With the Makerhubs, places are being created within the framework of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz2025 where designers, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, the skilled workers of tomorrow and makers from all over the world can meet to learn from each other and create something new together. A jury of 9 experts has now selected eight locations for the Makerhubs.

On 10 June 2022, Stefan Schmidtke (Managing Director of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz2025 GmbH), Josephine Hage (Curator of the Chemnitz2025 Flagship Programme Makers, Business & Arts) and Bernd Birkigt (Chairman of the Friends of the European Cultural Region Chemnitz 2025 e.V.) presented the results of the jury process in Neukirchen in the Ore Mountains in an empty car dealership and thus one of the future Makerhubs.

The following locations will be developed into Makerhubs until the year of the Capital of Culture 2025:

Augustusburg

In the Altes Lehngericht, one of the oldest buildings in Augustusburg, the former gastronomy of the dance hall is being reactivated as a makerspace. In addition, exhibition and coworking spaces are being created. A Makerspace for digitalisation in rural areas with a strong connection to artistic formats, textile lab, food lab and garden lab will be developed here. The approach in Augustusburg can already rely on the active involvement of local citizens. In the future, families in particular will not only be able to have fun in nature and visit the impressive castle, but also, for example, make their own individual souvenir.

Initiator: Auf weiter Flur e. V. with Robert Verch & Esther Gerstenberg

Neukirchen/Erzgebirge

In a vacant car dealership in Neukirchen, citizens will cook with top European chefs in 2025, regional specialities will be reinterpreted, and entirely new stories and connections will emerge at the shared table.  The vision “NETZ-Werk” of the city of Neukirchen aims at a culinary Makerhub. The idea is closely linked to the strategic orientation as a smart municipality with contemporary digital administrative processes, sustainable mobility and a passion for the regional that does not shy away from thinking outside the box.

Initiator: Sascha Thamm, Mayor of Neukirchen

Limbach-Oberfrohna

With the Textile Hub, a “textile” centre of excellence with a focus on knitting and ready-to-wear clothing is to be created in the Esche Museum and thus an interface between research, development, industry, design and production. The “Textile Hub” addresses textile professionals, designers, developers, students, researchers, start-ups and companies and offers opportunities for prototyping, the production of small series, artistic production, networking and exchange as well as presentation.

The jury appreciates the approach because it makes the rich textile heritage in the region tangible. It encourages strong networking with other textile locations in the region in order to develop European appeal and to combine traditional techniques with the latest technologies.

Initiator: Barbara Wiegand-Stempel, Head of Municipal Museums and Gabriele Pabstmann

Lößnitz

Since the first Makers Day in Aue 2021 with the presentation of ideas for the Makerhubs, citizens, employees from the administration and entrepreneurs have met in Lößnitz to work together on initial ideas for a Makerhub. The Lößnitz 2025 initiative focuses on promoting young people in the field of future technologies and media skills. Workshop and exchange formats in the Makerhub are to be developed primarily in cooperation with local companies. The initiative’s possible locations are the Alte Post or the industrial annexe at the “Alter Milchhof” on the market.

Initiators: Christof Schulze with the Lößnitz 2025 Initiative, numerous supporters from the community, administration and business community, including the Lößnitz Foundry with Managing Director Max Jankowsky (ambassador of the Ore Mountains).

Mittweida

In the innovation quarter Werkbank 32, a place for cross-innovation is being created in a vacant building, where companies, creatives and the maker scene work together on new ideas and products. The initiative of Volksbank Mittweida and TeleskopEffekt GmbH can rely on established contacts in the pioneering country of digitalisation, Estonia, and a strong network with Mittweida University of Applied Sciences.

Initiators: Volksbank Mittweida and TeleskopEffekt GmbH, Dr Julia Breßler, Benjamin Zeitler

Schneeberg

The town of Schneeberg convinced the jury with its idea for a Makerhouse. A historic building on Fürstenplatz is to become an interface between the creative scene and the university in Schneeberg with supra-regional appeal – and in the immediate vicinity of the future World Heritage Centre.

Before the building is developed over the next few months, the maker spirit can already be experienced in Schneeberg in the near future: from 14 to 17 July 2022, when the Fabmobil – the travelling art and design laboratory – will be a guest in the town.

Initiators: City of Schneeberg represented by Mayor Ingo Seifert and Heidi Schmidt, Head of Tourism & Economic Development, in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau – Faculty of Applied Arts Schneeberg and Trubel in der Poche e. V.

Striegistal

In the former Etzdorf transformer station, energy once flowed for the surrounding mining industry. The Makerhub now brings artistic energy and a tourist perspective to the 3,000-square-metre property, which is already partly in use. In addition to cooperation between internationally active artists and the local population, unconventional overnight accommodation is also to be created, among other things.

Initiator: Guido Günther with Kulturnetzwerk Etzdorf GmbH and Rebel Art

Zwönitz

From old to colourful warehouse: the 4500 square metre former weaving mill and later granary is one of the most striking buildings in the village. The concept for the location includes the creation of coworking spaces and the establishment of a maker workshop. As a future start-up and innovation centre, the building will provide a breeding ground for jobs, start-ups and innovations once the renovation is complete.

Initiator: Smart City Zwönitz Team, represented by project manager Dr Martin Benedict

Makerhubs

Stefan Schmidtke: “With the Makerhubs, places are being created in the region that will have an impact long beyond the Capital of Culture year. Here, European maker spirit can be experienced in a very practical way.”

Josephine Hage: “We are enthusiastic about the positive energy in the region. The initiatives show that innovative ideas are not the privilege of urban metropolises. With the Makerhubs, we cultivate very special places that lead traditions into the future.”

Bernd Birkigt: “The locations are a clever mix of existing and new initiatives. The Makerhubs are central anchor points for us to attract European guests to the region, to inspire young people for our communities and businesses and to lead our cultural heritage into the future.”

The Makerhubs carry openness, diversity, community spirit and maker:ing into the digital age and put the region on the map of the international maker scene. They are part of the Makers, Business & Arts programme from the BidBook II and thus one of the four central projects of the Capital of Culture.

The jury included representatives of:

  • Förderverein – FreundInnen der europäischen Kulturregion Chemnitz 2025 e.V.
  • Landesverband der Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft Sachsen e.V.
  • Leibniz Institut für Länderkunde (IfL)
  • LEADER Regionalmanagement Tor zum Erzgebirge
  • Lokallabore / The Constitute e.V.
  • Maker e. V.
  • Verbund offener Werkstätten e. V.
  • AAA GmbH
  • a young person from Schneeberg nominated by the Kreisjugendring Erzgebirge

With the Chemnitz2025 Makers, Business & Arts Programme, KREATIVES SACHSEN will accompany the selected initiatives in the coming months, organise workshops for the (further) development of the concepts and the development of operator models. In addition, exchange with European partners is to be established at an early stage.

Photo: Ernesto Uhlmann