European Capital of Culture Wrocław and European Cultural Identity

Abstract

Wrocław is the first city that earned the title in Poland, ‘European Capital of Culture(ECoC)’. Wrocław is a city with a dynamic history. From the Middle Ages to the Modern, Wrocław experienced the destruction of multicultural city after World War II, the migration and exchange of Polish and German residents, the communist era, and the process of the transition. Wrocław, as the ECoC tried to deliver the unique and tragic historical aspects at the level of beginning and the citizens endeavored to consider the identity of the city they shared own history and identity. Thanks to the various program of the ECoC, Wrocław had a chance to contemplate the changes in its culture from the past through the present to the future. Also, through the opportunity of the project, Wrocław could scrutinize the European cultural identity that its have. Not only residents in Wrocław and Lower Silesian Voivodeship but also all Poles fulfilled their substantial cultural benefits with the ECoC Projects. In addition, the program provided a chance for Poland and Wrocław to declare that they were part of Europe clearly. The project was useful to Wrocław. Wrocław has experienced the creation of jobs and vitalization of the service industry as well as the economic effect followed by attracting tourists to urban development. Also, the program supported numerous artists in Wrocław, thus they could expand their activity area from Poland to the whole Europe continent.