The 2012 Year of Chinese Culture in Germany is designed to make the German people aware of the richness and diversity of today’s Chinese culture. Minister of State Cornelia Pieper welcomed the Chinese Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, at the start of a series of events in Berlin.
The Year of Culture opened in the presence of the two dignitaries on 30 January at the Konzerthaus Berlin with a concert given by the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra. Until September 2012 visitors will be able to attend one-week cultural festivals entitled “China? China! China…” in public squares in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main and Munich.
The Year of Culture takes place against background of this year’s 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and China and the first German-Sino intergovernmental consultations last year.
Following her talks with Minister Cai Wu, Minister of State Pieper recalled that Germany had presented itself in China with a series of events “Germany and China – Together in Motion 2007 - 2010”. A total of approximately 1.8 million Chinese attended the events in six major Chinese cities. Minister of State Pieper underlined that such Years of Culture served to “build bridges between civil societies”. Most importantly, she added, the aim was to bring together creative people from the two countries.
Moreover, Germany is currently staging an exhibition “The Art of the Enlightenment” at the National Museum in Beijing; Minister of State Pieper will attend the closing ceremony there at the end of March 2012.
Cornelia Pieper stated that China also showed a keen interest in Germany’s experience with culture as an economic factor. She said she had told her Chinese colleague that more freedom was the best condition that could be created for artists. Adapting the words of Friedrich Schiller the Minister of State said: “Art is the most beautiful daughter of freedom.”
© FFO
