Open Monument Day in the city of Chemnitz on 11 September 2016
The Open Monument Day on 11 September 2016 is all about collaborative action under the motto "Preserving monuments together".
A broad public awareness of the importance of our preserved architectural heritage has only slowly emerged in recent decades. In the post-war period and during the years of the economic miracle, people in the West were too busy creating new infrastructures, sales markets and social prosperity for more than a handful of experts to publicly campaign for the protection and preservation of monuments. This changed fundamentally - in parallel with other political developments - when the Council of Europe proclaimed 1975 the European Year of Monument Conservation. The German National Committee for Monument Protection, which is still active today, was founded specifically for its implementation and communication. In the former GDR, citizens began volunteering for the preservation of endangered buildings very early on. This took place in parallel to the state's preservation of monuments via the Kulturbund and often in agreement with the GDR's limited scope for action in the preservation of monuments, which had to follow the doctrine of the Central Committee. Although the available building materials and funds were scarce, many valuable historical buildings were saved from demolition in this way.
The Open Monument Day is a prime example of how it is possible to unite these forces and turn them into a great success for recognising and acknowledging the dedicated work of many people for the protection and preservation of historical monuments. Because without the co-operation of associations, initiatives, owners, municipalities, official monument preservation authorities, various other planning partners and experts such as architects, restorers or qualified craftsmen, monuments are rarely preserved.
"Preserving monuments together" means realising who can support you in your efforts to preserve historic buildings. Alliances must be formed and potential recognised. Every day, we see how people are committed to our built environment with enormous enthusiasm, voluntary work, expertise and financial resources. The many great stories and actions of clubs, associations, schools, neighbourhood help, church communities, municipalities and many more who are committed to preserving endangered cultural heritage show that this commitment is worthwhile for everyone.
The city of Chemnitz has gladly taken up this theme and is offering a varied programme with the participation of associations, companies and private individuals.
The opening event of the City of Chemnitz Open Monument Day will take place at 10.30 a.m. in the Municipal Music School, Gerichtsstraße 1.
The Mayor of the City of Chemnitz, Michael Stötzer, the landlady and director of the Municipal Music School, Nancy Gibson, and Thomas Morgenstern, Head of the Chemnitz Monument Protection Authority, will welcome interested citizens and guests and provide introductory remarks on the theme of Monument Day and the Music School building. The opening event will be accompanied by music from pupils of the Chemnitz Municipal Music School.
The building of today's Municipal Music School was erected around 1881 by an enterprising lawyer on the St Pauli parish fiefdom. A large restaurant was located on the ground floor, with the entrance on the ornately decorated corner of the building. A good business idea in view of the recently completed large courthouse opposite. The entire restaurant area was decorated in the historicist style on the walls and ceiling. A curved cast-iron staircase with oak plank treads leads to the first floor, where the owner's flat was located. The building was only slightly damaged during the bombing of Chemnitz and was subsequently used as a Soviet school and, from the 1980s, as a municipal music school. The renovation of the roof and façade began in stages in 1999, followed by the addition of a modern concert hall in 2014-15. During the renovation work on the ground floor in recent years, original stucco work on a ceiling and colourful paintings were uncovered and partially supplemented.
The music school is open on Monument Day from 10.30 am to 1 pm. Guided tours of the building will begin after the opening event at around 11am.
- Küchwald stage
The open-air stage in Küchwald was built in 1956-63 on the ruins of the war-damaged "Küchwaldschänke" as part of the National Reconstruction Programme (NAW) according to plans drawn up by Chemnitz architect Roland Hühnerfürst in 1954.With its ensemble of buildings, striking tower and large flight of steps, it occupies a prominent position on the large festival meadow. The building ensemble is part of the traditional post-war architecture characterised by neoclassicism. The original building ensemble was strictly symmetrical and planned with two towers. The auditorium was designed in the form of an ancient amphitheatre. After a long period of vacancy and partial decay, the Küchwaldbühne e. V. association, founded in 2009, successfully breathed cultural life back into the building and made great progress in the careful restoration of the listed building.
