Broumov

The bid is under the banner of a “Creative pilgrimage”. This is meant as an invitation to embark on “a journey that explores the resilience of communities such as Broumovsko in a modern European context”. It stems from the tradition of the local Benedictine monastery and “reworks new understandings of contemporary monasteries and modern ways of being alone & well, and with natural curiosity and fun, we work on safe & brave spaces with and inside resilient communities.” The cultural “programme is structured around three pathways that explore and deepen pilgrimage connections with the LAND, TIME and MIND through a variety of art forms.” The bid includes the whole Broumovsko area with the Hradec Králové Region.

Budweis

The Budweis candidacy is presented under the title “Creating a (Perma)Culture Environment”, meant as a call to action to create “a synergy between artists, culture organisations, local residents and international guests”. In this way, the programme aims at cultivating an environment where change can thrive. The concept is rooted in the idea that Budweis is a city where the cultural landscape, natural environment, and culture have always coexisted in symbiosis. To achieve this ambitious goal, the candidacy is based on the three principles of CARE (enhancing cultural accessibility to all city residents and international visitors), CONNECT (increasing residents’ sense of belonging to their living environments, the region and Europe) and CREATE (encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration while promoting a culture of co-creation). The bid of Budweis is presented in synergy with the South Bohemian Region.

The panel’s decision

The panel was presented with two different bids from significantly diverse cities each with their own strengths and challenges; each with their own visions, cultural strategies, and proposals for an ECoC in their city and region. The panel recognises that the bids focused on themes and issues of great relevance and urgency for Europe and the world at large.

Both bids had their strengths and weaknesses. Considering the revised bid-books and the final hearing the panel discussed the merits of each city's bid against the objectives and six criteria of ECoC action according to Decision 445/2014/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. In the final discussion, the panel collectively evaluated the applications against the formal criteria, ensuring a unified assessment for the two cities.

The panel would like to congratulate both candidate cities for their remarkable achievement in crafting their final bids, hosting city visits, and delivering presentations to the panel. The diligent efforts invested by the bidding teams to reach this stage of the European Capital of Culture competition are duly acknowledged. The strengths and weaknesses of the short-listed candidate cities presented the panel with a challenging task, giving rise to an intense and significant debate and evaluation.

Ultimately the panel reached consensus to recommend the city of Budweis as European Capital of Culture in the Czech Republic in 2028 to the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.