BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
LIEGE-ON-LINE 23
[BIZ: Liège, May 27]
The new edition of the Liège business newsletter, Liège-on-line
23, will soon be on-line
at the link given below. It is a joint production by leading Liège
consultancy, IPEP, and Wadsworth & Wadsworth for
SPI+. The issue covers: Internet/satellite-mapping specialists, Ionicsoftware, the
Webper4mance call center,
LIEGE hosting the EU Presidency, the Dubuisson Aquarium's
shark show, the musical successes of the Royal Walloon Opera, TNT pilot rating upgrades at
LIEGE Airport,
CMI Sponsorship for Belgo-Turkish Association, Probiox
diagnosis of oxidative stress and new guides to investment and distribution centers in
Liège.
http://www.liegeonline.be/en/new/news/lol23.pdf
http://www.ipep.be
FORD CONTINENTAL?
[IND: Hanover, May 24]
The association has nothing to do with Ford's Lincoln
Continental, but with the fact that, following the break between Ford and the Firestone
tyre company, Continental seems to be one likely candidate to take their place.
Continental has a presence in Liège - producing heavy duty tyres, which is scheduled for
closure May 31 and is therefore unlikely to benefit from Firestone's loss- and at Aachen;
Ford is at Genk and Cologne. Apparently, during a period of dissatisfaction with Firestone
products, Continental has been producing tyres for Ford and has the molds. Continental's
shares went up 3% on the news, but Michelin's, who had also been contacted by Ford, went
up by 5%. The latter have Also been contacted by Ford for the replacement of 13 million
tyres.
http://www.just-auto.com/news
CHAMBER CHIEF TO QUIT
[BIZ: Maastricht, May 22]
Wim Blind, president of the Chamber of
Commerce for South Limburg, will be resigning on the 31st December this year. He announced
this last week in a letter to the board. The main reason for Mr Blind's departure is his
difference of opinion with Minister Ybema of Economic Affairs, who is preventing chambers,
such as the South Limburg one, from taking a stake in real estate projects. Wim
Blind is a proponent of an active entrepreuneurial chamber, such as is found in France,
taking stakes in airports and business centres.
http://www.limburger.com
FORD GENK TO OUTSOURCE MORE
[IND: Genk, May 19]
Ford is going to outsource more work out to
suppliers in the Transit department. Engines and back axle assembly will go to the
suppliers already established at the Ford site. The Transit was judged the best delivery
van this year and Genk's Mondeo was top at the Geneva Car Show. The year has also seen the
appointment of a new General Manager, Jan Gijsen at Genk.
http://www.ford.be
STARTERS INFO IN JUNE
[BIZ: Aachen, May 19]
AUFBRUCH, the Aachen information
fair for starters at the Technology Centre on the Europaplatz will be held June 30 through
10:00 to 16:30hrs. Advisors of every sort will be there to answer questions. There
will be a forum discussion. Young entrepreneurs will give elevator pitches. Venture
capital, public subsidies, human resources, finance, marketing, tax and legal issues,
crisis management and insurance will be covered. Information is available via email from H.Coskun@agit.de
and gruenderregion@aachen.ihk.de.
http://www.ihk-aachen.de/Presse
LIEGE CHAMBER INTO PUBLISHING
[BIZ: Liège, May 16]
The Liège Chamber of Commerce, in publishing since 1997, is about to produce a
catalogue. Chamber publications come from the Chamber itself and Publisher Luca Venanzi.
They cover topics relevant to business. The catologue includes practical guides to
business correspondence and contracts, in French and Dutch, guides to the Articles of
Association and to the accounts. Other titles deal with business development and the
various regulatory codes. information
is available from the email address
below.
lvenanzi@ccilg.be
http://www.ccilg.be
HUNGARY ON THE ROAD TO THE EU
[BIZ: Aachen, May 16]
Aachen's Chamber of Commerce held a session
on Hungary on May 16, in the context of its External Affairs Forum, an appropriate choice,
as this year's Charlemagne prize winner, George Konrad is also a Hungarian national.
