Inauguration of the Ruhr2010 event

European Capital of Culture Ruhr 2010 magnificently opened

The ringing of bells started already on Friday, January 8th, 6 p.m. Although there had been stressing discussions whether to postpone the opening ceremony at Essen Zollverein, because storm Daisy put down her white and frosty coat all over Germany, the persons responsible appealed to old behaviours and virtues of the former steel-workers and miners in the Ruhr Area: "Take a hip flask, if needs be"; "Don´t be a wimp, a wet blanket"; "We are not in Siberia". The brusque slogans seemed to be effective. Nearly punctually the official ceremony started on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Essen at "Zollverein", the world cultural heritage site of the industrial age. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Köhler, as well as the President of the European Commission, Mr. Barroso and the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mr. Rüttgers, gave courageously their speeches in the middle of a square arena, filled with 1.200 hand-picked guests of politics and culture. I took the chance to notice the spectacle and to become a part of it.

The backdrop was as impressing as winning enough with giant sets of machines and the rusty buildings of the former coking plant. Soon the singers and dancers entered the stage and made their chants and figures, only interrupted by the busy caretaker, scattering permanently salt on the floor, and the young teams, untiring scrubbing away the puddles of water supplied by smelting snow. From time to time and out of the blue jets of fire were spitting into the covered sky, launched out of small shafts in the platform. Sometimes, the snowflakes complicated the view, but the temperature continued cooling backs and feed persistently. But one could easily keep fingers warm by all the given opportunities for applauding. Additionally everyone has been protected by a so called survival kit the organizers had sufficiently distributed: a warm blanket for the knees, a tin foil for the backside and a plastic raincoat. With these red, green, yellow and blue coloured coats, the audience formed the Logo of the 2010 event by themselves and all the time.

The German Pop star Herbert Grönemeyer finally bawled out the new hymn of the Ruhr: "Come to the Ruhr!" In German ears that sounds a little bit like "Settle down at last!" But no one could actually settle down. In spite of snow the show must go on: with the opening of the new RuhrMuseum at about 5 p.m. and with all the artists delivered all over the terrain of the already famous Zeche Zollverein. One impressive example to me was a singer in a white baroque costume, accompanied by the clear chords of an electro piano. Taking a stand on a brown scaffold between the old boilers, the machines and listed buildings of the former works, she was cheering heavenly melodies into the darkening cold sky of former Coal City. Daisy was a visitor, not too cruel, but creating all the more a mood of extraordinary festivity and unforgettable community. Daisy was a conveniently promoting partner for the inauguration of that cultural year. And you really didn´t need a hip flask, after Köhler, Barroso and Rütters long since had abandoned the scene.