Further information about the Cultural Days of the ECB can be found on: http://www.ecb.europa.eu/events/cultural/cultdays/html/index.en.html The culture of Europe is as diverse as the peoples and regions of the continent. However, all European countries have the same cultural roots and share common values. In addition, the universal language of the arts, which have continued to develop in Europe from antiquity to modern times, is understood everywhere on the continent. The aim of the annual EUROPEAN CULTURAL DAYS of the ECB is to highlight that culture is the foundation for the "European house" and also that it takes different forms in the individual Member States of the European Union (EU). Each year, Frankfurt am Main, which is home to the ECB, hosts a different country, enabling it to showcase outstanding examples of its cultural heritage. In 2013 the country was Latvia. From mid-October to mid-November, this Baltic State, which joined the EU in 2004, was in the spotlight with music (ranging from classical to "indie pop"), readings, film screenings, an unusual theatre project, exhibitions focusing on architecture and photography, lectures, and a special programme for children. These events reflected the history of this country, which was subject to foreign rule for centuries, and of its capital Riga, a cosmopolitan melting pot with a lively German and Jewish culture around 1900, as well as reflecting the current social situation of Latvia, an independent state since 1991. The innovative use of artistic tradition, which is intrinsic to a national identity, and openness to international contemporary forms of expression equally characterise Latvian cultural life today.

• published: 09 Dec 2013
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