Programme for the Chemnitz Peace Day presented

Mayor Barbara Ludwig: "On Chemnitz Peace Day, the citizens of our city are invited to take a stand in favour of peaceful coexistence in our city."

In the call for the Chemnitz Peace Day, which is being organised by the Mayor and a broad

The appeal for Chemnitz Peace Day, which was signed by the Lord Mayor and a broad alliance of various city council groups, representatives from business, trade unions, culture, sport, science, churches, the Jewish community, initiatives, associations and civil society players, is about what makes this special day so special: "Chemnitz Peace Day is a day of remembrance and a day of warning: perhaps only those who have experienced war can appreciate how valuable 70 years of living in peace are. For everyone else, seven decades of peace mean above all seven decades of responsibility: it is our duty to pass on knowledge of the horrors of war to future generations. To educate again and again about the causes. And to be vigilant when xenophobia, hatred and racist ideologies become audible and visible in our midst. It is the task of civil society to defend democracy and its values against those who take their historically distorted world view to the streets on 5 March and every other day."

To the programme (excerpt)

In the week before Peace Day, an exhibition will open with pictures from the photo project "No war in my name" (press release from 23 February 2015). The photographer Karla Mohr, who initiated the project, will also be at Neumarkt on 5 March at 2 pm. Women will have the opportunity to be photographed with a peace confession for the photo project.

Peace banners designed by Chemnitz schoolchildren will draw attention to Peace Day at Chemnitz Town Hall and various other locations from 27 February.

A meeting of the Trümmerfrauen will take place on 28 February at 3 pm in the Chemnitzer Hof (you will receive a separate press release)

The Peace Prize will be awarded on the eve of the Peace Day, on 4 March at 5 pm in the town hall. (You will receive a separate press release)

The 5 March begins with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial to the bomb victims in the municipal cemetery at 9 am. Mayor Barbara Ludwig will join Chemnitz residents in commemorating the destruction of the city and the victims of the bombings as a consequence of the Second World War, which started in Germany. The meeting point is at the entrance to the cemetery on the corner of Augsburger Straße and Grünband.

From 11 a.m., various activities will invite people to join in, reflect and take a look at the Neumarkt. The peace cross on Neumarkt will reopen and show videos of cities destroyed during the Second World War. Peace wishes are collected. Exhibition panels provide information about neo-fascism in Germany.

From 2 p.m., young people from Chemnitz and Ùstì nad Labem will show what thoughts they associate with the topic of war and peace. "Imagine it's war" is a Czech-German youth theatre project initiated and accompanied by theatre educator Gabi Reinhardt.

The Chemnitz music school is organising music lessons with a difference. It will be rehearsing in open music lessons on 5 March. This means that from 3 p.m., pupils will be playing their instruments in various shops in the city centre.

The peace walks start again at 5 pm from the five Chemnitz churches Propsteikirche St. Johannes Nepomuk, Kreuzkirche, Friedenskirche, St. Petrikirche and St. Markuskirche. The participants will arrive at Neumarkt between 5.30 and 6 pm.

From 6 pm, the Martin Luther King quote "I have a dream" will be brought to life. Young people will shed light on the refugee issue in a theatre performance. The previous winners of the Peace Prize and Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig will share their thoughts on 5 March. The programme will be musically framed by the Syrian musician Mai Alkurdi (flute) and Youssef Bash (guitar).

The 7th symphony concert of the Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra in the Chemnitz City Hall will commemorate the destruction of Chemnitz on 5 March 1945 with the work "A foreign field" by Torsten Rasch. The commissioned work will have its German premiere on 4 March and 5 March at 7 pm. In addition to the Robert Schumann Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of General Music Director Frank Beermann and the Chemnitz Opera Choir, choirs from the city of Chemnitz and the English city of Worcester will also take part. The work was premiered there on 31 July 2014 to commemorate the beginning of the First World War.

A peace service will take place at 8 pm in St James' Church. The day ends with the ringing of the bells at 9 pm. Visitors to the service and the performance in the town hall are once again invited to Neumarkt to place candles.

The entire appeal and further information on the programme can be found at www.chemnitz.de/friedenstag and www.chemnitzer-friedenstag.org.