Kristina lives in Neukirchen in the Ore Mountains. The former archivist and case manager has travelled to numerous events as a volunteer for Chemnitz 2025. She also loves writing, which is why she came up with the idea of collecting the volunteers' experiences - the starting signal for the volunteer editorial team.
I entered the already well-filled foyer of Kulturhauptstadt GmbH rather guiltily, because I was almost too late. People know each other in the media industry. People talk to each other. As always, the press and marketing and brand teams had arranged the chairs and tables for the monthly press breakfast in a decorative and inviting way. Hartmannstrasse 5 has long been a popular address for regional media representatives, and this 18 January 2024 was no exception.
I was joined by three other volunteers. The appetisingly prepared dishes were already ready. All that remained was for me to help place the appetisers on the stools that had been converted into tables. "Okay," I thought, "next time you'll be on time!"
But I hadn't come for nothing. After all, on assignments like this one, we volunteers get to hear what the journalists have to say.
The topic of this press breakfast promised to be a highly informative morning,
as it provided an initial preview of the programme expected for 2025.
If I counted correctly, the managing directors Stephan Schmidtke and Andrea Pier were supported by 12 representatives of the city's cultural institutions and traditional festivals in presenting projects in a knowledgeable and committed manner. New projects created specifically as part of the Capital of Culture process, such as the Purple Path, were presented. There will be 100 projects and 1000 events in 2025. Of course, only a selection of the numerous projects could be explained. Three important dates have been set. 25.October 2024 - press conference to present the 2025 programme, 18 January 2025 - opening of the Capital of Culture year with a large open-air festival, 19 December 2025 - official end of the Capital of Culture year.
The Capital of Culture will be available for everyone to touch and explore on 3 May (watch out!!) 2024, when the open day at the Hartmannfabrik will take place.
The renovated factory building will be the headquarters and visitor centre of Chemnitz 2025 . For tourists and visitors to the Capital of Culture, this location is intended as a contact point for information about Chemnitz 2025.
This press breakfast gave me a pleasant feeling of "Yes, here we go!". At the same time, the frequently asked question arose as to where to go first - and in the best case scenario - where to participate first. There are plenty of answers. For example, the volunteer programme is still looking for committed volunteers. With 1000 events, another 1000 volunteers needed is a realistic number.
My favourite saying: "Nothing good happens unless you do it." No. Not from me. From Erich Kästner.
