After 17 meetings and five years of cross-departmental collaboration, the Saxon State Government’s Interministerial Working Group on the Preparation and Implementation of Chemnitz 2025 – European Capital of Culture (IMAG KHE C 2025) has completed its work. Its aim was to coordinate the Free State’s support for the city of Chemnitz and the European Capital of Culture region – from the preparations following the award of the title in 2020, through the European Capital of Culture year, to the creation of sustainable structures for further development.
Prof. Thomas Popp, the Saxon State Government’s Commissioner for the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 and Chair of the IMAG: “Five years as European Capital of Culture have shown what is possible when the Free State, the city, the region, the federal government and many other partners take joint responsibility. Precisely because such a project brings together so many interests and areas of responsibility, cooperation based on trust was crucial. The lessons learnt from Chemnitz are therefore also valuable for future large-scale projects that must be conceived and implemented across departmental and administrative boundaries.”
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: “IMAG was more than just a coordinating body; it was our shared compass. We wanted to be good hosts for Europe, and we could only achieve that by working together. For Chemnitz, it was important to know that the Free State and our many partners were by our side. Regular coordination helped us to resolve even difficult issues quickly and collectively. The task now is to continue to draw on the experience and structures gained during our time as Capital of Culture. This collaboration has shown what can be achieved when the city, the Free State and the region work towards a common goal.”
The working group, which has been in existence since 2021, brought together the State Secretaries and heads of departments from all ministries under the leadership of the State Chancellery. Regular guests included the Lord Mayor of Chemnitz, the management of Kulturhauptstadt Europas Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, and representatives of the federal government. Guests from other European countries, as well as from foundations, universities, the business sector and civil society, also attended on a regular basis. The IMAG was explicitly more than just an internal administrative coordination body. It developed into a central platform for coordination between the Free State, the City of Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture region and other partners.
Thematically, the work extended far beyond cultural funding: the agenda included, amongst other things, security, urban and regional development, transport and tourism, the cultural and creative industries, child and youth participation, cross-border cooperation, inclusion, sustainability, social cohesion and financial control. This ongoing coordination enabled swift decision-making and close collaboration. The established structures proved particularly effective in addressing issues of security and communication relating to the European Capital of Culture year.
From the Free State’s perspective, this long-term support helped to stabilise the major project, secure key funding structures and further develop cooperation between Chemnitz, the surrounding municipalities and civil society. At the same time, the international networking of the European Capital of Culture and its region was strengthened.
The end of the IMAG does not mark the end of the collaboration. The European Capital of Culture title is intended to continue to have an impact beyond 2025. The focus is therefore on the so-called legacy process. The Legacy Plan is to be linked to the regional development plan of the surrounding municipalities in the Ore Mountains and Central Saxony. The Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism will oversee this process. The State Government’s representative’s term of office ends at the end of 2026.