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Presscouncil City of Chemnitz
Pressrelease: 134

Steering group established to manage the Capital of Culture bid

Chemnitz wants to become "European Capital of Culture" in 2025. On 1 March 2017, the steering group for managing the bid was constituted. As Chairwoman of the Steering Group, Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig welcomed the committee to this premiere:

"The Capital of Culture bid is the largest project in the city's recent history. The Steering Group is responsible for the content and strategy of this bid for Chemnitz. For Chemnitz, the bid is an outstanding opportunity to be seen for what we are: a city of change, in which people have repeatedly been able to turn difficult phases for the better through their own efforts, inventing and creating new things."

The city council decided to establish the steering group at its meeting on 8 February 2017. The steering group is responsible for the strategic direction of the bid. Its task is to recognise opportunities and risks in the bid process, prevent undesirable developments and exploit the potential of the city of Chemnitz in terms of sustainable urban development when preparing the bid. The aim of the steering group's work is to submit a resolution to the Chemnitz City Council in spring 2019 to confirm the bid strategy and bid document.

The steering group is committed to ensuring that the ideas and needs of the people of Chemnitz are taken into account in the bidding process. To this end, the steering group already made a decision at its first meeting and launched the call for applications for five cultural ambassadors for the programme council. The cultural ambassadors are Chemnitz residents of all generations whose commitment will enable the city's citizens to contribute to the Capital of Culture programme and influence the application process.

During the bid preparations, the steering group will promote the European dimension of the bid and, together with the future programme council and stakeholders from all areas of society in the city, develop solutions that can serve as examples for other European cities.

The voting members of the Steering Group appointed by the City Council are

  • Mayor Barbara Ludwig, Chairwoman of the Steering Group,
  • Ferenc Csák, Head of Cultural Operations of the City of Chemnitz and the Capital of Culture project,
  • Dietmar Berger, Almut Patt, Dr Alexander Haentjens and Ulf Kallscheidt as representatives of the City Council,
  • Katja Uhlemann, Head of the Mayor's Office,
  • Börries Butenop, Head of the City Planning Office,
  • Sören Uhle, Managing Director of Chemnitzer Wirtschafts- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH,
  • Dr Christoph Dittrich, General Director of Städtische Theater Chemnitz gGmbH,
  • Egmont Elschner, Chairman of the Cultural Advisory Board of the City of Chemnitz,
  • Prof Dr Gerd Strohmeier, Rector of Chemnitz University of Technology,
  • Gunnar Bertram, President of the Regional Assemblies of the Chemnitz Chamber of Industry and Commerce,
  • Dr Micaela Schönherr , President of NINERS Chemnitz e. V. as an honorary representative of sport and
  • Lisa Lotze from the "ArschKreativ" festival as a representative of the younger generation.