The Chemnitz 2025 main project "Living Neighbourhood" is kicking off spring with the "Aufbruch" planting festival. From 30 March to 6 April 2025, numerous apple trees will once again be planted, cared for and celebrated in Chemnitz and the region. The planting festival promotes the communal design of the respective living environment.
Opening festival
The planting festival begins on 30 March with a European touch: under the title "Rise like an apple tree. An ESC Lookalike", Chemnitz residents will present musical highlights from the history of the Eurovision Song Contest in their own productions at the Chemnitz Weltecho - with lip synching, shuffle dancing and vocal strengths, colourful and full of charisma.
A week full of plantings
Until 6 April, there will be planting events from Chemnitz to the Capital of Culture region: at locations such as Lichtenwalde Castle, Bernsdorf Prison, the Hof zur bunten Kuh farm in Frankenberg and Chemnitz City Park. A total of around 420 trees will be planted on 14 planting dates. Citizens and the entire neighbourhood are invited to come along, exchange ideas and help shape their surroundings.
One of the special features of the "Aufbruch" planting festival is that many committed players - including local authorities, cultural institutions, churches, associations and companies such as Deutsche Post AG, ECL euro.COURIER Logistics, Homatec and Decathlon - contribute to actively shaping the shared living space. Together, they are putting more than 600 different apple varieties in the ground.
Living neighbourhood: acting sustainably together
The Chemnitz 2025 main project Living Neighbourhood is all about sustainable cooperation. As planting partners, organisations take on the care of young apple trees and look after them for at least twelve years. The project offers fruit tree pruning courses, workshops and excursions on various topics to provide further training.
The next "Harvest" planting festival will take place in autumn from 19 to 26 October 2025.
The programme
Sun, 30.03., 15:00-17:00 | Ehrenfriedersdorf: Planting event in the fruit paradise
Ehrenfriedersdorf, car park at the Obstparadies, Lange Gasse 44a
Joint planting event with the Evangelical Lutheran parish of St Niklas as part of the 725th anniversary celebrations in Ehrenfriedersdorf
Sun, 30 March, 19:00 (admission 18:00) | Chemnitz: Rise like an apple tree. An ESC Lookalike
Chemnitz, Weltecho, Annaberger Str. 24
Chemnitz residents present highlights from the history of the Eurovision Song Contest in their own productions.
Mon, 31 Mar, 11:00 | Chemnitz-Bernsdorf: Planting campaign with Chemnitz Prison (JVA)
Chemnitz, Thalheimer Str. 29
Closed event
Mon, 31 Mar, 12:00-18:00 | Chemnitz: Planting campaign in the city park
Chemnitz, City Park, Dittersdorfer Straße 35
Large-scale planting of over 160 apple trees, together with BUND
Mon, 31 Mar, 15:00-18:00 | Chemnitz: Apple coffee klatch
Chemnitz, Garage Campus, Zwickauer Str. 164
Sitting together with coffee, cake and apples
Tue, 01.04., 10:00-14:00 | Augustusburg: Apple tree planting
Start at the Augustusburg allotment site between Eppendorfer Straße and Ludwig-Würkert-Straße
with the Augustusburg local council, auf weiter flur e.V. and the DPFA-Regenbogen-Gymnasium at three different locations
Tue, 01.04., 11:00-14:00 | Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf: Apple tree planting
Chemnitz, Apfelpark: Dresdner Str. on the corner of the path to the Fuchsberg garden centre
Planting campaign with the Evangelical School Centre and BUND
Tue, 01.04., 14:00-16:00 | Chemnitz: Planting campaign in the garden of PUNKT WEST
Chemnitz, Oberfrohnaer Str. 35
at the children's and youth centre Punkt West
Tue, 01.04., 17:00-19:15 | Chemnitz: Apple tree self-grafting course
Chemnitz, vhs, Moritzstr. 22
'Theory and practice course with tree warden Anka Wolf / participation only after confirmed registration at vhs-chemnitz.de
Wed, 02.04., 10:00-13:00 | Niederwiesa (Lichtenwalde): Planting event in Lichtenwalde castle and baroque garden
Niederwiesa (OT Lichtenwalde), Castle & Park, Schlossallee 1
with the Förderverein Schloss und Barockgarten Lichtenwalde e.V. and the Förderzentrum Flöha
Thu, 03.04., 10:00-12:00 | Frankenberg: Planting campaign at the farm Zur Bunten Kuh
Frankenberg, Farm to the colourful cow, Lichtenwalder Straße 1
Fri, 04.04., 12:00-14:00 | Burgstädt: Planting campaign
Burgstädt, Rudolf-Breitscheid-Str. 28
with the company HOMATEC and the school at Taurastein
Sat, 05.04., 9:00-13:00 | Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf: Apple tree planting
Chemnitz, Apple Park: Dresdner Str. on the corner of the path to the Fuchsberg garden association
Planting campaign with the Evangelical School Centre and BUND
Sat, 05.04., 9:00-13:00 | Marienberg (Zöblitz): Planting campaign
Marienberg (Zöblitz), Gerbergasse 144
Joint planting with the Gerbergasse housing project
Sat, 05/04, 14:00-15:30 | Chemnitz: Planting campaign with ECL24
Chemnitz, Jagdschänkenstr. 14
with ECL euro. COURIER Logistics GmbH
Sun, 06/04, 14:00-16:00 | Chemnitz: Planting campaign at the Industrial Museum
Chemnitz, Industrial Museum (outdoor area), Zwickauer Str. 119
with Holzkombinat, Buntmacher*innen e.V., Decathlon on the outdoor area of the Industrial Museum
