Minister of Education and Culture István Hiller looked on as an array of 95,000 red, white and green lights ? Hungary?s national colours ? lit up in a display welcoming Hungary.
Since 2000, Essen has invited a different European guest to Light Weeks under the motto ?Europe in Essen?. Previous guests have included the Netherlands, the UK, Finland, Poland and Italy.
Essen?s choice of Hungary as a guest falls at the same time as the Hungarian Cultural Year in Germany as well as the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. The invitation is also special because Essen will share the title European Capital of Culture 2010 with the Hungarian city of Pécs and Istanbul.
Hiller and Pécs mayor Péter Tasnádi met with leaders of the North Rhein-Westphalia region during the visit ? among them Wolfgang Reiniger, mayor of Essen ? to discuss cooperation in several different cultural areas.
In a speech at Essen?s City Hall, Hiller stressed the symbolic meaning of this year?s Light Weeks for Hungary as related to the 50th anniversary of the ?56 revolution and called the uprising a ?hopeful beam of light? in the history of the 20th century. He also noted the connection between Essen and Pécs in light of their European Capital of Culture 2010 titles.
Hungary is honoured to come closer to the German people and to Germany through culture, Hiller said. He added that the festival offers an excellent chance for Hungary to showcase its own culture, from it literature to its music to its tourist attractions and cuisine.
As a guest country, Hungary will have a huge audience: more than four million Germans and foreigners are expected to visit the festival.
Hiller mentioned he had spoken with Stefan Soltessz, an ethnic Hungarian official at the Essen Opera and asked him for professional assistance with the reshaping of the Hungarian State Opera. A day earlier, Hiller requested the same of Gérard Mortier, the director of the Paris Opera.
The Hungarian News Agency (MTI) reported that both men would help set up a body of experts to assist in finding a solution to the problems the Hungarian opera is currently facing.
