East–West Relations and the Democratic Transition

During the Cold War, Europe was divided by political systems that limited contact between East and West. The European Cultural Foundation worked to maintain and build relationships across this divide through cultural exchange.

In 1987, this work became a strategic priority, led in part by Robert Picht, Vice-President of the European Cultural Foundation from 1977 to 1994. Programmes such as Concorde East/West, developed with Leona Francombe, musician and programme lead at the European Cultural Foundation, supported collaboration between musicians across the Iron Curtain, while the Central and East European Publishing Projects, shaped by historian Timothy Garton Ash, enabled the circulation of intellectual and literary work across restricted contexts.

In September 1989, the Foundation co-organised a seminar in Leningrad with the Cultural Foundation of the USSR, bringing together foundations from the US, western and eastern Europe at a moment of political uncertainty, where it was noted that “on both sides, culture is not only following the process of economic and political change, but is also one of the key forces in the aspiration for a better future.”

In the years that followed, the Foundation expanded its work to support democratic transition. The East West Parliamentary Practice Project, directed by Jill Adler, the programme’s Director, strengthened parliamentary systems, while programmes such as APEXchange supported artists working across changing political landscapes. The relationships built over time enabled this work to respond quickly and in a relevant way as conditions shifted.

For individuals working within these transitions, the experience was often uncertain and uneven. Artists, writers, policymakers and citizens navigated shifting systems while trying to maintain continuity in their work and lives. The Foundation’s role was to support these actors as they adapted, ensuring that connections did not disappear in moments of upheaval but instead evolved alongside new political realities.