Towns Vie For Cultural Capital Title

December 31st was the deadline for submitting the tenders for the title of Europe’s Cultural Capital, and only one of the 11 Hungarian cities – Kaposvár, Sopron, Győr, Székesfehérvár, Veszprém, Eger, Pécs, Debrecen, Kecskemét, Miskolc and Budapest – can be the winner, alongside a German town.

The EU will provide €200,000–€1 million for the winner, furthermore, the town that receives the title can hope for huge national funds, too. According to recent experiences, organizers spent €30 million–€50 million on their respective projects. Hungarian cities plan to invest HUF 10 billion–HUF 20 billion on developments if they win the title, and they all plan to complete projects planned earlier.
 
For example, the city of Miskolc plans to set up a contemporary museum and the first Hungarian rock museum, while Eger wants to turn its 100-kilometer long cave system into a cultural center and construct a new scientific center underground. Pécs and Szeged have applied jointly, and their chances have grown because the city of Pécs in recent years has spent an annual HUF 2 billion–HUF 3 billion on cultural investments, according to Pécs Mayor László Toller.

“It is still Budapest that would need the least investments,” said Deputy Mayor János Schiffer. The city first plans to complete its long delayed investments from the expected EU funds, for example it will construct a bridge in north Budapest near the Aquincum area, and set up a new technical museum with a scientific center in Óbuda.