From today to Wednesday, 13 to 15 April, a delegation from the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 and the Capital of Culture Region, represented by Sabine Fekete, Project Manager in Cultural Management, Ulf Kallscheidt, Programme and Project Manager in the staff unit of the Capital of Culture participants, Katrin Franz, Head of Cultural Management of the City of Chemnitz,* and Anna Kunke, Tourismusverband Chemnitz Zwickau Region e. V.*, is taking part in the Knowledge Transfer Seminar of the Interreg Europe project "ECoC Echo". V.*, took part in the Knowledge Transfer Seminar of the Interreg Europe project "ECoC Echo". The aim is to discuss the sustainable impact of the Capital of Culture year on cities and regions.
The seminar brings together representatives of past, present and future European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) to discuss the long-term impact of cultural initiatives on urban and regional development. Leeuwarden held the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018.
A mixture of lectures, site visits and discussions are planned, centred around a central question: How can cities build, maintain and develop a meaningful cultural legacy?
The programme in Leeuwarden will focus on both the creation and maintenance of a cultural legacy. Participants will gain insights into the development of Arcadia as a continuation of Leeuwarden-Fryslân 2018, including its organisational model, strategy and underlying values. The sessions will include perspectives from regional and municipal stakeholders on the impact of the European Capital of Culture year on the economy, tourism and regional development.
In addition to Chemnitz and Leeuwarden, participants include Novi Sad 2022 (Serbia), Veszprém 2023 (Hungary), Tartu 2024 (Estonia), Oulu 2026 (Finland), Liepāja 2027 (Latvia), Évora 2027 (Portugal) and Bourges 2028 (France).
The project is co-funded by the European Union's Interreg Europe programme, which supports cooperation between regions and helps public institutions across Europe to develop their policies.
* modified on 17 April 2026