Appropriate also at a time when increasing numbers of local businesses are looking at the
opportunities presented by Hungary. The program was introduced by Michael Wirtz, President
of the Aachen Chamber, and the Hungarian side was represented by H.E. Gergely Proehle,
Ambassador of the Hungarian Republic to Germany.
auwi@aachen.ihk.de
http://www.aarchen.ihk.de
LIEGE STUDENT CONSULTANTS FOR SMEs
[BIZ: Liège , May 10]
EAA Consultants is a business established
by students at the Liège School of Business ten years ago. It has been extremely
successful and offers a consultancy service to small businesses, covering topics such as
marketing, business plans and the internet. It also forms a growing network for young
entrepreneurs and participates in the Belgian Confederation of Junior Enterprizes (BCJE)
and the Young Association for Development in Europe, which has 1200 members.
http://www.lalibrebelgique.be
http://www.eaaconsult.com/
NEDCAR OUTSOURCES MORE
[IND: Born, May]
By 2004, the new Swentibold business park,
adjacent to the Nedcar factory, should be the home for Network Nedcar, a group of
suppliers to whom a whole range of parts and modules are outsoursced. The most recent
example of outsourcing at Nedcar is the information/ services department, which has
acquired new partners in KPN and Real Software - whose shares took a dip a while ago.
Ongoing outsourcing makes the topic of Just-auto.com's editorial column for this week
extremely relevent. They raised the issue of parts branding. For example, 'will we be
asking for a car with a Delphi cockpit module in future?'
http://www.nedcar.nl
http://www.just-auto.com
REINFORCED PLASTICS FROM LIOF
[BIZ: Maastricht, May]
Limburg development company, LIOF,
organized a conference in the MECC in Maastricht on May 17 on reinforced plastics,
innovation and applications. The conference dealt with the development and application of
new materials for industrial applications and was held in cooperation with the Meuse Rhine
Euroregional Foundation.
http://www.liof.nl
TOP SPIN FROM LIEGE
[BIZ: Liège, May]
Spinventure, set up with the
collaboration of the University of Liège , is concerned with providing intial funding for
spin offs which arise from university research activity. The establishment of
Spinventure has accelerated the process of spin-off development at Liège University
There are currently 32 spin-off companies active in the region. The current issue of
Meuseinvest's Magazine discusses: Horpi Systems, which breeds ladybirds to replace
pesticides in the battle against nasty bugs; INES intelligent embedded security
(secure electronic signatures); Kitozyme's lobster face pack, see issue 10; Lasea,
laser engineering applications, which include laser applications for removing grafitti; Mithra
Pharmaceuticals, devoted to women's health; Optrion, which has a laser
holographic technology designed for integration into optical instruments and for quality
control procedures. Then there is Probiox (see above) detecting oxidizing stress in
the human body and Quality Partner testing for food safety and finally WSL,
Wallonia Space Logistics, for aerospace start-ups.
http://www.liegeonline.be/en/busi/sci5.html
LOGISTICS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
FLIGHT SIMULATORS IN LIEGE
[INFRA: Liège
May 26]
The Walloon Airtraining Network (WAN) is
considering setting up a flying school at Liège Airport. The presence of TNT's
simulators, to be used to upgrade pilots for the Airbus, is an asset. WAN is planning was
to use the Charleroi company New CAG's 10-strong airfleet and do the theory and simulation
training at Liège. This looks like
another proposal that could use some Euroregional input. i.e.: Schreiner/NLS.
http://www.lameuse.be
http://www.ucm.be/ua/9914/wan.htm
DIGGING FOR VICTORY
[INFRA: Liège, May 23]
The crucial TGV link between Liège and Aachen, the tunnel of Soumagne is underway. It starts with a
40 meter-wide hole up to a depth of 30 meters which means the removal of 340,000 m3 of
earth. Some of the stones excavated will be used for the tunnel which at a length of six
km will be the longest in Belgium. The tunnel will cost EUR 1.48m and the entire Liège -Germany link EUR 150m. Work should be completed in 2005/2006 and the train
will then be able to run at 250 km per hour above ground and 200 km in the tunnel. The
distance to Aachen is not far enough to justify higher speeds. At that time Liège will be a mere 58 minutes from Cologne.
http://www.lalibrebelgique.be
MORE MEUSE-RHINE TRAINS
[INFRA: Aachen, May 22]
June 10, the Euregiobahn will start service
from Stolberg-Altstadt to Aachen every 30 minutes. A connection to Sittard has also been
proposed. Intercity trains in the direction of Germany stopping at Welkenraedt should also
have a connection to Aachen as soon as possible. From 2002 improved bus connections to
Kelmis, Lontzen, Hauset, Raeren/Eynatten and Eupen are planned. The Euregio ticket will
then come into its own. The Euregiobahn train was tested on a stretch of rail 4 km long.
