5 March marks the 80th anniversary of the bombing and destruction of Chemnitz during the Second World War. This year's 24th Chemnitz Peace Day takes this event as an opportunity to remember the victims of the war and at the same time send a strong signal in favour of peace, democracy and cosmopolitanism.
Numerous actors from Chemnitz and the surrounding area are organising the Peace Day with a diverse programme. Commemorative events, readings, exhibitions and prayers for peace invite people to pause for thought, reflect on the horrors of war and realise the importance of peace in today's world.
The Chemnitz Peace Day begins at 10 a.m. on 5 March with the traditional memorial service at the municipal cemetery. A wreath will be laid at the memorial to the victims of the bombing of the city of Chemnitz. Lord Mayor Sven Schulze, President of the State Parliament Alexander Dierks, pupils from Chemnitz secondary schools and a contemporary witness will commemorate the night of the bombing.
Programme on the Neumarkt and in the town hall
10 a.m. Peace Banner 2025 - youth art project by Aktion © with Montessori School Chemnitz, Chemnitz School Model, André-Gymnasium Chemnitz, J. H. Pestalozzi Chemnitz Support Centre, "Georg Götz" Support Centre (focus on hearing), Albert-Schweitzer-OS and Rochlitz Grammar School
An incredible 56 new banners have been created since the Chemnitz Peace Day 2024. The banners will be presented at the town hall, at and in the Roter Turm gallery, at the opera house, in the Jakobi church and, for the first time, at the new school on Hartmannplatz.
The activities on Neumarkt will begin at 11 am. A white cross symbolises the commemoration of all war victims and peaceful cohesion in our city. The people of Chemnitz can ask for peace wishes at the peace cross.
11 a.m., Democracy Centre Chemnitz: "What is democracy?". Everyone is talking about the threat to democracy. But what do we mean by democracy? What is needed for democratic coexistence? A survey of visitors to the Chemnitz Peace Day. Project of the citizens' association FUER CHEMNITZ e. V. and the Chemnitz Peace Day working group, in cooperation with the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH. Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Free State of Saxony and the City of Chemnitz.
Three exhibitions will also be on display on Neumarkt from 11 a.m:
"C the diversity - Colourful chairs for diversity"
"Chemnitz history building site: March 1933 to March 1945"
"Democracy and culture"
From 11.30 a.m., films by contemporary witnesses from Chemnitz who experienced the bombing of Chemnitz on 5 March 1945 will be shown in the City Council Chamber of the Town Hall:
| 11.30 a.m. | "Eternal March" |
| 12.30 pm | "Last Witnesses" and student film from the Untere Luisenschule-OS, incl. introduction |
| 1.30 pm | "Children at war" |
| 2.45 pm | "Justin Sonder" |
Due to the limited seating capacity in the City Council Chamber, we recommend making a reservation via the City of Chemnitz participation portal: https://mitdenken.sachsen.de/1049742
From 2 p.m. "Two peace ambassadors" - installation and painting project for children. Children can paint the figures with prepared colours and brushes and add messages of peace. A cooperation between Kreativzentrum des KJF e.V. Chemnitz, Holzkombinat Chemnitz and Peter Fiebig
3.30 pm "A new sound for peace: 80 years after the war"
The peace bell with the inscription "Pursue peace with everyone", cast from military scrap, is the centrepiece of the peace trek. It is pulled by a specially constructed horse-drawn carriage and is intended to serve as a symbol of reconciliation and peace. The association Friedensglocken e. V. from Brandenburg has set itself the goal of bringing people in Europe together and building bridges through personal dialogue. Horses and carriages can be admired until the rally.
16.30 to 17.45 "Peace - a European idea" Panel discussion in the Town Hall, City Council Chamber
Where 80 years ago bombs fell and nations were hostile to each other in the Second World War, today the topic of reconciliation in Europe and peace in the world will be discussed. The UN expert Dr Ekkehard Griep, The Very Reverend Dean John Witcombe, head of the Coventry community, Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Tina Weinhold-Leiser, Head of International Project Management at F+U Chemnitz gGmbH, have been invited to take part. The event is jointly organised by the Saxon State Centre for Political Education and the City of Chemnitz.
Registration is required by 4 March, 12 noon* at: https://mitdenken.sachsen.de/1049748
The peace trails to Neumarkt start at 5 pm at the following seven starting points:
ASB Wohnzentrum, Rembrandtstraße 15; Islamischer kultureller Verein in Chemnitz e. V., Moschee Solbrigstraße 22a; Jüdische Gemeinde Chemnitz, Synagoge Stollberger Straße 28; "ZUHAUSE" - Brühl / Elisenstraße; Propsteikirche St. Johannes Nepomuk, Hohe Straße 1; Friedenskirche, Kaßbergstraße 30; St. Petrikirche, Theaterplatz.
They start at 4.30 pm at the starting points Haus der Gewerkschaften, Augustusburger Straße 33 and at the Lutherkirche Schönau, Zwickauer Straße 255.
5.30 pm "Welcome and Farewell" - "The Chemnitz Peace Bells" will be played on the carillon by Franzpeter Uhlig.
