Frequently asked questions

The European Union has been awarding the title of European Capital of Culture since 1985 in order to highlight the richness, diversity and commonalities of cultural heritage in Europe and also to provide sustainable impetus for urban and regional development. To date, 71 cities have held the title. Athens was the first European Capital of Culture. Cultural events, exhibitions and performances are organized during the Capital of Culture year. Numerous projects with a European dimension also take place. The aim is to promote the international exchange of culture and citizens.

The path to the European Capital of Culture year is a multi-year process. If a city wants to become a "European Capital of Culture", it can apply for the title with a cultural program. This program is evaluated by independent experts from the cultural sector. The draft program can be found in the so-called BidBook II. Chemnitz, together with the Capital of Culture Region, which consists of 38 municipalities from Central Saxony, the Ore Mountains and Zwickau, was awarded the title on October 28, 2020. With the motto C the Unseen, the city is focusing on the unseen: on unseen places and biographies, the unseen talents in each individual.

As a city with great tradition and upheaval, but also as a place of makers and new beginnings, Chemnitz prevailed over numerous applicants. Culture, art and civic participation sustainably strengthen social cohesion as well as the relationship between the city and the surrounding area. The bid also had a clear political stance that advocated openness to the world and a commitment from the center of society.

The motto C the Unseen is an invitation to look and discover, to show yourself and become visible. That is why this invitation applies to local people as well as guests from outside. C the Unseen means that the unseen becomes visible - hidden potential, undiscovered places and previously unknown movers and shakers.

The motto can be interpreted in two ways: “Chemnitz - the unseen [city]”, which is coming into focus with the title of European Capital of Culture and becoming visible throughout Europe. On the other hand, it means "seeing the unseen". This means, among other things, people who feel noticed and proudly show themselves and their city to guests.

Diversity, cooperation, respect, tolerance, openness and internationality - you can find detailed information on these in our mission statement.

Capital of Culture is a process. To be awarded this title, cities must present a coherent concept of how they will make culture the driving force behind urban development and how they will become a European city. This is not about a 365-day festival, but about a sustainable strategy with a one-year interim peak.

In 2025, an incredible number of events and participatory projects will take place in Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture region. These include festivals, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, performances as well as sports and maker events. In addition to the program based on the application book, many other stakeholders in Chemnitz and the cultural region will be putting on events to make the entire region even more attractive for visitors.

The Slovenian-Italian border town of Nova Gorica / Gorizia shares the title with Chemnitz. Its motto is GO borderless. There is already a close exchange between the twin cities. Chemnitz stakeholders have visited Nova Gorica to network there and vice versa. From the exchange of experiences at team level to the implementation of joint projects in the cultural program, there is intensive cooperation.

Chemnitz shares the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 with 38 municipalities from Central Saxony, the Ore Mountains and Zwickau. The PURPLE PATH art and sculpture trail is the largest project in the Capital of Culture region. The works of national and international artists will create an exhibition of contemporary art in rural public spaces. It creates a symbolic link between the communities, from the countryside to the city and from the mining past to the present. Initiated by Chemnitz 2025, eight so-called maker hubs are also being created in the region. These are places for creative exchange, encounters and joint activities. They all have a different focus, from culinary art to textile art and urban art.

Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH is a municipal subsidiary of the City of Chemnitz and has the task of implementing the program from the Bidbook II application book, with which the city was ultimately awarded the title. Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH also networks the many project participants with each other and brings them together with national and international partners. In addition to the five main projects that Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH is implementing as its own projects, numerous other ideas and projects are also being realized. These include micro-projects, Team Generation and the coordination of the volunteer program. Regular events have been taking place since 2022. The highlight will be in 2025, when all projects will come to fruition and countless other events will take place in Chemnitz and the region.