When construction is completed in 2005, the towns around Aachen in the Netherlands
and Belgium will be linked. 45 km of unused rail belonging to German Railways will be
taken over by the Euregiobahn. There will be 27 new stops and the total cost are expected
to run at EUR 200m. The state of North-Rhine Westphalia will bear 90 per cent of the cost.
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de/
http://www.brf.be/news.html
NEW INFRASTRUCTURE ATLAS
[INFRA: Aachen, May 18]
A new infrastructure atlas for Meuse-Rhine
has been developed by the Aachen Chamber with its Dutch and Belgian colleagues. It is 120
pages long. has 200 illustrations and costs EUR 24.53. All of the assets of the region are
set forth in the common currency from educational and research resources all the way
through to museums and Michelin-starred restaurants.
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de
http://www.ihk-aachen.de/
PHOTO COMPETITION FOR EUREGIONALE
2008
[INFRA: Aachen, May 16]
A photo competition, Fotowettbewerb
EuRegionale 2008 (Postfach 500 110, 52085 Aachen), with a July 13 deadline, will offer
prizes: a digital camera for individuals and a professional slide projector for photo
clubs choosing regional subjects. For several months Aachen, the Belgian German-speaking
community, Parkstad Limburg, Maastricht and Mergelland have been preparing their proposals
for EuRegionale 2008 - the German regional conference on the arts and innovation. At the
end of the year, the state capital of North Rhine Westphalia, Duesseldorf, will decide
whether this project goes to Meuse-Rhine in the year 2008. The winning region will benefit
from a promotional budget of up to EUR 150m.
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de
LOGISTICAL PLAN FOR SOUTH LIMBURG
[LOG: Maastricht, May 4]
The area between Born, Stein, Sittard and
Geleen is to become an intermodal logistical hub. A three-phase plan connects
the terminals and their most important clients and uses rail and water as far as
possible, de-emphasizing highways. The first phase, through 2005, comprises an
expansion of Barge Terminal Born, the construction of a Chemical Park and the link to the
southern railhead. The harbor at Stein is to be upgraded with the first direct logistical
system linking DSM and the Chemical Park rail terminal. The second phase (through to 2010)
will link NedCar and DSM using a Multi-trailer System to the intermodal terminals. NedCar
will have a link to the nearby railway. In the final phase (through to 2015), remote
controlled vehicles will be used to provide non-stop supply chain functions. The plan
involves an investment of more than EUR 195m, EUR 72.5m to come from business and EUR
122.5m from government. The provincial government has already given the go ahead. The
results of discussions with the central government are awaited.
http://www.limburger.nl
BUSINESS TO MAKE JOINT
ENERGY PURCHASES
[INFRA: Roermond, April 27]
Limburg, Brabant and Zeeland Employers'
Associations LWV and BZW have signed a contract for a hundred companies in the three
southern provinces to jointly purchase electricity. From next year, middle-sized
businesses will be able to choose their energy supplier; thirty of these companies are in
Limburg. There are ten large companies that have already been purchasing their energy on
the open market for two years. Agreement has been concluded with the ENECO Shell Energy
company and involves 400 kWh. This is equivalent to the production of a small power
station. By jointly purchasing power the companies will pay between seven and ten per cent
less than they pay today. The contract runs for one year. Not all companies pay the same
price. The amount of power that is used and its distribution over the 24-hour period plays
a role in the price calculation. It means that some companies save more than others. From
next year companies who use more than 1 million m3 of gas can also choose their own
supplier.
http://www.limburger.nl
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
EUR 74m FOR LUC
[EDU: Hasselt, May 26]
Rector Henri Martens of the Limburg University Center (LUC)
in Hasselt-Diepenbeek wants to put his center on the research map by using around EUR 74m
from the LRM (Limburgse Revconversiemaatschappij - a funding agency set up to reengineer
the Belgian Limburg economy after the closure of the coalmines) to boost research
activity. He looks to cooperation with three other tertiary institutions (Hogescholen)
in Limburg who, with LUC, make up a total of 14,000 students. The extra cash would also be
handy for the new transnational university (tUL) and for cooperation with Maastricht
U.
http://www.lrm.be/nl/investeringspartner.html
http://www.hbvl.be
CHARLEMAGNE PRIZE
[GOV: Aachen, May 24]
The Hungarian author George Konrad who
received this year's Charlemagne prize, exhorted Europeans to learn one another's
languages, in addition to English as the lingua franca. He was also critical of the NATO
offensive in Serbia in 1999 and said that he saw no unbridgeable gap between the West and
an Orthodox Christian heritage. He looked forward to a more broadly based Europe with a
focus on the individual and cultural plurality.