Start of the peace runners: LOVE - running for love and peace with the Stadtsportbund Chemnitz e. V. and Lauf-KulTour e. V. over a distance of 12 km.
The participants of the peace routes will be welcomed. In addition, the deceased fellow campaigner and co-initiator of the Chemnitz Peace Day, Hartwig Albiro, will be remembered.
Main event - "Building peace through reconciliation"
The main event on the Neumarkt begins at 6 p.m. under the title "Making peace through reconciliation" - 80 years after the end of the Second World War.
Welcoming address on Chemnitz Peace Day by Mayor Sven Schulze; thoughts on the topic of reconciliation: The Very Reverend Dean John Witcombe (Dean of Coventry), Michael Kretschmer (Saxon Minister President), Nirit Sommerfeld (artist, operator of Café Julius) and Dr Peter Seifert (Lord Mayor of Chemnitz from 1993 to 2006).
The musical programme will be provided by the band GoNG from Nova Gorica. The name GoNG stands for Gorizia/Nova Gorica. Two cities for which the national border between them no longer plays a role. Together they are the European Capital of Culture 2025 and musicians from the Gorizia/Nova Gorica region have come together to live the European idea of peace by making music together on both sides of the border.
The day will come to a close at 9 pm at the Peace Cross to the ringing of the church bells of Chemnitz - with DONA NOBIS PACEM.
Programme in the city church of St. Jakobi
From 3 to 5.30 p.m. there will be a presentation of poems and a musical programme in the St. Jakobi city church.
At 3 pm, the young singers from Tina Pulst's singing class at the municipal music school will give a concert.
At 4 pm, the ensemble "100 Mozartkinder" of the Sächsische Mozart-Gesellschaft e. V. will perform under the direction of its mentors Mathis Stendike, Magda Roznicka and Emi Suzuki.
At 5 pm, you can listen to a concert by the StreichHölzer of the Municipal Music School under the direction of Andreas Winkler. Between the musical programme items, readings are planned by the Omas gegen Rechts initiative and the Jakobi-Kreuz young congregation.
19.30 Ecumenical service for the Chemnitz Peace Day
Awarding of the Cross of Nails of Coventry and foundation of the Ecumenical Cross of Nails Centre Chemnitz
Sermon: The Very Reverend John Witcombe (Dean of Coventry Cathedral)
Other participants: Bishops Tobias Bilz (Saxony) and Dr Oliver Schuegraf (Schaumburg-Lippe, Chairman of the German Cross of Nails Association), as well as Apostle Ralph Wittich of the New Apostolic Church
Musical programme: Community choir of the New Apostolic Church Chemnitz, Müller-Sextett and Cantor Thomas Stadler. The "Community of the Cross of Nails" came into being as a reaction to the
In its locations, it campaigns for understanding between people, just peace and reconciliation with one another.
Followed by a walk to Neumarkt
Programme at other locations in Chemnitz
7 p.m. Municipal Music School, Gerichtsstraße 1
The Diary of Anne Frank
Monoopera in two parts by Grigori Frid, German adaptation by Ulrike Patow
Musical direction: Maximilian Otto
With Elisabeth Dopheide, Susanne Stein and musicians from the Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra
Admission: from 8 euros (via Die Theater Chemnitz)
from 14 years
Supporting programme around the Peace Day
Monday, 3 March, 7 pm
Exhibition opening: Visible diversity. Religions in Saxony
Curator Dr Verena Böll; Saxon State Centre for Political Education
Location: in the TIETZ, foyer
Thursday, 6 March, 6 p.m.
Opening of the exhibition "Peaces - An Exploration of Plural Peace ACROSS Borders"
Venue: Weltecho
Organiser: City of Chemnitz
The exhibition reimagines peace as both a plural concept and a multi-layered experience and sheds light on its artistic, scientific and social dimensions. It is a unique event organised by the City of Chemnitz and supported by GO!2025, the European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica/Gorizia and the ACROSS University Alliance. It commemorates the Day of Peace and Remembrance through a collaborative, interdisciplinary exhibition.
It includes contributions by students from ACROSS universities and young artists from Nova Gorica, Udine, Banja Luka, Chemnitz and beyond. It includes contemporary
art installations, videos, photographs, live performances and a cinema programme with short films and animations that challenge perceptions of hospitality, migration and resilience while addressing peace as both a transhuman and transnational priority.
Participants: Dr Peter Purg (University of Nova Gorica), Gašper Rebernik, Taša Mir, Matej Pirkovič (University of Nova Gorica School of Art)
Chemnitz Peace Prize 2025
Friday, 7 March, 6 pm
Presentation of the Chemnitz Peace Prize 2025 by the citizens' association FUER CHEMNITZ e.V. and the city's migration officer, Etelka Kobuß
Venue: Town Hall, City Council Chamber
Music: Chemnitz Municipal Music School
There will be a small reception afterwards.
Further updates on the Chemnitz Peace Day and information on the supporting programme can be found at
www.chemnitz.de/friedenstag
https:// chemnitzer-friedenstag.de/
*Modified on 27 February 2025