Anticipated venue of the M 100 media summit: the “Neuen Kammern” in Sanssouci Park – the guest palace of Frederic the Great.

Media Summit M 100 – Potsdam as “Europe’s Salon”

The promotion of dialogue among European cultural circles counts as much to the central demands on a cultural capital of Europe as the sustainability of its actions. Already this year the city of Potsdam will take an important step on its way to 2010 in fulfilling these standards. The state capital will be host to a media event unique for Europe: ”M 100 – the Sanssouci Colloquium” will bring together the most important opinion formers and publicists in Europe.

The "Salon of Europe"
Whether Voltaire, Albert Einstein or Fritz Lang: Potsdam has always inspired cross-border European thinking. Following on from these centuries of tradition, the city of Potsdam with the “M 100” media summit wants to provide a platform for intercultural dialogue. The first media meeting will take place on 2nd and 3rd September 2005. Under discussion as venue is the guest palace of Frederic the Great, the “Neuen Kammern”, in the park of Sanssouci. Next month the exact agenda will be drawn up by committee members in close consultation with European partners and announced after the next committee meeting in April.
Besides the unique opportunity of experiencing a mutual exchange of leading European opinion formers in Europe opportunity will also be available for joining in on the direct discourse with outstanding protagonists of the European cultural, political and business scene.

European Press Prize
The festive highlight will be a gala function, during which the European Press Prize will also be awarded. The prize honours outstanding achievements for the press or freedom of expression in Europe. This year’s prize winner will also be announced after the committee meeting in April.

Cultural Capital Potsdam
With the establishment of the Potsdam media meeting the Brandenburg state capital, irrespective of the decision on the application as Cultural Capital of Europe, is already contributing considerably to European integration. The media conference stands parallel for a lasting concept of a serious and ambitious European orientation of the city. This shows what in Potsdam is understood by “Cultural Capital of Europe”: Besides the hoped for cultural and economic effects on the city also simply as a duty to actively take part in the shaping of Europe.

The Committee Members

Chairman: Mayor Jann Jakobs
Co-Chairman: Lord George Weidenfeld

Der Spiegel - Stefan Aust
Bild - Kai Diekmann
Axel Springer AG - Mathias Döpfner
Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung - Alexander Gauland
  Stern - Hans Ulrich Jörges
Die Zeit - Josef Joffe
Die Welt - Roger Köppel
Literarische Welt - Rachel Salamander
Focus - Stephan Sattler
 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Frank Schirrmacher
Cicero - Wolfram Weimer

and
ANSA (Italy) - Boris Biancheri
Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland) - Hugo Bütler
Le Monde (France) - Alain Minc