The Küchwaldbühne is open on Monument Day from 2pm to 6pm. Guided tours of the past and present will be offered at 2, 3 and 4 pm by the Küchwaldbühne e. V. association.
This year's final concert of the Open Monument Day with the Jazz Trio Volker Braun will take place on the Küchwaldbühne at 5 p.m. The musicians, led by the multi-award-winning oboist and jazz pianist Volker Braun, will delight the audience in front of a fantastic natural backdrop.
- Former UNION factory building, Ulmenstraße / Ahornstraße
The dominant three-aisled gallery hall built on the slope to Kaßberg is the last structural evidence of the UNION machine tool factory that once stood on this site. The architectural firm Zapp & Basarke drew up the building plans in 1911 - 12.
The client was the entrepreneur David Gustav Diehl, who founded a mechanical workshop in 1852, from which UNION emerged as one of the early machine tool factories in Germany.
After the Second World War, the company was expropriated and later became part of the "Fritz Heckert" machine tool combine. After reunification in 1990, the company was privatised and the UNION machine tool factory was re-established in Chemnitz on Clemens-Winkler-Straße.
Since then, the old factory complex on Zwickauer Strasse has stood empty and was demolished piece by piece until 1998. Only the imposing building on Ulmenstraße was preserved as an industrial monument. Changing owners, years of vacancy and neglected building maintenance left the building in a very worn condition.
Intenta GmbH, the specialist for image processing, object recognition and data fusion, recently became the new owner of the property and is opening the old Union machine factory to the public for the first time on 11 September 2016. The monument will be open to visitors from 12 noon to 5 pm. The Chemnitz-based IT company Intenta will introduce itself and provide insights into the history and future design of the old factory building.
A photo exhibition on the subject of abandoned industrial sites and an information stand with a children's programme by construction financing partner Volksbank Chemnitz will round off the programme. Guided tours will be offered as required by representatives of Intenta GmbH and, from 2 p.m., by Thomas Morgenstern from the Chemnitz Monument Protection Authority.
- The so-called "Devil's Bridges" in Zeisigwald, Dresdner Straße 230
From the end of the 18th century, porphyry gravel was extracted for road construction in the Beutenberg quarry, the first gravel quarry in the Zeisigwald. The Chemnitz stonemasons' guild was founded in 1797, whereupon Hilbersdorf and the Zeisigwald developed into the centre of natural stone quarrying in Chemnitz. In the 19th century, the demand for building stone grew rapidly due to the industrial rise of the city of Chemnitz. More and more quarries were opened up in the Zeisigwald. Around 1880, the construction of the so-called "Devil's Bridges" was also initiated. These were used as trench shoring to support the vertical walls between which the access road to the then Findewirth quarry (later: Ratssteinbruch) was built. The shoring was built in two sections and naturally consists of porphyry tuff blocks. Right next to the access road is the house known as Porphyr-Haus Dresdner Straße 230, built in 1869 by the then head master of the Chemnitz stonemasons' guild Findewirth, later taken over by master stonemason Otto. In the second half of the 19th century, sandstone from the Elbe Sandstone Mountains competed with the local porphyry tuff due to the railway connection.
With the support of the monument protection authority, the partly dilapidated Teufelsbrücken have been renovated by the Friends of the Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz e. V. since 2012.
On Monument Day, Knut Nestler and Hans Werner will be giving guided tours from 10 am to 4 pm as required. The meeting point at Dresdner Straße 230 will be signposted.
A "Geological tour through the old Findewirth quarry" with Bernd Tunger will be offered as a supporting programme.
- Schilling's figure groups of the 4 times of day and the castle pond park
The "Schilling Figures" of the Four Times of Day are once again the focus of this year's Monument Day. The sculpture groups are part of the listed Schloßteichpark complex. They were created by Johannes Schilling in 1868. Schilling lived from 1826-1910, was born in Mittweida, studied at the Academy of Art in Dresden and worked as an architect and sculptor in Dresden. The groups of figures, originally created for the grand staircase of Brühl's Terrace in Dresden, were donated to the city of Chemnitz in 1898 and stood on Königsplatz (now Theatre Square) from 1918-28 until the construction of the "Chemnitzer Hof", where they found a new location in 1938 following the expansion of the palace pond grounds by city planning officer Fred Otto.
