Festive naturalisation ceremony in Chemnitz town hall
Lord Mayor welcomes newly naturalised citizens of Chemnitz
Mayor Barbara Ludwig today welcomed newly naturalised citizens of Chemnitz in the City Council Chamber and in the historic Wandelhalle of Chemnitz City Hall. The naturalisation ceremony was also attended by Ferenc Csák, Head of Cultural Operations, Etelka Kobuß, the city's Migration Officer, Pedro Martin Montero Perez, Chairman of the city's Migration Advisory Board, city councillors from various political groups and representatives of the City of Chemnitz.
Around 70 people from Neuchemnitz accepted the invitation to the naturalisation ceremony. They come from a total of 24 different countries of origin. In detail: Ukraine, Vietnam, Poland, Russian Federation, Belgium, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Romania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Syria, China, Lebanon, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Tanzania, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Tunisia, Ecuador and Armenia. An eleven-year-old child was also among the participants at the naturalisation ceremony.
At the beginning, the new citizens were welcomed with music by the Syrian band Youma. The musicians are young Syrians living in Chemnitz themselves: Mai Alkurdi (flute), Maya Al Kurdi (cajon) and Youssef Bash (guitar and vocals). Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig then welcomed the guests.
In addition to drinking coffee at a festively decorated table in the historic Wandelhalle with cakes, pastries and fruit, the guests received small gifts to commemorate the celebration, including an annual voucher from Chemnitz City Library. Finally, the guests were able to take part in a guided tour of the town hall with the City Council Chamber, Green Salon, Council Chamber and High Tower.
Number of naturalisations:
In 2017, 79 people were naturalised by 31 August. The five most common countries of origin of the new citizens are: Ukraine (13), Vietnam (9), Poland/Russian Federation (7), Syria/Afghanistan (6), Iran/Kazakhstan/Lebanon (3).
In 2016, 146 people were naturalised in Chemnitz. Their five most common countries of origin are: Ukraine (35), Vietnam (13), Iran (8), Poland (7), Syria (6), Romania/Uzbekistan (5).