How Chemnitz wants to become Capital of Culture

Chemnitz City Council has approved the basic content of the programme for the European Capital of Culture 2025 bid by a large majority.

Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig: "A strong Europe together is the best thing that can happen to us, but this is not something that can be taken for granted today. With the European Capital of Culture, we want to think ahead and develop our city together. We want to tell Europe our story, learn from Europe. And show many visitors in 2025 what Chemnitz is capable of achieving. I am sure that if our bid is successful, many Chemnitz residents who are still sceptical today will see their city in a completely different light."

Chemnitz has until 30 September 2019 to submit a bid book to the Kulturstiftung der Länder, which provides answers to a predefined list of questions. The city council must decide on the key answers to the questions it contains (19 in total). The Capital of Culture Office and the Programme Council worked together to formulate the answers. The jointly drafted answers form the content of the submission to the City Council and relate to the part of the bid book for which, according to the recommendation of the European Commission, the vote of the City Council must be obtained.

Among other things, Chemnitz will be presented under the motto "AUFbrüche. Opening minds, creating spaces", the bid book will show that the city has repeatedly experienced ruptures and contradictions over the past centuries, followed by new beginnings. In many ways, it is linked to Europe's chequered history and continues to reflect the challenges facing Europe today. Chemnitz wants to stand up for a diverse society and a diverse Europe. Culture is the key to creating open encounters. Preserving European values in a changing society and continuing the European peace project. At the same time, Chemnitz would like to revitalise a traditional cultural area with the region as an example and, against the trend of migration from rural areas, make the advantages of an extensive urban region "tangible".

A key question in the Capital of Culture process is: "How do we want to live together?" An answer to this question has been sought over the past two years together with the citizens. Objects, squares and areas are being considered for whose conversion and redesign the Capital of Culture application can be the catalyst. These proposals were discussed together with committed citizens. Six areas are highlighted as examples in the bid book:

• The railway arch (viaduct on Annaberger Straße).
• The cultural quarter.
• The city by the river.
• The sports forum.
• The public space - public squares
• Places of new beginnings - new uses, new partnerships

The bid book should also describe the initial situation in the city with its cultural infrastructure and the cultural strategy up to 2030. However, most of the questions revolve around the budget. The organisational structure in the event of winning the title must also be presented, with Chemnitz favouring a gGmbH.

The other questions in the bid book, which do not have to be decided by the City Council, largely concern the artistic and cultural programme for the European Capital of Culture 2025 and are subject to the principle of freedom of science and art. For this reason, a core working group was set up to work on this catalogue of questions, which includes representatives from Chemnitz as well as external European experts. The answers developed by the working group will be treated confidentially in view of the competitors for the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 until they are confirmed by the Programme Council and the Steering Group.