Chemnitz aspires to become a cultural hub while highlighting its industrial history. The Saxon city will share the title of European Capital of Culture with Nova Gorica in Slovenia for 2025.
"C the Unseen" is the motto with which Chemnitz and 38 other cities in central Saxony, which together form the extended area of the European Capital of Culture, introduce themselves. January 18, 2025 marks the beginning of a year full of festivals, exhibitions, theatre, performances, but also sports, culinary delights, workshops and events. Through the events, the organisers will attempt to highlight the past and present of the people living in the area.
Chemnitz is an Eastern European city in a West German state. It is characterised by a long tradition and many reorganisations, most recently the end of the German Democratic Republic and its renaming from Karl-Marx-Stadt to Chemnitz. According to those responsible for the organisation of the cultural capital, the ability to constantly reinvent oneself is deeply rooted in this region.
Chemnitz, Zwickau and the surrounding region have made a major contribution to Germany's industrial development, particularly in the textile, engineering, railway and automotive sectors. Mining in the Ore Mountains once made the region an economic stronghold and the traditional arts and crafts are still world-famous today. The Erzgebirge/Krušnohorí mining region has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019.
Industrialisation brought wealth and prosperity to the region, as well as a flourishing of art and culture. The leading museums and unique architecture bear witness to this. The region is characterised by a high density of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque castles, as well as theatre, music and art collections. Today the city is being re-invented as a modern cultural destination on the occasion of its title of European Capital of Culture for 2025.
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Photo: Peter Rossner
https://chemnitz2025.de/en/inform/press/