The Chemnitz Guides' Association is committed to a plaque on the sculpture group and has established contact with Johannes Schilling's descendants.
On Monument Day at 2 pm, members of the Chemnitz Guides' Association will provide historical and current information about the Schilling figures. They will be supported by Bettina Schülke, an employee of the Chemnitz Monument Protection Authority, who will invite visitors to a subsequent walk in the Schloßteichpark, including information about the pavilion.
- Museum of Technology Signal boxes II and III with cable drainage system, Hilbersdorf
On the occasion of this year's Monument Day, the "Eisenbahnfreunde Richard Hartmann" e.V. (Friends of the Richard Hartmann Railway) association, which has been a committed supporter for many years, is once again offering guided tours of Signal Boxes II and III on the history of the cable drainage system and a historical wagon process on the site of the former marshalling yard.
Signal box III, which is now used as a museum, as well as the federally subsidised
2013 - 14 refurbished signal box II with engine room will be at the centre of the guided tours. There will be presentations of the traction engine of the rope pay-off system and the Leonhard set. The "Eisenbahnfreunde Richard Hartmann" e.V. association was awarded the special prize of the German National Committee for Monument Protection in October 2014 for its special commitment to the preservation of historical monuments.
Open: 10 am to 4 pm, guided tours at 10.30 am, 1 pm and 2.30 pm by FÖV "Eisenbahnfreunde Richard Hartmann" e.V.
- Kappel tram depot, Zwickauer Straße 164
In 1880, the Englishman William Roebuck applied for a licence to operate a horse-drawn tramway in the city of Chemnitz. He was granted the licence for 35 years, which explains the idiosyncratic English gauge. The first line ran from the main railway station to Nikolai Bridge (today: Falkeplatz) and on to Kappel, where the main depot was set up. Just two years later, the company became part of the Dortmund "Deutsche Lokal-und Straßenbahngesellschaft", which then merged with the Berlin AEG to form the "Allgemeine Lokal- und Straßenbahngesellschaft" in 1890 with the introduction of electrification. In 1893, the first Chemnitz electrified tramway was in operation. In 1908, the city took over the Chemnitz tramway operation for 10.5 million Reichsmarks. By 1910, the eight-track vehicle depot, which is still preserved as a museum today, was built at the main depot in Kappel. Further depots are subsequently built in Altendorf, Altchemnitz and on the northern Sonnenberg.
The entire complex of the Kappel tram depot and depot was almost completely listed in 2009, after the large vehicle hall and nine traction units and trailers had already been listed since 1980. Many of the buildings and facilities, most of which are now empty, are closely linked to the history of the Chemnitz tramway.
Over the next few years, the Verein der Straßenbahnfreunde e.V. plans to secure and utilise further buildings for the restoration and exhibition of historic trams and buses.
The building is open from 10 am to 4 pm. The Verein der Straßenbahnfreunde e.V. offers guided tours of the site at 10.30 am, 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm. Rides on the narrow-gauge tram will also be offered. Catering will be provided.
- Schönherr factory, Schönherrstraße 8
The Schönherr factory at the foot of the Schloßberg is located on the historic site of the former Wöhler & Lange spinning mill, founded in 1799. After its dissolution, the site continued to be used and expanded from 1834 by master mechanical engineer J. G. Haubold, who later became part of the Sächsische Maschinenbau-Compagnie.
