Chemnitz City Council decides to implement the city's 875th anniversary celebrations
At its meeting today, Chemnitz City Council decided to commission Chemnitzer Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (CWE) with the preparation and realisation of the city's 875th anniversary celebrations based on the concept developed. The draft budget provides funding of €80,000 for 2017 and €450,000 for 2018.
In 2013, the city council commissioned the city administration to develop a concept for the city anniversary
"875 years of Chemnitz" for the year 2018. This was developed in consultation with several partners, including Chemnitz University of Technology and the CWE. From the outset, the agreed aim was to involve the people of Chemnitz in the city's anniversary celebrations and bring the city's history to life.
In April 2016, initial suggestions from municipal institutions were presented in an ideas workshop and further participation was called for. The CWE took over the collection of ideas due to the integration of the anniversary into the city marketing theme.
The concept is based on the basic idea of a decentralised city anniversary year. Five defined theme areas are assigned to neighbourhoods across several districts. A central project space is to be set up in each neighbourhood, in which individual projects can be carried out, but which will also be a contact point for various project groups in the respective neighbourhoods. The plan is to hold a main event in each neighbourhood. In addition, each neighbourhood will make a contribution to the central celebratory event in the city centre in summer 2018. Furthermore, at least 10 events, campaigns or installations etc. from project groups in the respective themed areas are planned.
For 2017, 20 communication topics from the work of the project groups are planned, as well as one contribution from each project group for a final documentation in 2019.
However, three major central celebratory events are also to be organised to mark the city's anniversary: An opening event for the anniversary year, a central main event in summer 2018 and a central closing event for the anniversary year.
The CWE will be commissioned to prepare and implement the city anniversary in order to utilise existing structures effectively. By organising the city anniversary and city marketing in one area of responsibility, synergies are created. This means that the marketing and promotion of the city anniversary can be coordinated with the city marketing concept, which is the responsibility of CWE. The content of city marketing is filled with authentic history. The city's history will be marketed effectively in the media. CWE also has many years of experience in the coordination and realisation of major events (e.g. city festival), as well as in attracting sponsorship. CWE can also provide the personnel required to organise the town anniversary.
A separate contract is concluded between the city and CWE for this purpose. This includes in particular the conception, project management, coordination of the work of the project groups and the artistic direction, the provision of resources in the cross-sectional tasks (such as programme design/meta projects, marketing/communication, sponsoring/fundraising and legal), participation/management in the programme commission and participation/management in the programme advisory board.
As a wholly-owned municipal subsidiary, CWE works almost entirely for the City of Chemnitz in accordance with its corporate purpose. Due to its activities for the city and the control exercised by the city, it was possible to commission CWE without a tender process.