From Lübeck to Augsburg
Mayor of Lübeck Bernd Saxe and Cultural Mayor of Augsburg Peter Grab / Photo: RUHR.2010 / Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt
On Sunday, August 1, the European City Charter set out on its longest journey to date. Lübeck, far in the north, transmitted the baton to Augsburg, the southernmost city involved in the association "National Heroes - German Cultural Cities", made up of the former German applicants for the title "European Capital of Culture 2010".
Lübeck's Mayor Bernd Saxe and Senator of Culture Annette Borns took the podium in the Council Chamber in the historical City Hall to explain their city’s project. It is the European Hanse Museum of Lübeck, to be opened in 2012 as an adventure museum. This facility is to explore both the past and the contemporary significance of the Hanseatic League. The city is expecting this to be a new cultural magnet that will attract visitors from Germany and abroad.
Lübeck is particularly proud of the fact that a new investment such as this was made possible in an era of public austerity. At the request of the city the Possel Foundation, financed by private donations, is assuming the planning and construction costs. Thus Lübeck residents will really and truly be about to talk about "their own" museum since, without civic involvement, the project would have disappeared onto the far back burner.
Augsburg Senator of Culture Peter Grab accepted the European City Charter. He and the representative of RUHR.2010, Prof. Hanns-Dietrich Schmidt (International Department), wished the people of Lübeck every success in their impressive project.
In the subsequent closing festivities for the 121st Travemünde Estuary Week the network of "National Heroes – German Cultural Cities" was lauded in the presence of all the members of the parliament of the state of Schleswig-Holstein.