European volunteers at the Hat Festival

Foto: Peter Rossner

Around 50 volunteers from the Danish city of Aarhus travelled to Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture in 2017, for this weekend's Hat Festival. Their volunteer programme, which was launched at the time, continues to this day and is considered part of the legacy: a sustainable contribution that has an impact far beyond the actual Capital of Culture year.

To kick off their visit, volunteers from Chemnitz 2025 took their Danish colleagues on a walk through Chemnitz. These international encounters have now become a tradition: "Every year since 2018, we have taken a large group to one of the current European Capitals of Culture to take a look around," explains Ulla Lund, who manages the Aarhus volunteer programme with around 2,000 volunteers. In keeping with the festival, the Danish guests have already made hats in advance to prepare for their visit.

Numerous Chemnitz 2025 volunteers are also on duty at the Hat Festival itself - clearly visible in blue. They accompany the programme, help guests and ensure that the event runs smoothly with their commitment.

The volunteers themselves tell us what it means to play an active role in shaping the Capital of Culture. Some volunteers report on their assignments and experiences in the volunteer editorial team. In their articles, they provide a glimpse behind the scenes: they talk about encounters during their assignment at the Chemnitz Christmas market, how they learn English in language tandems for Chemnitz 2025 or about their experiences in the first few days after the opening. The contributions are published on chemnitz2025.de.

 

European Capital of Culture The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media Free State of Saxony European Capital of Culture

This project is cofinanced by tax funds on the basis of the parliamentary budget of the state of Saxony and by federal funds from the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media), as well as funds from the City of Chemnitz.