Jury sees Chemnitz well prepared for the Capital of Culture year

Experts from the EU Commission believe Chemnitz is well prepared for the Capital of Culture year 2025 and have awarded the city the Melina Mercouri Prize, endowed with 1.5 million euros. In the third monitoring report, they praised the progress and commitment of the team. With broad participation, strong partnerships and comprehensive planning, the team is well positioned for a successful title year 2025 that reflects the city's unique culture and its links with Europe, the report states.

The jury's assessment is a great recognition for all Chemnitz residents who contribute to the Capital of Culture process with their commitment and passion, explained Lord Mayor Sven Schulze (SPD). The recommendations would help to make the Capital of Culture year a success and to further develop Chemnitz after 2025 and network it at a European level. "We are looking forward to a brilliant start on January 18," said Andrea Pier, Managing Director of Kulturhauptstadt GmbH.

"Brilliant start on January 18"

Chemnitz will share the title of European Capital of Culture with Nova Gorica in Slovenia. The opening is planned for January 18. The program book presented in October is more than 400 pages long and contains around 150 projects and 1,000 events. It is entitled "C the Unseen". The aim is to make the hidden visible in a variety of ways and activate the "silent center" of the city's population.

A European Workshop for Culture and Democracy, a large art and sculpture trail connecting the city with the surrounding area, as well as numerous festivals and exhibitions - for example on the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and the rise, fall and reinvention of European industrial cities - are planned. Around two million visitors are expected.