Chemnitz plans major events and creative projects as Capital of Culture 2025

A major exhibition on Edvard Munch, a course with sculptures by national and international artists, a marathon combining sport and culture: As European Capital of Culture, Chemnitz aims to attract around two million guests from Germany and abroad next year. The final program will be presented to the public this Friday (11.30 a.m.). It is already clear that not all of the projects outlined in the bid book will be realized. For example, the original plan was to plant a European Parade of Apple Trees with up to 4,000 trees across the city. Following problems and criticism, the flagship project was canceled last year.

In the race for the Capital of Culture title, Chemnitz beat the four other finalists Nuremberg, Magdeburg, Hildesheim and Hanover in October 2020. The fourth-largest city in eastern Germany after Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden wants to present itself as a city of makers. The motto "C the Unseen" not only alludes to the city's own underdog role compared to other cities. In a variety of ways, 2025 aims to make the hidden visible and at the same time address the "silent center" of the city's population, which has increasingly retreated into the private sphere in recent decades. In addition to Chemnitz, Nova Gorica in Slovenia will also be the European Capital of Culture in 2025.