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de
PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN LIEGE
[EDU: Liège, May 23]
Medical students in Liège
are going to adopt the problem-based approach to the curriculum. This is a system that has
been in use at the University of Maastricht since its inception. The idea coming
originally from MacMaster University in Ontario, Canada. However, the Liégeois received
inspiration not from Maastricht, but from the University of Rouen, which runs a similar
system.
http://www.lameuse.be
ECO-LADY
[GOV: Maastricht, May 23]
The Province of Limburg's provincial
government have elected Mrs Margot Hofman-Ruijters (56) as a new member of the provincial
parliament. Mrs Hofman will succeeed Constant de Waal, the member with special
responsibility for the environment. Mr Herman Vrehen will succeed Mrs Hofman as the party
leader in the parliament. Mrs Hofman was responsible in the municipality of Vaals for
social affairs, education, welfare, public health and the elderly.
http://www.limburg.nl
MHAL IGNORED BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
[GOV: Maastricht, May 23]
The fifth planning policy document which
sets long term planning policy in the Netherlands was critical of Provincial proposals and
is, by implication, fairly dismissive of the cooperation existing between Maastricht,
Heerlen, Hasselt, Genk, Aachen and Liège. In the policy document, reference
is merely made for the need for Maastricht and Heerlen to cooperate and to look for
cooperation across the border, as if the current association did not exist.
http://www.limburg.nl
CHURCH MUSIC IN MEUSE-RHINE
[EDU: Roermond, May 23]
Aachen is going to start a Euroregional
Catholic Conservatory for Church Music and the Diocese of Roermond will also be
participating. The 5-year course will be a 'super conservatory', teaching the organ,
choirmastership and composition. There will be a guarantee of jobs for graduates with the
ten episcopal sees involved in the program. Currently little is done for church musicians.
The church conservatory in Utrecht, which used to have national coverage, has been closed
down because of lack of interest. This was true of an existing establishment in Aachen
too. For this reason the five German sees, and the dioceses of Roermond, Hasselt, Liège, Luxembourg and Metz (France) have decided to join forces in this new
Euroregional effort.
http://www.limburger.nl
COMPENSATION FOR MIGRANT WORKERS
[GOV:The Hague, May 22]
People who live in the Netherlands and work
in Belgium should be compensated as far as possible for the disadvantages of going to work
in Belgium. A government committee recommends that they should be able to retain their
mortgage tax allowances for homes in the Netherlands. Although they should pay tax where
they earn their money, they should complete a shadow tax return in the country that they
live in, allowing them to retain Dutch benefits. The Netherlands and Belgium will sign a
new tax treaty June 5. In this, account will be taken of the country in which an
individual works for the deduction of tax and other premiums. The most important proposal
is that the disadvantages of a change from taxation based on residence to one base on the
place of employment must be compensated for. The recommendations have been praised as a
truly European solution.
http://www.limburger.nl
MEUSE-RHINE IN BRUSSELS
[GOV: Aachen, May 19]
The joint session of the city councils of
Aachen, Hasselt, Heerlen, Liège and Maastricht, to be held in the
European Parliament on 8 June this year, will focus on the importance of these cities in
the EU in the context of: Science and Technology, Environment, Planning, Business and the
Arts. The parties responsible for these areas in the five cities will develop
the presentation for their theme: Aachen's FDP for Science and Technology, Hasselt's
Greens for the Environment, the Liège Christian Democrats for Business,
the Arts for Maastricht's Social Democrats and Heerlen will be looking at Planning.
