Wroclaw Centennial Hall courtesy B. Sadowski

The European Culture Congress finished in Wrocław this weekend after four full days of art, literature, film and music events and exhibitions.

Among distinguished guests were Polish President Bronisław Komorowski, Polish sociologist Zygmunt Bauman, Oscar-winning film-maker Andrzej Wajda, composer Krzysztof Penderecki, theater director Krystian Lupa, former president of the Czech Republic and writer Václav Havel, and philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco.

Among the highlights of the event was a fireworks display by French artists Groupe F.

Group F, Open Air Event, courtesy of culturecongress.eu

The event, sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and held under the aegis of the Polish EU Presidency, hosted over 100 interdisciplinary projects with over 300 artists under the theme of 'Art for Social Change.'

Zygmunt Bauman, who launched the event with a lecture based on his book, “Culture in Modern Liquid Times,” discussed the founding principles behind European culture and its future direction.

He discussed the origins of European culture, how it is changing, and how consumerism and technology are influencing its development.

Zygmunt Bauman, courtesy of culturecongress.eu

The overall theme, both of Mr Bauman's lecture and the event as a whole, was that culture should continue to unite Europe and contribute to positive change.

EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek also described culture as a unifying factor, saying that “the EU is united in diversity, and with 27 countries, half a billion citizens, and centuries of shared culture and history, we can call it one”

“Culture is the most important and most valued capital element of modern Europe,” said Polish Culture Minister Bogdan Zdrojewski, who played a central role in organizing the event. It was at Mr Zdrojewski's request that Professor Bauman wrote his book, specifically for the congress in Wrocław.

In these times of economic uncertainty, Mr Zdrojewski underlined the importance of cultural education and investment in culture, and appealed to members of the European Parliament to continue to devote funds to culture.

Highlighting the Polish contribution to European culture, Mr Komorowski said that in Wrocław, which has been selected as European Capital of Culture 2016, “one can appreciate the value of European culture, whose beauty is expressed through a sense of diversity.”

Wrocław, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons