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MISSION
Mariano Rumor was Prime Minister, the Red Brigades were in full swing, Iva Zanicchi was singing on the radio and Indro Montanelli was founding “Il Giornale”. In the UnitedStates, Nixon, was resigning because of the Watergate scandal and the football world cup was won by West Germany. 1974 was a year of changes. In this atmosphere, Mitteleuropa was founded in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The will that brought it into existence was that of promoting cultural, economic and social dialogue among Central European countries. It was a challenge in such a historical moment when the split caused by the iron curtain was making relations and projects very difficult, if not impossible. Over the years, Mitteleuropa has added a new mission to its original one, becoming a private diplomatic agency. Nowadays, Mitteleuropa Association is accredited by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region among the cultural bodies of regional relevance and it is registered in the Transparency Register of the European Commission.
HISTORY
During nearly half a century of work the Association has accomplished a lot, beginning with the Festival of Central European Nations (Festa dei Popoli della Mitteleuropa), which attracted thousands of people every year from 1975 to 2012 and which was granted important patronages such as that of the Italian Council of Ministers and of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, among others.
Shortly after its foundation, the Association started publishing the magazine “Mitteleuropa” in 1979. In its pages, beside the news about Association’s activities, paramount questions of our time have found place, in order to better understand the epoch in which Europe is living, spacing from history to geopolitics, passing through religion and culture. Events conceived or organized by Mitteleuropa Association have multiplied to the point of being difficult to enumerate. To name just a few:
MEDICAL MEETING
Patronage and coordination, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Udine, of Meetings of Internal Medicine of Mitteleuropean Nations held in several countries.
THE DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
Annual celebration in memory of May 2, 1989, the symbolic date of the fall of the iron curtain. This Association’s initiative touched the most important Central European capitals and in 2002 the Slovak Embassy in Rome, at the presence of political, diplomatic and religious authorities.
AQUILEIA BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
The convention “Aquileia between East and West: From the Roots to the Wings. A Dialogue for Europe” involved the participation of senior representatives of the Catholic Church; of the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Greece; of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Lutheran Church. An unprecedented event in Europe.
Il Mittelfest
Collaboration for the realization of Mittelfest, Central European festival of theatre, dance, poetry, visual arts, puppets and cinema.
AQUILEIA - CROSSROADS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Realization of the exhibition called “Aquileia – Crossroads of the Roman Empire – the Rome that Looked towards the East“. In collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Province of Udine and the National Association for Aquileia. Designed to be itinerant, it was hosted in Budapest, Cracow, Bratislava, Vienna, Brussels, Prague and many other locations.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER 1974
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First edition of “Festa dei Popoli della Mitteleuropa”. For 37 years every summer the association gathered thousands of people under the cap of a common European culture. Prestigious were the patronages received, from that of the Prime Minister to that of the Holy Father Benedict XVI.
“Mitteleuropa”, the association’s homonymous magazine, was established. In addition to information about the Association’s activities, a lot could always be found in its pages about history, culture, religion and more.
Annual celebration of the Day of Remembrance, in memory of May 2nd, 1989, the symbolic date of the fall of the iron curtain. The Association’s initiative stopped off in the most important Central-European capitals and in 2002 even in Rome at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, at the presence of political, diplomatic and religious authorities.
In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Udine, the Association sponsored the Meeting of Internal Medicine of Mitteleuropean Nations, which was held in various Central-European countries.
Annual organization of the Mitteleuropa’s Christmas Concert, a musical event aimed at presentation of the variety and diversity of singing and musical expressions of the European peoples.
The Association is accredited by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region – Department of Culture – as an institution of relevant importance in the cultural field and was included in a special list among the bodies of regional interest.
The Association established an international recognition: the award “Laudis et Honoris Signum”, that has been given to illustrious personalities who had acquired high and particular merits in favor of the supra-national Mitteleuropean ideal, promoting solid co-operation and cohesion between European peoples, according to our Statute’s inspiring principles.
The Association established an international recognition: the award “Laudis et Honoris Signum”, that has been given to illustrious personalities who had acquired high and particular merits in favor of the supra-national Mitteleuropean ideal, promoting solid co-operation and cohesion between European peoples, according to our Statute’s inspiring principles.
