Timișoara has been selected as the 2021 European Capital of Culture. Dr Roland Zarzycki, CC Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, was a member of the Timișoara team that prepared the application. Earlier, our expert also made the winning application for Wrocław.

In 2016 Wrocław became the European Capital of Culture. This competition features a European city selected by the Competition Commision of the European Capital of Culture programme, which over the course of a year can exhibit the cultural life of the city, region and country. The second Polish city equally owes its application success to the work of Dr Roland Zarzycki, who as of 1 October 2016 is Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Collegium Civitas.

Dr Zarzycki was one of two main authors of Wrocław’s application for the European Capital of Culture programme. He was responsible for preparing the competition documentation, which was then evaluated by the commission. It puts forward all the projects and activities that are proposed for the European Capital of Culture programme, later to be implemented by the winning city. Currently, the evaluating commission comprises 12 members (the Wrocław application was assessed by 13) including six from EU countries and six from previous winning countries.

It is only after rigorous application preparation and presentation from all the candidates that the commission selects a city as the Capital of Culture. Zarzycki’s success has been noted internationally and, as a result, was invited as one of the experts to work on the Romanian candidature of Timișoara.

A win for the candidate city secures not only prestige, but also significant European funds, which can be used to develop its cultural offer to an international audience. The selected city will then present its historical heritage for 12 months. Associated regions and towns also organize special exhibition events, concerts, festivals, conferences and other activities promoting the country, region and city.

The next Polish city will have a chance to win the accolade of European Capital of Culture in 2029. Poland has a great deal to offer. Our culture is very rich and our urban diversity allows us to choose from a wide variety of candidate cities.

Our warmest congratulations are offered to Timișoara as well as to Roland Zarzycki for his European success!