site.btaCulture Minister Holds Meetings in Germany to Promote Bulgarian Culture

Culture Minister Krastyu Krastev paid a working visit to Germany to promote Bulgarian culture, his Ministry said on Monday. On January 21, he visited one of the oldest cathedrals in Germany, the Magdeburg Cathedral. The Minister was accompanied by Bundestag’s Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs Chair Katrin Budde. A discussion on the development of Bulgarian-German cultural ties and legislative projects was held in the cathedral.

Krastev was interested in the legal framework given by the Bundestag for the development of culture and the performing arts network. Issues relating to film production and the way in which the German Committee on Cultural and Media Affairs regulates the cultural market and the cultural network were also touched upon.

Budde and Krastev held a meeting at the Saxony-Anhalt State Parliament with Saxony-Anhalt President Gunnar Schellenberger, who is also German National Committee for Monument Protection President. The cooperation between Bulgaria and the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt was discussed during the meeting. Schellenberger stressed that this province has the largest number of monuments under UNESCO protection. Krastev proposed to strengthen the relations between Bulgaria and the province on the development of protected monuments.

On Saturday evening, Krastev and Schellenberger visited the The Love of Three Oranges opera performance conducted by Bulgarian Svetoslav Borisov at the Theater Magdeburg. After the performance, the Culture Minister Maestro Borisov with a diploma and a plaque for the promotion of Bulgarian culture and art.

On January 26, Krastev visited the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin. The Minister thanked the staff of the Institute for doing their best to provide an up-to-date picture of cultural activities in Bulgaria and to help with advice for the country.

Krastev also met with S. Fischer Foundation Executive Director and TRADUKI Founder Antje Contius. They discussed the opportunities for Bulgaria and Germany to work together to create a unified programme to stimulate reading of Bulgarian literature and Bulgarian authors to be presented with even better coordination in terms of funding, thanks to the European network for literature and books TRADUKI and the programmes of the Culture Ministry.

They also discussed the possibilities of holding residencies by Bulgarian authors in Germany and vice versa, as well as the exchange of participation in reading festivals in the two countries.