Berlin Conference 2021: Europe Bottom-Up!
Conference Programme, 7–9 November, 2021
Conference languages are German and English, simultaneaous translation will be provided.
Registration for the conference is closed. The programme will be streamed live via stiftungzukunftberlin.eu.
Sunday November 7th | Visit to Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025
Das TIETZ, Moritzstraße 20, 09111 Chemnitz
2 p.m.
Welcome by Mayor Ralph Burghart and Presentation of European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) 2025 Chemnitz by Ferenc Csák and Nova Gorica by Neda Rusjan Bric
2.50 p.m.
Peripheral cities: European Potential and Lack of Attention
Opening by Mayor Thomas Zenker, Zittau
3:05 p.m.
ECoCs: Their Role and Future Development, Lessons from Their Applications and Their Place in “Europe Bottom-Up”
Opening by Hugo de Greef, ECoC Bruges 2002
Introduction of Bad Ischl ECoC 2024 by Hannes Heide, MEP | Elisabeth
Schweeger, ECoC Bad Ischl-Salzkammergut 2024
3:30 p.m.
Statements and debate with Ulrich Fuchs, ECoC Marseille-Provence 2013
| Birgit Glorius, University of Technology Chemnitz | Hannes Heide, MEP | Carolin Hochleichter, ECoC candidate Hildesheim 2025 | Jo Leinen, MEP ret. | Niklas Nienaß, MEP | Doris Pack, MEP ret. | Elisabeth Schweeger, ECoC Bad Ischl-Salzkammergut 2024 | Louisa Slavkova, Civic Europe | Tamás Szalay, ECoC Pécs 2010, ECoC candidate Magdeburg 2025 | Ştefan Teişanu, Cluj Cultural Centre | Lene Wagner, ECoC candidate Hildesheim 2025
5:30 p.m.
Visit of the Garagen-Campus Chemnitz, an ECoC project
Monday November 8th | Europe Bottom-Up Plenary Session
Allianz Forum, Pariser Platz 6, 10719 Berlin
1:30 p.m.
Municipal Integration Workshop ‘At home in Europe: Berlin as an example’ (Location: Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78, 10117 Berlin)
Migration is a fact of the 21st century. European integration policy requires a certain homogeneity that currently only exists at national level. Some European capitals are more advanced. In the city of Berlin, for example, since 2015 an informal network of cultural and civil society actors, NGOs and churches has been established which is considered exemplary across Europe.
The goal of this workshop is to bring local and European experts together in order to gauge which urban projects have actually been successful since 2015, what could be scaled up further and what might work in other European capitals as well, with a focus on best practice and hands-on effective solutions but also the broader picture.
4:30 p.m.
First Plenary Session — Europe Bottom-Up: What Does Europe Need Now?
Moderation: Kathrin Deventer, A Soul for Europe / European Festivals Association and Miguel Ángel Martín Ramos, A Soul for Europe / Yuste Foundation
Greeting by Michelle Schmitz, Allianz SE
Opening by: Mariya Gabriel, EU Commissioner for Innovation,
Research, Culture, Education and Youth
Acknowledgments by Doris Pack, Member of the Board of the
Platform
Statements and debate with Steve Austen, A Soul for Europe | Gaby
Bischoff, MEP | Elmar Brok, MEP ret. | Marion Döring, Wim
Wenders Stiftung / Member of the “Europe Bottom-Up”
Directorate | Lena Düpont, MEP | Ulrich Fuchs, ECoC Marseille-
Provence 2013 | Hannes Heide, MEP | Nele Hertling, A Soul for
Europe | Noémi Kiss, Writer| Jo Leinen, MEP ret. | Andreas Nachama, House of One | Niklas Nienaß, MEP |Ása Richardsdóttir, IETM | Walter Smerling, Foundation for Art and Culture| Hannes Swoboda, MEP ret. | Helga Trüpel, MEP ret. | Serhiy Zhadan, Writer
Statement by Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, Member of the “Europe Bottom-Up”
Directorate, former President of Goethe Institute
7:00 p.m.
[Confirmed invitees only]
Reception at the International Club in the Federal Foreign Office with Sabine
Stöhr, Director for EU Policies, German Federal Foreign Office in cooperation
with Ambassador Franc But, Slovenian Embassy
Tuesday November 9th |The “Europe Bottom-Up” Platform and Cities for Europe
Allianz Forum, Pariser Platz 6, 10719 Berlin
10 a.m.
Welcome and Second Plenary Session: The Platform „Europe Bottom-Up“
Moderation: Marion Döring, Wim Wenders Stiftung / Member of the “Europe Bottom-Up” Directorate and Yolanda Rother, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin
Keynote by Irmgard Maria Fellner, Director for Cultural Relations
Policy Federal Foreign Officee
Presentation of the Platform by Claudius Brodmann and Meike Ernst, xailabs
Statement by Andreas Nitsche, Association for Interactive Democracy
Compilation: Working with the Platform
With contributions from: Onno Falkena, Wir sind Europa | Birgit
Heidsiek, Project Group Carbon-Neutral Cultural Work | Christian Johann, Project Group European Perspectives on Local History | Georg Kentrup, Project Group Performing Europe | Wolfram Korr, Brandenburg Summer Concerts | Christiane Lötsch, Yves Mettler, Christian Schneegass, Project Group Cultural Initiatives and Artists for Europe | Mahir Namur, A Soul for Europe | Norbert Palz, Berlin University of the Arts | Roland Stolte, House of One | Ștefan Teișanu, Cluj Cultural Centre | Christian Thomsen, Technische Universität Berlin
1:15 p.m.
Third Plenary Session: Cities for Europe
Moderation: Volker Hassemer, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin, Yuriy Vulkovsky, A Soul for Europe and Cornelia Poczka, Berlin-Forum
Keynote by Apostolos Tzitzikostas, President of the European Committee of the Regions
Opening form Berlin by State Secretary for Europe Gerry Woop
Themes: Role of the cities for Europe; Municipal integration policy; Local democratic practice
Statements and debate with by Victoria Alsina-Burgues, Generalitat
de Catalunya | Mayor Emil Boc, Cluj-Napoca | Pieter Boeder, Wir sind Europa | Rafał Dutkiewicz, Mayor ret. Wrocław | Nele Hertling, A
Soul for Europe | Mayor Tanya Hristova, Gabrovo | Thomas Meyer,
Metropolitan region Szczecin | Rita Mayrhofer, University of Natural
Resources and Life Science, Vienna | Yonous Muhammadi, Greek
Forum of Refugees | Mayor Laurent Riche, Kingersheim | Mayor
Mohamed Ridouani, Leuven | Mayor Mike Schubert, Potsdam
| Gesine Schwan, Humboldt-Viadrina Governance Platform | Hannes
Swoboda, MEP ret. | Anett Szabó, Berlin-Forum | Markus Vähälä,
Citizens Network | Mayor Maximilian Wonke, Panketal | Mayor
Thomas Zenker, Zittau
Wrap-up and Presentation of Results
4 p.m.
End of the Berlin Conference 2021
7 p.m.
[Confirmed invitees or digital participation only]
The State of Europe Speech by Charles Michel, President of the European Council
