Statement Landeshauptmann Dr. Josef Pühringer

Capital of Culture Year Linz09 will highlight Upper Austria

Given the intense cooperation that exists between the province of Upper Austria and its capital Linz it’s not too much to say that Linz09 is a project that involves the whole of Upper Austria and is by no means exclusively confined to the capital.

It was therefore a foregone conclusion for the cultural institutions of the province of Upper Austria to take an active part in project development. All the different regions of Upper Austria partake of Linz09. They will be providing the venues for a number of different projects, such as festivals, concerts, symposia, etc.

For Upper Austria Culture Capital Year is both an honour and a unique opportunity. By awarding this title to Linz Europe is showing its awareness of and paying tribute to what the city and Upper Austria have achieved in the area of culture over the last years.

Upper Austria sees itself as an industrious country distinguished not only by a high degree of social empathy but also by exceptional intellectual openmindedness. Cultural politics in Upper Austria follows the motto “Love for tradition – courage for innovation” („Liebe zum Alten – Mut zum Neuen“).

Upper Austria has put a great deal of emphasis on a great number of cultural political initiatives. Let me name some of them:

Our system of music tuition. At present the Landesmusikschulwerk comprises 150 or so regional musical schools. More than 1,500 music teachers give instruction to 58,000 pupils and there is hardly a musical instrument for which tuition is not available.
The Bruckner Orchestra has honed its profile and boosted its international standing over the last years, which is evidenced by its highly successful international tours. 100 or so musicians have been given contracts with the orchestra.
The Bruckner University has not only considerably expanded its course programme both in quantitative and qualitative terms but has added a whole new dimension to its existence as a teaching institution by developing and incorporating a top quality cultural centre.
Other internationally acknowledged highpoints of cultural life in our province are the Bruckner Festival, Ars Electronica Festival and the Festival of the Regions.

The laurels that the award of Capital of Culture Year means for us are not for resting on, that is for sure. This year will encourage us to focus on culture as we seek to meet the challenges that internationalisation confronts us with. I am convinced that we are going to make use of the opportunity this means for us. Capital of Culture Year coincides with the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The Upper Austrians have been among those who were most adept at bridging the gap that existed between the West and the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, and Culture Capital Year will both draw on that expertise and add to it.

Linz09 also occasions major projects that will change the face of Linz for a long time to come. The province of Upper Austria alone invests 250 million euros in Linz’s cultural infrastructure.

With its massive investment in the new opera and music theatre, the Castle’s South Wing, construction work in the Landhaus quarter of the inner city, the new Bruckner University and the new Provincial Library the province makes sure that even generations to come will see what has been achieved in Linz’s Capital of Culture Year.

In Capital of Culture Year we hope we will succeed in presenting Upper Austria as a region open to the world that does not only offer room for a successful economy but for artistic creativity as well.