2025 in the Industrial Museum: GDR design classics and John Cage

In the Capital of Culture year 2025, the Chemnitz Industrial Museum tells the stories of European industrial cities and is also dedicated to product and design classics from the GDR. From the end of January, however, the exhibition series will kick off with an unusual show based on the concept of the American artist John Cage. Exhibits from around 50 museums in the region will be randomly selected and presented for the "Museum Circle". Museum director Jürgen Kabus is therefore not yet able to say exactly what will be on display. The concept is intended to remove the hierarchy between exhibits and the authority of museums to interpret the objects.

"Green vault" of Saxon industrial history

In a further exhibition, the museum, which sees itself as the "green vault" of Saxon industrial history, sheds light on the history of the fit brand of washing-up liquid. It began in Chemnitz in 1954 and the brand name became synonymous with washing-up liquid in East Germany. The shape of the bottle was once modeled on the Red Tower in Chemnitz, which dates back to the 12th century and was part of the medieval city wall. Another show is dedicated to a kitchen chair that was widely used in the GDR: the EW 1192 model. The exhibition aims to shed light on the chair as an "unseen design classic" and provide information about its design and models.

Under the title "Tales of Transformation", the museum will also be dedicating an exhibition from the end of April to the European cities of Tampere (Finland), Mulhouse (France), Manchester (England), Gabrovo (Bulgaria) and Łódź (Poland), which, like Chemnitz, once experienced a rapid rise through industrialization. The focus will be on their development, disruptions and their situation today. Based on the exhibition, tours will be offered to prominent sites of industrial development in Chemnitz. Visitors will also be able to contribute to the question of what Chemnitz should look like in the future, explained Kabus.

Almost 62,000 visitors

According to him, last year was the most successful for the museum since 2009. The exhibitions and events attracted a total of almost 61,900 visitors. Industrial culture has shaped Saxony's identity, emphasized Dagmar Ruscheinsky, Mayor of Chemnitz. The museum is the flagship of the Zweckverband Sächsisches Industriemuseum, which also includes the Tuchfabrik Gebr. Pfau in Crimmitschau, the Zinngrube Ehrenfriedersdorf visitor mine and the Knappenrode energy factory.