Chemnitz is celebrating a major urban turnaround: Capital of Culture 2025 is ready!

Chemnitz is celebrating a major urban turnaround: Capital of Culture 2025 is ready!

There is currently a lot of hustle and bustle in Chemnitz, because on August 23rd and 24th, 2025 the city will celebrate the completion of its intervention areas for the European Capital of Culture 2025. The weekend promises to be a colorful program of guided tours, hikes, concerts and a day of action for the little ones. These events are all about new, inspiring places that were designed with a lot of involvement and passion.

A very special highlight will be the inauguration of the last two intervention areas. The park under the impressive railway viaduct on Annaberger Straße and the extension of the youth club “Club E” in Einsiedel will open their doors to all interested visitors on Saturday. There will be an entertainment program at the viaduct from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by an open day in “Club E” from 2 p.m. Building Mayor Michael Stötzer has already emphasized the importance of involving future users in the design of these areas.

An urban development program for the future

With a total volume of 57.8 million euros, the intervention area program is the largest urban development project in Chemnitz in recent years. It is intended to upgrade the entire city and includes a total of 30 projects. The “Manifold” market fountain was inaugurated in April 2022 and was the first part of the program to shine. Other major projects include the Hartmannfabrik, Stadtwirtschaft and the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff House as well as smaller projects such as the Morgenleite Park and the “Lohse-Uhlig-Steig” hiking trail in Kleinolbersdorf-Altenhain. In addition, there is the “City on the River” sub-program, which allows you to rediscover the city's waters.

The funding for this ambitious project is varied: 10 million euros come from the Capital of Culture's budget, 26 million euros come from specialist funding programs, while the city itself contributes 21.8 million euros. Another point up for discussion is the condition of the theater, which was also originally part of the program. However, the need for renovation turns out to be greater than expected, which is why alternative locations are being examined.

Planning for the next steps

The fundamental decision on the project's strategy paper is to be presented to the city council after the summer break. The city is still on the threshold of an exciting future that promises a lot. In this context, it is important that citizens can take part in the planning and contribute their ideas.

The weekend of intervention areas will not only be a celebration for Chemnitz, but also a demonstration of what the city wants to achieve in the coming years. If you are curious and want to discover new places, you will definitely find a lot to be happy about when you visit.