European Capital of Culture 2025
Construction site visit: Hartmannfabrik becomes the heart of the Capital of Culture
The traditional building in Fabrikstraße, the last remaining production site of Chemnitz's "locomotive king" Richard Hartmann, has big plans: In 2025, the Hartmannfabrik will be home to the reception centre for guests of the European Capital of Culture and the European Workshop for Culture and Democracy. The European Capital of Culture 2025 GmbH, which is planning and designing the programme for the festival year, will move in before then.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze visited the construction site last Thursday with the representative of the Saxon State Government for the European Capital of Culture 2025, State Secretary Thomas Popp, and members of the Interministerial Working Group European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 (IMAG) to find out about the status of the renovation work.
Mayor Schulze: "Here we have the opportunity to build a bridge from tradition to the future. Richard Hartmann shaped the city with his locomotives and now we are managing to save the building and finally bring it back to life. What is being created here is sustainable: the new Hartmannfabrik will be a meeting place far beyond the year 2025."
State Secretary Popp: "I am delighted by the commitment shown by the city and the people of Chemnitz. Combining tradition with modernity in this way is a great idea." The regular meetings of the IMAG, including on site, primarily served to monitor progress in the preparations for the Capital of Culture year and to communicate this to the ministries of the state government.
Hartmannfabrik as a centre for 2025
If everything continues to go according to plan, the extensive remodelling work will be completed by the end of 2023. Linda Hüttner, Managing Director of the Chemnitz-based construction company Gunter Hüttner: "We are delighted to be part of this unique project for the city! Our colleagues on the construction site are really keen to get involved." However, it is sometimes a pain to have to remove historical structures that come to light during the ongoing demolition and gutting work. This reveals many details that become visible when the plastered masonry is removed. However, the crane system, which can be seen in historical photos, has already been restored and will be put back in place after completion as a reminder of the hall's original function.
The city of Chemnitz is renting the Hartmann Factory far beyond the Capital of Culture year from the Pfeifer family of entrepreneurs, who own the hall. "We have signed a lease until 2029. This is the city's commitment to long-term utilisation," says Lord Mayor Sven Schulze. Conceivable uses include cultural events and exhibitions.
The Kreativhof Stadtwirtschaft and the Garage Campus on Zwickauer Straße were further stops on the programme of the third IMAG meeting.
Keyword: IMAG
The IMAG was set up by the Saxon state government to ensure regular coordination between the ministries involved and the city of Chemnitz. It is headed by State Secretary Thomas Popp, the state government's representative for the Capital of Culture under Minister President Michael Kretschmer in the Saxon State Chancellery.