In addition to the five main projects that Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH is implementing as its own projects, over 70 other projects were outlined in Bidbook II. These were checked for feasibility by the end of 2023. In addition, further project ideas were submitted by civil society actors through public tenders in 2023. Further projects are being developed with children, young people and older people, with partners in Poland and the Czech Republic, in the fields of dance, music, singing, painting and street art on a popular basis for the entire urban society.

In addition, micro-projects are intended to provide impetus for the implementation of own cultural formats or encounters in the city and the cultural region. Whether it is a theater project, music event, creative workshop or themed podium - the broad urban society is called upon to create new forms of communication and social interaction.

Around two million visitors are expected throughout the year. This is an estimate based on the experience of other Capitals of Culture of recent years of a similar size to Chemnitz. There will be occasions when particularly large numbers of people are expected and there is also an interested group of tourists who visit the European Capitals of Culture every year. The majority of guests are day tourists who come from the surrounding area.

The aim of the European Capital of Culture is to make the diversity of living realities in Europe visible, to promote mutual understanding and a sense of common European belonging and to provide sustainable impetus for urban and regional development. The Legacy Plan (the legacy of the Capital of Culture project) should not only define strategic objectives, but also contain concrete measures as to whether and how the projects launched during the Capital of Culture year can be continued, expanded or new ones initiated. In accordance with the European Commission's requirements, various aspects are to be taken into account, including the promotion of the cultural and creative sectors as well as long-term links with the economic and social sectors. The plan is set to run for ten years and covers the period from 2026 to 2035.

The EU Commission recommends taking sustainability into account at an early stage of the preparations. As the years 2024 and 2025 are inevitably very labor-intensive, legacy planning cannot wait until the end of the title year. The legacy process was therefore launched as part of the Visions of Europe conference in Chemnitz in April 2024. The legacy plan will be developed and presented over the following ten months. The aim is to reveal the expectations, experiences and challenges of successfully implementing the legacy.

The Hartmannfabrik is one of the 30 intervention sites for Chemnitz 2025. After extensive renovation, it was handed over to Kulturhauptstadt gGmbH on May 3, 2024, which has also moved into new offices there. As a future visitor and information center, the former factory hall will be a central point of contact for guests of the Capital of Culture in the coming year. Numerous events in the Chemnitz 2025 program will also take place there. The first major event is planned for 25 October 2024: the press conference to announce the program for the Capital of Culture year.

The term covers infrastructure projects that are related to the Chemnitz 2025 program - not just as future event locations, but as places whose transformation will have a lasting impact on the city community. A total of 30 locations in Chemnitz are to be transformed in this way. These include, for example, the Hartmannfabrik, the Garage Campus, the Stadtwirtschaft and the District park on the Pleißenbach. More information can be found here.

There are a number of projects that you can get involved in as part of the Capital of Culture. The commitment and support of volunteers is important. They are the ambassadors of this unique project and make a valuable contribution to the success of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. Currently, almost 200 people are already registered in our volunteer program. Registration is possible here.

The funding program enables individuals, groups and associations to implement their events and projects in the Capital of Culture year 2025. It supports projects in the intervention areas as well as initiatives throughout the city and in the digital space. The programme is based on three pillars. The special fund Places of Awakening, financed by the City of Chemnitz, and the special programme Public Spaces, financed by the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, are available for projects in the intervention areas. The special program Civic Engagement, financed by Sparkasse Chemnitz, is aimed at projects throughout the city in the fields of art and culture, education, social affairs and sport in Chemnitz. Applications can be submitted online via the City of Chemnitz website.

As part of Chemnitz 2025, the Makerhubs are places where designers, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, the next generation of skilled workers and makers from all over the world come together to learn from each other and create something new together. Eight locations in the cultural region were selected for the event: Augustusburg, Neukirchen/Erzgebirge, Limbach-Oberfrohna, Lößnitz, Mittweida, Schneeberg, Striegistal and Zwönitz. In addition, the "Stadtwirtschaft" in Chemnitz is another maker hub and intervention area.