Babbelegûchjes

The fact/news that Leeuwarden is one of the two Cultural Capitals of Europe in 2018 has been hard to miss, especially so if you live in Fryslân. When such a large event is brought to a place, some justification is needed as to why thís city in particular is the right one for the event, and why thís particular event fits so perfectly into the local culture. The campaign that preceded Leeuwarden gaining the honor of the title of Cultural Capital has been a large and costly one, and such a PR campaign can give some interesting insights into the world of commercialization of cultural heritage and history. On the website of Cultural Capital Leeuwarden you can find statements such as “since the dawn of time, the people of Frisia had to work together to achieve their goals. Just look at the Middle Ages, when the Frisian Freedom accomplished that the Frisians did not serve under the rule of any lord. Or look at 1815, when the Netherlands became a kingdom, but with two official languages.” Or