http://www.aachen.de
NEW LIMBURG HISTORY TEXT
[EDU: Maastricht, May 15]
Deputy Martin Eurlings received the first
copy of this new history textbook on May 15. The book gives an overview of the history of
Limburg and is attractively presented and easy to read. It was written by Jos Venner, a
teacher at the Groenewald School in Stein, and published by the LGOG, the Limburg Society
for History and Antiquities, in close cooperation with the Limburg Museum and with a
substantial contribution from the Province (EUR 45,393) and the Prince Bernhard Cultural
Fund (EUR 59,918) allowing it to be distributed among the schools. It provides a highly
accessible overview of Limburg history up to 1794 in the first volume; the second volume
describes the history of the 19th and 20th centuries.
http://www.limburg.nl
MAASTRICHT U. AT 25
[EDU: Maastricht, May 11]
June 9 is the 25th anniversary of the
foundation of Maastricht University. The university which has won its spurs in the
country, now has 13,500 graduates and produces another 1,500 each year. There is also a
special website which allows alumni to communicate with one another, using a special
access code. The number of alumni employed abroad is around about 1,000. On Saturday 9
June a special alumni day has been organized. In the week June 4-9, there is a whole range
of activities for students, staff, graduates and former employees, in fact for everyone.
The alumni website is
http://www.alumni.unimaas.nl
MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY
PRODUCT LIABILITY
[MED: Aachen, May 23]
There will be a conference on 'Legislation relating to
Medical Products and its Practical Consequences' on Thursday 7 June at AGIT. A key issue
here is product liability. The focus of the conference is the Medical Product Law of 1995
which was introduced on the basis of European law. Legislation not only introduces new
regulations, but also relates to practical considerations in relation to medical products.
The issue of standards and the CE stamp of approval are dealt with. In addition to
introductory talks, there will be a workshop on Medical Technology and another workshop on
Product Orientation for Life Science specialists.
http://www.agit.de
INEUROPE IN CALIFORNIA
[MED: Aachen, May 23]
Ineurope, the Biotechnology Association of companies in
Aachen,
Liège and Maastricht, will be present at the largest
Biotech conference in the world - BIO 2001, to be held in San Diego, California from
24 through 27 June. BIO 2001 provides the opportunity to meet partners from all over the
world. On the program is the Council for Biotechnology Center's opening event fostering
entrepreneurship in Europe and the US. This two part program focuses on the critical
issues facing not-for-profit centers in the international biotech community and innovative
programs developed to encourage for-profit entrepreneurial endeavours. INeurope will also
be providing one of the main speakers at the conference in the person of Frank Ubags,
financial director of the Dutch company Rhein Biotech. AGIT, as coordinator of INeurope,
is primarily concerned with the acquisition of US and Canadian business for the
Meuse-Rhine region.
http://www.agit.de
EUROBUSINESS 2001 LILLE-AACHEN
[MED: Aachen, May 22]
A major conference will be held in Aachen under the heading
'Eurobusiness 2001 Lille-Aachen' 7 through 8 June and will focus on the German-French
industrial forum for automotive and life science businesses. The conference takes place
within the context of North Rhine Westphalia's project to strengthen economic relations
with the French region of Lille/Nord-Pas des Calais, which is the closest French business
center to North Rhine Westphalia. The object of the exercise is to develop business
relations and promote the exchange of experience among developers, producers, suppliers
and service providers in the automotive and life science sectors.
The organizers are the Bureau de Conseil Europeen
with AGIT, the Chamber of Commerce in Lille, the Promotion Company for Nord-Pas de Calais
and the Center for Biological Sciences, Eurasante, in Lille.
http://www.bce-conseil.com
HARVESTING BLOOD CELLS
[MED: Juelich, May 18]
Blood stem cells, which renew the blood and ensure an
intact immune system, are vital in cancer therapy. In the past they could only be
obtained through bone marrow transplants, but now they can be obtained from umbilical cord
stem cells (UBC)and cultivated in a bioreactor at Juelich under controlled
conditions. In the new bioreactor, small porous collagen granules provide a breeding
ground for the stem cells, analogous to the niches in the bone marrow. An enzyme is later
used to dissolve the little spheres and the valuable stem cells remain. This allows
clinically relevant amounts of cells to be produced - though the testing stage has not yet
been completed. Another bioreactor at Juelich is able to produce regular red and white
blood cells.
