Over 1,000 volunteers supported the Capital of Culture year through their commitment as ambassadors for Chemnitz 2025. Their personal experiences form the focus of the publication “Voices of Commitment: Reports from the Volunteers of Chemnitz 2025”. The 182-page book was launched yesterday evening at the Hartmannfabrik.
During the Capital of Culture year, the volunteers worked at events, supported organisational processes, manned information stands and looked after guests, or helped with logistics. In doing so, they met people from all over the world and experienced the Capital of Culture year from their own unique perspectives. To document these experiences, a volunteer editorial team comprising 29 volunteers was formed; from the opening on 18 January 2025 until the closing on 28–29 November 2025, they wrote a total of 115 first-hand accounts. The texts capture personal impressions, unusual encounters and special moments behind the scenes. The publication thus not only shares personal stories of commitment but also bears witness to just how vital the volunteers were to the success of Chemnitz 2025. The book is aimed, on the one hand, at everyone who took part in the volunteering programme, but will also be available free of charge to anyone interested at the Hartmannfabrik and online at chemnitz2025.de.
The volunteer programme will continue in 2027 and forms part of the lasting legacy of Chemnitz 2025. The infrastructure and experience built up during the Capital of Culture year are to be preserved in the long term and will continue to facilitate voluntary engagement in Chemnitz’s cultural life. Volunteers were also active in 2026, carrying out over 1,900 assignments at cultural events such as KOSMOS Chemnitz, the Hat Festival and the Begehungen Art Festival. The programme will be expanded in 2027, with the aim of establishing it as an integral part of Chemnitz’s cultural life.
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 Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media), as well as funds from the City of Chemnitz.
