Welcome to Chemnitz
There’s a real European heartbeat here. Can you feel it too? Chemnitz, a cultural city with an industrial pulse, is getting ready to be the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
The city’s heyday was in the era of industrialisation, when Chemnitz became known as the ‘Manchester of Saxony’, growing rapidly in size to the point where, at the beginning of the 20th century, it was the richest city in Germany. An entrepreneurial spirit, combined with the maker mentality that is characteristic of Chemnitz, lead to groundbreaking inventions and feats of modern-day engineering. But the arts and architecture also flourished under the great 19th century industrialists. A wide range of cultural treasures date from this period, which was known as the Gründerzeit. They include the Kunstsammlungen galleries, and grand districts and villas that define the city’s character to this day.
Over the years, the city has reinvented itself several times. In 1953, Chemnitz became Karl-Marx-Stadt. The legacy of the GDR period are Soviet-style apartment blocks, but also beautiful allotments. In the time after German reunification, thousands of people left the city, and Karl-Marx-Stadt became Chemnitz once again. But one thing remained the same throughout: the city’s unique culture. A culture defined by making things and being creative.
The makers and creatives will also be the focus of the city’s tenure as European Capital of Culture in 2025. Firmly rooted in its history, they will be spinning out a thread into the future. Under the tagline ‘C the Unseen’, undiscovered places will be put on the map. In other words, the invisible will be made visible.
You can discover these places in Chemnitz, along with the city’s acclaimed cultural attractions and industrial heritage, its multi-genre theatre and the region’s castles and palaces, plus the first artworks of the Purple Path. There will also be opportunities to meet the makers and creatives in person. We are delighted to invite you and look forward to welcoming you here!