http://www.fz-juelich.de/oea/PM2001/2001-27-Stammzellen.html
THE WALLOON REGION ON THE INTERNET
[TECH: Liège, May 18]
Current figures available from l'Agence Wallonne de
Telecommunications via the Internet Addict website indicate that 33 per cent of all
households in the Walloon region and 44 per cent of the population between 15 and 75 have
a home computer. The Belgian average was 42%. Seventeen per cent of all households and 23
per cent of all Walloons have an internet connection and there are no fewer than 759,000
Walloon surfing the web. 82 per cent with analogue modems, 4 per cent via ISDN and 6 per
cent via ADSL. Leisure accounts for 64 per cent of web activity, information research 50
per cent, banking 14 per cent and online purchasing 8 per cent. Mobile telephony is also
been a success in the region with 54 per cent of all households having at least one mobile
phone. 38 per cent of the Walloon population, 1,254,000, have mobile telephones.
http://www.internet-addict.be
SIEMENS IN HOSPITAL
[MED: Sittard, May 16]
The Maasland Ziekenhuis Hospital in Sittard-Geleen will be
working closely with the electronics giant Siemens in the development of the new hospital
between Sittard and Geleen. There will be an adjacent mall with shops and offices
supplying medical services of various sorts, including home care products. The hospital
and the mall will form the Orbis Medical park which will allow cooperation between GPs,
home care, the elderly and nursing homes. The mall should be completed in 2005. The
hospital building will be four to six stories in the height.
http://www.kollenberg.nl
NEW MAN IN JUELICH
[TECH: Juelich, May 9]
Dr. Gerd Eisenbeiss has been appointed a member of the
Board of the Juelich Research Center as of 16 May to succeeed Professor Dr. Rolf Theenhaus
with special responsibility for energy and material science. Dr. Eisenbeiss is a graduate
of the University of Karlsruhe and has, since 1990, been with the German Center for
Aerospace research as a program director for energy laser and traffic research.
http://www.fz-juelich.de
LEISURE
NIVEAU
[LEI: Maastricht, May 27]
Niveau, a new Euroregional life-style
magazine, launches Monday May 28, at Chateau Neercanne in Maastricht. Featuring the
world-class photography of Maastricht's Guy van Grinsven, it will be edited by former
Ambassador and Europarliametarian Jan Willem Bertens, with Marco Greep as Commercial
Director. Niveau will appear quarterly; initially in Dutch and later in French and German
versions.
http://www.studiopress.nl
AACHEN HORSE SHOW
[LEI: Aachen, May 27]
The World Equestrian Festival - in the
world's top three - will be held, June 12 through 17 in Aachen. Individual competitors in
the show jumping will include: Hugo Simon (Austria), Ralf-Göran Bengtsson (Sweden),
Thomas Velin (Denmark), Martin Dopazo (Argentina) and Samantha Macintosh (Bulgaria). In
dressage women play a leading role, with: Kristy Oatley-Nist (Australia), Elena Sidneva
(Russia), Lisa Wilcox and Carrie Schopf (both USA) and Austrian, Peter Gmoser as the sole
male competitor. Stephane Doumenc from France will be in the driving. There will be
competitors from 19 different countries.
http://www.chioaachen.com
http://www.regioblick.de
EXCELLENCE
[LEI: Lanaken, May 24]
The Excellence Life-style Fair will be held again this year
over the Whitsun weekend, June 1 through 4 at Chateau Pietersheim in Lanaken. The
project is a joint effort by Maastricht businessman Pierre Kohnen and the MECC in
Maastricht. Special features this year will be the Women's Club on Friday 1 June,
including a tea party, tips from florists and a sushi chef, wine, good cigars and
gardening will also feature at the show. The Fair is open Friday from 13.00-23.00 hrs and
on the other days from 11.00 through 21.00 hrs.
http://www.excellence-lifestyle.com
A DAY OF MUSIC
[LEI: Eupen, May 24]
The tenth Day of Music will be held in Eupen on Sunday 24
June. Rock/Pop, Folk, Classical, Jazz and Electronic music will provide 30 concerts on
eight separate stages. They will include top performers, such as The Levelers and Das
Popat the Werthplatz. Information: 00.32.87.55.39.51
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de
CHOPPERS GALORE
[LEI: Liège, May 24]
The third International Helicopter Air Show 'Bierset
Happening 2000' will take place on 3 and 4 June from 10.00 - 18.00 hrs at Liège. Other
activities will include sightseeing flights and model helecopters.
