Prague meets Vienna: Festival and Workshops

In June 2023, the City of Prague organised the first "Prague meets Vienna" festival. The focus was on strengthening relations and cooperation between the two cities. Prague and Vienna are closely connected not only historically, but also through a cooperation agreement. One of the International Offices of the City of Vienna is in Prague.

The festival on Virgin Mary Square next to the Prague City Hall, opened with a concert by the Sedlacek Quartet playing Mozart's String Quartet No. 12. All the opening speakers, including the Austrian Ambassador Bettina Kirnbauer and the Member of the Vienna City Council and of the Vienna Provincial Parliament Petr Baxant, emphasised the friendly relations. The cultural programme was rounded off by concerts, film screenings and readings by authors.

Workshops on immigration and urbanism

After Poland, the Czech Republic has taken in the highest number of Ukrainian refugees and has produced a booklet on integration in five languages. Vienna was not chosen as a model city by chance. The city has been working on this matter for decades, while Prague addressed it 30 years after the political upheaval in 1989. The Integration and Diversity Department of the City of Vienna (MA 17) presented its diverse programmes, addressing migrants from the very beginning. There was a lively discussion on how these programmes, as well as the related topics of education, language courses and housing, are promoted to the public.

The workshops on urbanism covered urban planning and development, social housing and sustainable architecture, as well as the "Phasing out gas" programme. They were led by the City of Vienna's Executive Group for Construction and Technology (MD-BD) and Department 21A - District Planning and Land Use Central-Southwest.