Germany’s ‘unseen’ city Chemnitz becomes European Capital of Culture


By AGENCY

A worker walks in front of the Karl Marx monument, known as the ‘Nischel’, before the opening ceremony as European Capital of Culture in Chemnitz, Germany. – Reuters

When tourists head south from Berlin or north from Munich, they usually stop in Dresden or Leipzig.

But one eastern city, formerly known as Karl Marx City, is tired of being ignored. This year, Chemnitz is being put on the map as European Capital of Culture.

Chemnitz? Many Germans were shaking their heads in disbelief when the eastern German city was chosen to be one of Europe’s cultural capitals for 2025. Its image was that of an industrious, if drab, model of socialism. In the formerly communist East Germany, it was called Karl-Marx-Stadt. Enough said.

Yet the city’s promoters convinced the European Union’s award jury that its underdog status nothwithstanding, Chemnitz had changed and that the “Manchester of Saxony” was worth discovering.

Their catchy slogan for Chemnitz: “C the Unseen.”

The Stadthalle, a City Hall known for its architecture and history, is pictured in Chemnitz.The Stadthalle, a City Hall known for its architecture and history, is pictured in Chemnitz.

And so, this year, visitors will be invited to uncover and discover many architectural, cultural and historic treasures as Chemnitz joins Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy) as a Cultural Capital of Europe.

A good place to start is the Villa Esche, an Art Nouveau mansion in the south-western part of the city. There, art historian Anika Reineke welcomes visitors to the villa, one of Europe’s top architectural addresses and home to a leading 19th-century industrialist, Herbert Esche.

The last daylight penetrates through the glass ceiling into the large, blue-hued foyer. From here, a grand staircase leads to the gallery on the upper floor with the private rooms of the former manufacturer’s family.

The Esches were leading hosiery manufacturers in Germany and their goods were sold worldwide.

Known as Karl-Marx-Stadt under communism and later as a hotspot for far-right violence, Chemnitz is seeking to reinvent itself as the European Capital of Culture this year. – Photos: AFPKnown as Karl-Marx-Stadt under communism and later as a hotspot for far-right violence, Chemnitz is seeking to reinvent itself as the European Capital of Culture this year. – Photos: AFP

At the start of the 20th century, Esche and his wife Johanna had a new villa built – and commissioned none other than the Belgian designer Henry van de Velde.

“It was his first architectural commission in Germany,” reports Reineke. The Belgian – a major representative of Art Nouveau and pioneer of the Bauhaus movement – not only designed the villa. He also designed the interior: Furniture, lights and wall panelling through to the tableware.

The villa symbolises two things: Chemnitz as an important industrial city, but also its architectural and artistic treasures. The economic upswing, driven primarily by the textile industry and mechanical engineering, led to a new self-image for wealthy factory owners such as the Herbert Esche.

“They wanted to bring modernism to the city and could afford it,” says Reineke. In 1905, they lured another art star: Norwegian painter Edvard Munch.

A poster - with the slogan for Chemnitz: ‘C the Unseen’ - advertising Chemnitz’s year as European Capital of Culture.A poster - with the slogan for Chemnitz: ‘C the Unseen’ - advertising Chemnitz’s year as European Capital of Culture.

He immortalised in paintings the Esche family and the Chemnitz River valley. Extensive exhibitions on both Munch and van de Velde will take place during the Capital of Culture year.

While it takes about 15 minutes by tram to reach Villa Esche, many sights are within easy walking distance. Once you turn the corner from the central railway station, you can see the theatre square, where the opera house, the King Albert Museum – home to the art collections – and St Peter’s Church form an ensemble.

Just one street further towards the city centre, the most famous landmark awaits: the huge bust of the political philosopher Karl Marx gazing sternly into the distance. The 40-tonne bronze colossus by Russian sculptor Lev Kerbel has survived communist East Germany and is today a popular photo motif and meeting point.

From here, it is best to take a detour around the city centre. Just a few hundred metres further on, an “icon of modernism” will capture your eye: The Schocken department store designed by architect Erich Mendelsohn and opened in 1930.

Today, visitors can delve deeply into the past with an impressive presentation by the State Museum of Archaeology. It also sheds light on the history of mining, particularly in the nearby Ore Mountains.

Continuing along the city centre ring road, visitors will come across another imposing former department store building, the Tietz. Today it houses several cultural institutions, including, in the upper floors, the Neue Saechsische Galerie art museum.

The 40-tonne bronze colossus by Russian sculptor Lev Kerbel has survived communist East Germany and is today a popular photo motif and meeting point.The 40-tonne bronze colossus by Russian sculptor Lev Kerbel has survived communist East Germany and is today a popular photo motif and meeting point.

A further cultural highlight is the working library of the writer Stefan Heym (1913-2001), a Chemnitz native.

Heym was regarded as the most important voice of opposition literature in East Germany. Now, an exhibition explores the writer’s life and work.

Art lovers should follow the city centre ring road to the Gunzenhauser Museum. The former bank building houses the collection of the Munich gallery owner of the same name: More than 3,000 works by 270 artists – above all Otto Dix, Alexej von Jawlensky, Willi Baumeister and Gabriele Munter.

“Eighty-five per cent of the Chemnitz city centre was destroyed during the Second World War,” reports tour guide Veronika Leonhardt. This is why the face of the city centre changed so much after the war.

Today, Leonhardt only lingers briefly in the centre, preferring quickly to lead visitors to one of the most popular residential areas, crossing the river until reaching a hill: The Kassberg.

Leonhardt’s focus is on the historical buildings. Kassberg is considered one of the largest neighbourhoods in Europe featuring Wilhelminian-era and Art Nouveau architecture.

Among the neighbourhood’s gems, are the “majolica houses” built shortly before 1900, the name being of Moorish origin and referring to tin-glazed ceramic tiles adorning the facades and forming ornaments and figurative representations.

The Capital of Culture year will kick off this weekend – shortly after the other cultural capitals, Nova Gorica and Gorizia, launch their programmes. Chemnitz, about three hours south of Berlin or four hours north of Munich, is expecting around two million visitors. The programme book is over 400 pages long. – dpa

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