http://www.aachener-zeitung.de
CATHEDRAL TAKES IN CURTIUS
[LEI: Liège, May 23]
In connection with the closure of the Curtius Museum in the
context of the development of the Grand Curtius (i.e.: the revamped Megamuseum). 60 major
pieces will be re-housed in the Cathedral's treasury through to September 2002. The 60
pieces will include some of the most exquisite from the Curtius collection including
Notger's Ivory (10th century), the Virgin by Dom Rupert and the famous XII century
Reliefs.
http://www.lalibrebelgique.be
BRUEGHEL AND CO
[LEI: Maastricht, May 17]
A major exhibition of copies from the workshop of Brueghel
the Younger will be held in Maastricht from 12 October through 17 February 2002. Many
compositions by Brueghel the Elder were copied and the show will give examples, including
a Winter landscape with bird trap, of which there are 12 versions, and 127 exist; the
Worship of the kings in the snow, of which there are 8 versions, 38 known; Peasant
lawyer, 12 versions, 91 known; and the Census at Bethlehem, 9 versions and 14
known.
http://www.bonnefanten.nl
CHEERS MAASTRICHT
[LEI: Maastricht, May 17]
Friday 15 through 17 June will see the first edition of
'Mestreech Sante', in which the Stiechting Mestreech Wienstad will allow 18
participants to inform the public about Maastricht's lively wine culture. Information at
the website:
http://www.tourjour.nl
http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl
ORANGE AACHEN
[LEI: Aachen, May 11]
As is his custom, the Consul General of the
Netherlands in Aachen, Professor Otto Eschweiler, hosted an informal gathering at Lenné
Pavillon of the Aachen Casino to celebrate the birthday of her Majesty Queen Beatrix of
the Netherlands on May 11. Among the Guests were the Dutch Ambassador to Berlin, the
Governor of Limburg, the Baron van Voorst tot Voorst and Lady van Voorst tot Voorst, Mayor
Philippe Houben of Maastricht and Mayor Juergen Linden of Aachen. Following a hearty
rendition of both national anthems, there were several speeches reviewing the year's
events on both sides of the border. Professor Eschweiler gave a speech in Dutch, in which
he reminded the audience of the help given to the victims of the New Year's disaster at
Volendam in the Aachen Klinikum. He also reflected on the reciprocal goodwill displayed on
both sides othe border, despite the odd difference of opinion on matters relating to the
arbitration of Association Football disputes. Everyone was in excellent spirits and even a
half-naked uninvited guest, attached to a ferocious-looking dog, allowed himself to
escorted from the premises without protest.
http://www.webcontentnow.com
NORMA IN MAASTRICHT
[LEI: Maastricht, May]
On Thursday 31 May at the Theater aan het Vrijthof at 20.15
there will be a performance of Bellini's Norma by the Nationale Reisopera.
http://www.vvvmaastricht.nl
BRUEGHEL AS DRAUGHTSMAN
[LEI: Rotterdam, May]
The Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam is also
holding an exhibition of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, the master draughtsman, May 24 through
August 5. The exhibition will focus on the less well-known aspect of this famous 16th
century Flemish painter, Brueghel as a draughtsman. In his drawings and prints,
Brueghel reveals himself as an original, innovative and fascinating artist The
exhibition, which comprises virtually all of his drawings and prints, is the first showing
of his entire oeuvre and also presents the findings of the most recent art historical
research. Pieter Brueghel the Elder - Master Draughtsman was jointly organized by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where it will be shown in the autumn and is part of
the Rotterdam 2001 Cultural Capital of Europe program. An interesting precursor to the
Maastricht exhibition no doubt.
http://www.boijmans.rotterdam.nl
THE ARTS IN HEERLEN
[LEI: Heerlen, May]
Cultura Nova, Heerlen's summer festival, will be held 24
August through 2 September 2001 and there will be film, dance, performance arts, theatre,
music, and the plastic arts and much else.
http://www.parkstadlimburgfestival.nl
EURIARTES
[LEI: Parkstad, May]
For anyone who wants to keep up with the arts, culture and
education, a new magazine is available called EuriArtes, covering these topics in German
and Dutch for Parkstad Limburg ,Heerlen, Valkenburg, Vaals, Kerkrade, Eurode,
Herzogenrath, Stolberg, Aachen, the German-speaking community and Welkenraedt. It is
nicely produced and a welcome addition
http://www.parkstadlimburg,nl
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