Germany/ 3.4 International cultural co-operation  

3.4.6 Other relevant issues

Ruhr2010

The European Capital of Culture in 2010 was – along with Istanbul and Pecs – the Ruhr district under the title "Essen for the Ruhr", in which 53 cities, towns and parishes in the region joined forces under the motto "Change through Culture – Culture through Change". Confronted by the end of the coal and steel industries, the organisers wanted to react to the new challenges and as a result the region has undergone an exemplary transformation: "to a new type of polycentric cultural metropolis". Ruhr.2010 has brought together the regional players from culture, politics and business into a creative alliance. The programme consisted of three guiding themes: mythology, metropolis and Europe. These are interwoven into and portrayed by 6 disciplines and topic areas of: image, theatre, music, language, creative industries and festivals. One of the most popular project within the European Capital of Culture was "Still-Life A40/B1" on 18 July, where 60 kilometres of the motorway were blocked in both directions and lined with 20 000 tables to create a meeting place for different cultures, generations and nations. More than 4.5 million people used the motorway as the "world's longest banquet table" and for cycling. The European Capital of Culture year ended with a finale at four venues: Dortmund, Duisburg, Essen and Gelsenkirchen on the 18 of December – with more than 10 million visitors.

Even though the European Capital of Culture year ended and the Ruhr.2010 GmbH project entrusted its legacy to new hands, the Regional Association Ruhr, Culture Ruhr Ltd., Ruhr Ruhr Tourism Ltd. and the European Centre for Creative Economy, in December 2011 – these partners have started their respective tasks and have since been supporting sustainable developments in networks and projects. The Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) has coordinated the development of culture in the Ruhr Metropolis with a dedicated administrative department. Furthermore, as of 2012, the State of North-Rhine Westphalia and the RVR will organise an annual "Culture Conference Ruhr", which will focus on current issues of regional cultural policy.

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