Sibiu mayor Klaus Johannis gave an interview to Rompres explaining why this central Romanian city is the country’s first to get the status of an European cultural capital in 2007.
Sibiu has reached the position of a European cultural capital due to a very special relation with Luxembourg, Johannis said. „Luxembourg had been named the 2007 European cultural capital and on the basis of the documents related to a cultural capital it was possible to invite a partner from a still non-European Union country and they did it and invited us to stand together before the jury. We drew up the paperwork and in May 2004 it was decided that Luxembourg and Sibiu be the 2007 European cultural capitals”, he explained.
A first reason for this choice, Johannis said, is related to „our common history and the second one is related to a cultural project that the Luxembourg partners had in the last years”. The historic connection is very interesting. „As many as 850 years ago, the settlers that came to southern Transylvania and founded towns and villages there, also came from the area of the Great Duchy of Luxembourg. One might say that we, the Transylvanian-based Saxons, are the successors of the settlers that had left Luxembourg 850 years ago. The more recent cultural connection has arisen during a restoration project, namely the restoration of Luxembourg House located in Sibiu’s Piata Mica. Under this project initiated in 1998 and finalised in 2003, mutual visits were paid and a very strong link between our two cities has been established”, Johannis said.
„I think that the project of the European cultural capital will attract investors to Sibiu the same as it has happened up until now, but we hope now to be able to attract investors to a sector that has not been developed too well in Sibiu, namely tourism. I think that there is room for many investors in tourism and services in Sibiu. We estimate to attract 400,000-500,000 tourists more than in an ordinary year. Sibiu was visited by some 200,000-300,000 tourists in 2005”, the mayor said.
The Romanian Government will be the host of the meeting of heads of state to be held in Sibiu next year, Johannis said in the interview.
ROMPRES
