The “Festival Mitte Europa” Logo
We are often asked what our festival logo depicts.
The right side of the logo shows the face of an angel.
The angel is sitting at the left part of the organ case of the Silbermann organ in Freiberg Cathedral and is playing one of the keyboards.
The spiral on the left side of the logo has symbolic character in a number of ways. First, it is a symbol for hearing in its resemblance to a telephone earpiece. It is therefore linked to music and the “Festival Mitte Europa.” Incidentally, the word music comes from the Greek, meaning an “activity developing the mind and spirit” It was originally used in a broader sense for the whole of the fine arts as well as for all scientific and artistic endeavors.
Second, the spiral has been a symbol since the Stone Age for the constant renewal of life and eternal return. This aspect was particularly characteristic for the early phases of the “Festival Mitte Europa,” the period immediately following the peaceful revolution of 1989 being a time of renewal in many parts of Europe. The changes this period brought were one of the reasons for the “Festival Mitte Europa” – the revival of a Central European cultural sphere.
The third aspect of the spiral, likewise of importance for the “Festival Mitte Europa,” is the labyrinth it represents, a labyrinth with a way out. Here, too, the meaning is apparent for the period after 1989: after forty years without freedom, the people in the festival region were finally able to come together again.