Lord Mayor Sven Schulze honours six Chemnitz citizens

During his annual reception today, Mayor Sven Schulze presented the Chemnitz Honour Award to six citizens. These people are characterised by their voluntary commitment to culture and sport, commemorative culture and history, Chemnitz civil society and international partnerships: Dr Jürgen Nitsche, Christiane Fiedler, Edeltraud Höfer, Norbert Engst, Janice Schmelzer and Volker Lange.

The annual reception, to which around 250 personalities from politics, business and society were invited to the Carlowitz Congress Centre, was held this year under the motto "Discovering cultural capitals - Europe on a visit". Culture was recognised as a unifying element that can overcome borders. This can be seen not least in Nova Gorica and Gorizia. This Italian-Slovenian border town shares the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 with Chemnitz.

Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "I had the honour and great pleasure of witnessing their opening last weekend. There, too, it became clear what the spirit of the Capitals of Culture is all about: building bridges, overcoming borders, promoting exchange, developing new perspectives. Culture creates connections - and this connection between Chemnitz, Nova Gorica and Gorizia as well as many other partner cities not only enriches all of our programmes, but hopefully also shapes the understanding of cohesion and cooperation throughout Europe."

The fact that all of this is not possible without the commitment of many people, many of whom work on a voluntary basis, is recognised by the Chemnitz Honorary Thaler.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze commented: "These people are proof that commitment and passion make Chemnitz a great city. They are the heart of Chemnitz. They shape the character of our city."

The following people will receive the Chemnitz Honour Award in 2025:

Dr Jürgen Nitsche will be honoured for his voluntary commitment to the reappraisal of Jewish history in Chemnitz. For more than 20 years, the freelance historian, author and curator has been helping to collate Jewish family histories and lost knowledge and make them accessible to today's generation. His research forms the basis for a wide range of projects and democratic initiatives that are now firmly established in Chemnitz.

Christiane Fiedler received the award for her commitment to the city's needy and people seeking help. She set up and founded the Chemnitz food bank in 1997 and ran it as managing director until the middle of last year. At Tafel Chemnitz e. V., a team of 40 helpers, almost all of whom work on a voluntary basis, ensure that around 1,400 people receive food every week.

Edeltraud Höfer volunteers as a tour guide in the Verein der Gästeführer Chemnitz e. V. and in various projects with Chemnitz's twin cities. Among other things, she organised an exhibition on Łódź in Chemnitz Town Hall and took part in the "Tales of Transformation" exhibition at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum. She researches the history of Chemnitz and her work helps to shape the city's image as cosmopolitan, friendly and diverse and to welcome visitors to the city.

Norbert Engst, author and member of the Chemnitzer Geschichtsverein e. V. 1990, has been helping to keep Chemnitz's history alive and communicate it for many years. He is heavily involved in the creation of texts for the information steles in the city centre. His comprehensive collection on the remodelled Fritz Heckert area, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is particularly unique.

Janice Schmelzer is committed to helping homeless people in the city of Chemnitz. She has been donating her pocket money since the age of 13 and also collects donations for people in need. With her "Rosalie the piggy bank" campaign, Janice Schmelzer proves that even young people can change the world.

Volker Lange has been President of the Chemnitz Police Sports Club, which has been in existence for 105 years, since 2008. In recent years, he has also demonstrated stamina, team spirit and vision outside the sports hall at the head of a club with more than 20 different sports.

*changed on 12 February 2025