The Sächsische Webstuhlfabrik was founded in 1851 by Louis Schönherr & Ernst Seidler in Altchemnitz and moved into the buildings of the Maschinenbau-Compagnie in Schloßchemnitz in 1854. In 1857, Louis Schönherr was the sole owner of the loom factory. This was followed by a continuous expansion of Louis Schönherr's mechanical engineering company into the Sächsische Webstuhlfabrik A.G. It was the largest producer of weaving machines in the country and of supra-regional importance. The different building phases are clearly recognisable. There are neo-classical buildings from around 1835 (buildings 8a and 5a), a number of factory buildings from the Wilhelminian period and a modern extension adjoining building 8 in a functional design by architect Max W. Feistel. Buildings no. 9, 10 and 7 belong to the core area of the factory complex, which enclose an elongated inner courtyard in two- and four-storey wings. The factory buildings from different eras form an outstanding architectural ensemble of great industrial-historical significance. The refurbishment and conversion of the listed old buildings in a large mix of industries, which has been realised in stages since the end of the 1990s, is exemplary in the Free State of Saxony and throughout Germany.
The property is open from 11 am to 3 pm. The "max louis" restaurant will be offering a monument menu from 11 am to
2 pm. Pre-booking is required on 0371 4640 2433, the menu is subject to a charge.
A guided tour of the site will begin at 2 p.m. with Managing Director Mrs Eckert, during which she will explain the historical development of the site and the further construction measures planned until its final completion in 2017. The meeting point will be signposted.
- Schmidt-Rottluff Mill, Limbacher Straße 380
In 1883, mill manager Friedrich August Schmidt from Lichtenwalde acquires the mill property in Rottluff.
Schmidt, who comes from Lichtenwalde, acquires the mill property in Rottluff, which has been documented since 1548. His first son Karl was born here on 1 December 1884. After the old mill was destroyed by fire in 1892, the owner F. A. Schmidt had a new mill building with living quarters for the miller's family built in the right-hand part of the house in 1893 - 94, today Limbacher Straße 380.
In 1913, F.A. Schmidt sold the mill and property to Paul Kaden, a brother-in-law of bakery owner Emil Reimann, for health reasons. He continued to run the mill. After a long period of vacancy, the town acquired the listed building in 2009. The facades and roof were renovated using funds from the second economic stimulus package. Parts of the mill technology have been preserved and can still be viewed unrestored.
At the end of 2014, the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Chemnitz e.V. association was founded with the aim of gradually renovating the interior and using it as a cultural meeting, event and educational centre.
The memorial building is open from 2 to 4 pm. The Förderverein Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Chemnitz e.V. organises guided tours of the monument as required.
- "Bridges on the Chemnitz"
Grit Linke from the Chemnitz tour guide interest group is offering a guided tour on Monument Day at 11 am. The meeting point is at the Pfortensteg, which was built in 1470 as a monastery mill defence bridge. The path leads to the Kaßberg Bridge. This bridge combines circular and basket arches in its construction and was built in 1868-70. The nearby beer bridge was built at the same time. Continuing along the Chemnitz, the tour ends at the roller weir on Georgstraße, which was built in its current form in 1923-29.
- Railway viaduct over Annaberger Strasse and Beckerstrasse
The railway bridge is a transport structure that shapes the cityscape and is a striking testimony to early railway history. Its filigree construction was built in 1905. The elegantly shaped iron construction with steel supports on natural stone-clad pillars, abutments and retaining walls spans Annaberger Strasse and Beckerstrasse. It is of particular significance in terms of the history of the city and the history of transport and technology.
On Monument Day, guided tours will be offered by the Stadtforum Chemnitz - Viadukt e. V. from 11 am. At 3 pm, the ceremonial unveiling of a monument information board by the Mayor of Chemnitz Michael Stötzer will take place in a cultural setting. Snacks and drinks will be available.
Churches and cemeteries open on Open Monument Day
- St Jakobi Town Church, Jakobikirchplatz 1
The town church was built in 1350 - 65 as a three-aisled Gothic hall church, the choir was added in 1404 - 12 and the neo-Gothic remodelling took place in 1877. In 1911/12, the west gable was remodelled with an Art Nouveau façade. After partial destruction during the Second World War, reconstruction began in 1945. The reconstruction of the nave was completed in 2009, followed by the restoration of the original choir room, during which rare findings were uncovered. The building is funded by the German Foundation for Monument Protection and the Federal Ministry of Culture and Media.
