. On the way to the application, every vote and every opinion counts, which is why the people of Chemnitz are cordially invited to take part in the process by making contact, expressing their opinions, discussing the project in their networks and finding arguments why Chemnitz should be the European Capital of Culture in 2025.