European Capitals of Culture share their experiences at the Ecoc Echo seminar in Chemnitz
From Tuesday, September 29, to Thursday, October 1, representatives of past, present, and future European Capitals of Culture are gathering in Chemnitz for *Ecoc Echo*, an international legacy project led by Tartu 2024.
At the knowledge transfer seminar organised by the ECoC Echo project, funded by Interreg Europe, around 50 representatives from the worlds of politics, culture, business and public administration from Chemnitz as well as Leeuwarden 2018, Novi Sad 2022, Veszprém 2023, Tartu 2024, Oulu 2026, Liepāja 2027, Évora 2027 and Bourges 2028, will come together to discuss Chemnitz’s legacy as the European Capital of Culture 2025.
Participants from Estonia in Chemnitz include Ulla Preeden, Deputy Mayor of Tartu; Sven Tobreluts, Head of the Association of Tartu County Municipalities; Tiit Toots, Head of the Võru County Development Centre; Annela Laaneots, Head of Tartu 2024; and Sille Talvet-Unt, Development Manager of Tartu 2024 and Project Manager of Ecoc Echo.
The conference brings together key voices and creates an international forum that connects diverse experiences, current developments and future perspectives.
The three-day conference programme combines strategic insights and discussions. In addition, participants will visit the intervention sites Stadtwirtschaft and Hartmannfabrik, as well as the Ore Mountains region, with stops in Oelsnitz and Leukersdorf. This enables them to gain an understanding of the Chemnitz 2025 legacy process. The seminar serves as a platform for analysing the transition from the title year, through the bridge year, to long-term urban and regional development.
As part of the programme, a press conference with Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will take place on Wednesday 30 September at 2.00 pm in the Hartmannfabrik. Together with project manager Florian Hegewald, he will present the new brochure “25 Impacts of European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025“. Also taking part in the press conference will be:
Andrea Pier, Managing Director of Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH
Prof. Dr. Jochen Mayerl, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology
Daniel Röthig, Mayor Callenberg
The publication takes stock and presents 25 selected examples of developments during the European Capital of Culture year. It highlights the scope of the year, the associated investment and the long-term benefits for Chemnitz.
The ECoC Echo Interreg Europe project began in May 2025 and will run until July 2029. The aim is to maintain and further develop the momentum generated during the Capital of Culture year in the fields of culture, urban development and international cooperation beyond the title year.