It is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a guided tour by Regine Reichel, church guide and employee of the St Jakobi Open Church, taking placeat 2 p.m.
- Evangelical Methodist Church of Peace, Kaßbergstraße 30
The representative church building in the neo-Gothic style was built in 1893 according to plans by Carl Bieber and consecrated in 1894. Following the example of North German brick Gothic, the central building with its ridge turret was given an outstanding design with rich, multi-coloured clinker brick and majolica façade decoration. Renovations were carried out in 1969 and 1993/94, and a lift was added in 2010 in compliance with heritage protection regulations. Inside, the church interior with its wooden galleries on cast-iron supports is in an excellent original state of preservation.
The church is open on Monument Day from 11 am to 4 pm. Andreas Walther will be giving guided tours of the building at 11am, 12pm and 1pm. This will be accompanied by a street festival on Henriettenstraße and the church grounds under the motto "Neighbourhood Encounters".
- Castle church and castle hill museum, Schloßberg 11/ 12
The former Benedictine monastery, later an official Saxon castle and today the Schlossberg Museum with the original cloister building and remains of the cloister and the original monastery and castle church of St Mary form an inseparable unit.
The medieval remains of the cloister are best preserved in the eastern wing, while the remodelling of the Renaissance is clearly visible in the southern cloister building.
The original monastery cellars and parts of the enclosing wall with a high archway on Salzstraße have been preserved, as have the high substructures to the south-east towards the town.
The late Gothic hall church with Romanesque building remains from the early days of the monastery church is one of the town's most valuable cultural monuments. In addition to the stone evidence of the Romanesque chapel, the ribbed vaults and the north portal, the wooden works of art such as the high altar and the flagellation column are valuable features. In the years 2006 - 2010, the castle church received a new symphonic-romantic organ from the company Orgelbau Vleugels.
It is open on Monument Day from 12 noon to 6 pm.
Guided tours on the subject of "Loop ribs, fish blowing. A walk through the centuries" through the castle church and the Schloßbergmuseum (former Benedictine monastery) as a joint project of the St Peter's Castle Church parish and the Schloßbergmuseum. There will also be a discovery tour for children: "Who can find the mysterious signs of the stonemasons?", creative activities for children (engraving stonemasons' signs in stone and designing church windows out of paper) and an open door between the castle church and the neighbouring Schloßbergmuseum.
At 5 pm, the "Concert in the castle... courtly music presented anew" will take place in the Schloßbergmuseum. Ulrike Rusetzky, flute, Peter Wenzel, oboe and chamber music director Siegfried Petri, harpsichord will perform works by Handel, C.P.E. Bach, Albinoni and others.
- St Mark's Church, Pestalozzistrasse 1
The monumental Wilhelminian-style central building was built in 1892 - 1895 in neo-Gothic style according to plans by the Berlin architects Kröger & Ambesser. The red clinker brick building with its striking twin towers and slender spires is a symbol of the "Sonnenberg" residential neighbourhood and is important in terms of urban planning and monument preservation. The almost completely preserved neo-Gothic interior with original historical light fittings, which has been painstakingly restored over many years, is of great artistic and historical value. The church is used for multifunctional purposes under the management of the parish and the support association
Open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., tower tours and church tours every half hour with the Friends of St Mark's Church e.V.
- St Nicolai Cemetery, Michaelstraße 15
St Nicolai's cemetery is a listed site with a cemetery chapel in North German brick Gothic style (built 1891 - 92), a war memorial to the fallen of the First World War (1922) and a number of valuable gravestones.
There will be an expert guided tour of the cemetery at 3.00 p.m. with Ursula Kutscha, who will take you to some extraordinary gravesites. The work of extraordinary people will be remembered, such as the entrepreneurs Albert Voigt, F. E. Baum and Johann Samuel Gläser.