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Timisoara has officially ended exercising the title of European Capital of Culture through the gala that took place on Friday evening at the Palace of Culture, in the presence of hundreds of officials, cultural operators, guests from the country and abroad.
The interim president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfred Simonis, emphasized in his speech that the title of European Capital of Culture put both Timisoara and Romania, once again, after many years, on the cultural map of Europe. Many people contributed to this performance, starting with former mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandu.
He argued that all those who believed, at the beginning of the year, that Timisoara 2023 would not have the estimated scope, were mistaken, and now it can be recognized that hundreds of thousands of visitors have crossed the threshold of the city's museums this year, tens thousands of people attended the concerts, there were investments in the cultural infrastructure, a significant part coming from the private sector.
"This year has been a successful one for Timisoara and for Romania", concluded Alfred Simonis.
The director of the Timisoara National Theatre, Ada Hausvater, stated that this year the theater won many brilliant performances and a new performance hall, as a legacy of European Capital of Culture.
The general manager of the Romanian National Opera in Timisoara, Cristian Rudic, noted that after this year the city has a lot of adrenaline and the emulation is felt in the halls of the Opera House, where foreign languages are spoken.
Mayor Dominic Fritz ended the Gala with a speech in which he spoke about the fact that Timisoara showed this year that it can imagine a creative, prosperous future for the whole of Europe, built on unity in diversity.
"A future in which investments in culture are not a luxury, but the foundation on which we build. (...) Perhaps it is time to say today that European culture will be whole only after the plurality of perspectives of those who I feel there in several places at once. The story of the multi-ethnic and courageous Timisoara is a treasure for Europe. The 2023 European Capital of Culture year is coming to an end. Timisoara's mission to be the European Capital of Culture has only just begun," said Dominic Fritz.
The demonstrations dedicated to the conclusion of the title of European Capital of Culture Timisoara 2023 will continue until Sunday evening, with concerts, the most awaited moment being the aerial acrobatics show on Friday evening, similar to the one with which European Capital of Culture Timisoara 2023 opened in February.