The Association has been awarded the Golden Star of Town-Twinning by the European Commission – Directorate General for Education and Culture.
The Association is the owner of the project “Aquileia: from a Land of Passage to a Land of Message”, funded by the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
The conference “Aquileia Between East and West: from the Roots to the Wings. A Dialogue for Europe” was granted with the participation of senior representatives of the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches of Constantinople, Alexandria, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Greece, the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Lutheran Church. This was an unprecedented event in Europe.
A collaboration begins for the realization of Mittelfest, festival of prose, dance, poetry, visual arts, puppets and cinema of Central European Countries. The Association is responsible for the establishment of a Committee of Honor formed by the Ambassadors and Ministers of Culture of the 19 countries included in the Central European Initiative (C.E.I.).
A collaboration begins for the realization of Mittelfest, festival of prose, dance, poetry, visual arts, puppets and cinema of Central European Countries. The Association is responsible for the establishment of a Committee of Honor formed by the Ambassadors and Ministers of Culture of the 19 countries included in the Central European Initiative (C.E.I.).
In collaboration with the Department of International Relations of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, international conferences about political, cultural and economic issues have been organized on the topic of Euroregions. The success of this initiative has been growing with the presence of high officers and illustrious personalities.
Realization of the exhibition called “Aquileia, Crossroads of the Roman Empire – the Rome that looked to the East”. In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Province of Udine and the National Association for Aquileia. Designed to be itinerant, it was shown in Budapest, Cracow, Bratislava, Vienna, Brussels, Prague and beyond.
At the invitation of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and of the Central European Initiative, Mitteleuropa participated in the works of an important European summit of the Foreign Affairs Ministers of the Central European Initiative.
During Expo Milano 2015, Mitteleuropa organized “MittelExpo”, a Central-European Diplomatic Meeting.
MITTELEUROPA’S LOGO
In the distant 1974 it was a daring and uneasy choice.
The eagle – which we picked up simply as a reference to the common historical and cultural roots and especially as a straightforward symbol of brother- and sisterhood and of a spiritual unity of all Central European peoples – was tendentiously misrepresented by the political establishment of the time, both in the West and in the East. It was not easy to explain the real significance and the profound meaning that the eagle represented.
Then things changed; the iron curtain fell down, dialogue was resumed, the Soviet Union shattered, Europe strengthened and the eagles took flight again, as one- or two-headed eagles returned to the nations’ flags.
Our courageous choice made in 1974 was thus rewarded.
Our symbol has become a fashion emblem. It is sought after and imitated everywhere. We thus face the opposite problem: how to defend ourselves and defend our logo from counterfeits, from fake “Mittel europeans” and from “merchants” looking for trendy brands. Therefore, our eagle was registered as a trademark in 1997 and as such it is legally protected both on national and on international level.
It is natural to express our pride for being able to look far ahead in difficult times and to firmly hold on a winning idea.
BECOME A MEMBER
To become a member of the Mitteleuropa Cultural Association and to receive our hardcopy magazine, please fill in the application form, sign it and send it by post or by e-mail to the secretariat (segreteria@mitteleuropa.it). After acceptance, according to the Statute, you will be invited to pay the yearly membership fee of € 20 (twenty Euro) to the Italian Postal Account n. 10475499 or by bank transfer payable to Associazione Culturale Mitteleuropa (IBAN: IT42H0200812310000001118197) Afterwards you receive the membership card and social symbols.
Composizione
Organi Sociali 2020–2023
COMPOSIZINE DEGLI ORGANI SOCIALI 2020 – 2023
Assemblea ordinaria e straordinaria
del 25.01.2020 a Gorizia
Giunta Esecutiva
- Paolo Petiziol – Presidente
- Camilla Beltramini – vice Presidente
- Enio Decorte – Consigliere
- Sonia De Marchi – Consigliere
- Agostino Maio – Consigliere
- Fabio Antonini – Consigliere
- Mia Fiorencis – Consigliere
Collegio Dei Probi Viri
- Sergio Gorjan
- Roberto Cosma
- Marinella Tolloi
- Laura Soica
- Franco Stacul
Collegio Dei Revisori Dei Conti
- Edi Fattor
- Angela – Helga Checchinato
- Giuseppe Marzano
