Prague, March 21 (CTK) – Dance and theatre performances, exhibitions, football tournaments and food festivals are part of the Czech-German Cultural Spring 2017 prepared by Czech and German institutions, Culture Minister Daniel Herman (Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) told journalists on Tuesday.
Along with Prague and Berlin, towns along the two countries’ borders will host a number of various events, Herman said.
The cultural exchange will contribute to the two nations’ understanding, he added.
“Culture is the best bridge in the meeting of people and nations,” Herman told CTK.
With its culture, mentality and history, the Czech Republic is a part of the West, although it was separated from it by the Iron Curtain for decades, Herman said.
“Unfortunately, in people’s minds the separation has lingered on. The cultural exchange can help understand how close to one another we are,” he added.
The Czech-German Cultural Spring is one of the events marking the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Czech-German Declaration.
The Declaration on Bilateral Relations and their Future Development, in which the two countries pledged not to burden bilateral relations with controversial issues from the past and focus on future cooperation instead, was signed on January 21, 1997 by former German chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU) and Czech prime minister Vaclav Klaus (Civic Democratic Party, ODS).
The programme will be held between March and July. Its main pillars include a retrospective exhibition of German painter Gerhard Richter in the Prague National Gallery, several-week cultural programmes in seven Czech regions and international football youth tournaments.
Tens of projects are financed by the Czech-German Fund for the Future that put up two subsidy programmes for the Czech-German Spring.
Within them, half a million euros will be distributed.
Kristina Larisch, a chairwoman of the fund’s board, told journalists that along with usual cultural projects, there was the objective of supporting those which combined arts and science and showed various artistic genres.
So far, some 70 projects are eligible for sponsoring from the fund, she added.
Along with Prague, the event will be joined by Olomouc, Ostrava (both north Moravia), Ceske Budejovice (south Bohemia), Plzen (west Bohemia), Usti na Labem, Liberec (both north Bohemia) and Brno.
In Germany, the programme will take place in Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden and Dusseldorf.
The director of the Czech Centre in Berlin, Tomas Sacher, said live art or theatre, music and contemporary dance were strongly represented.
In Germany, the programme will be officially presented next week.
