Speech at the Mayor's New Year's reception on 13 January 2026

Dear people of Chemnitz,

dear guests,

I wish you all a healthy, peaceful and confident New Year.

These first days of the year give us time to pause for a moment. To look back at what lies behind us - and forward to what we want to create. We take a lot from the past year for Chemnitz and at the same time face important decisions for the future of our city.

2025 was more than just a calendar year. It was one big, shared moment. One that showed how much courage, creativity and cohesion there is in this city and in the region - if only we dare to make it visible.

The Capital of Culture was more than just a title - it was a shared experience, an awakening that could be felt everywhere: in our squares, in the neighbourhoods, on the stages, but above all in the minds and hearts of the people.

Chemnitz has blossomed. The Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Museum was opened, the GaragenCampus developed into a new place of creativity and encounters, and the Purple Path connected the city and region through contemporary art. Many other examples could be mentioned here.

Theatre, music, district festivals, sports and cultural events have shown a side of Chemnitz that many would not have expected - open, lively, self-confident. Anyone who has been here this year has realised that this Chemnitz has little to do with the image that has long been characterised by prejudices and hearsay. It is a city that you have to experience in order to understand it. And it is precisely this experience that has made 2025 possible.

People came from all over Europe - and they not only attended events, but also got to know an attitude. Because the Capital of Culture was never intended to be a short firework display. It was an impulse for sustainable change.

The commitment of the people of Chemnitz themselves was particularly impressive. 1,300 volunteers made this year possible in the first place - many of them with the desire to remain part of the whole in the future. This togetherness, this self-image, this "We shape our city ourselves and don't wait for someone to tell us what to do" - that is perhaps the most valuable legacy of 2025.

And that is precisely why the question now is not just: What was?

But above all: What do we make of it?


2026 will be a bridge year. A year that safeguards what has been achieved and looks to the future. Many successful formats will be continued, well-known locations will remain alive. There will also be international highlights such as the Theatre of the World Festival. At the same time, we are working together with the cultural region and the Free State of Bavaria on a legacy plan for the years 2027 to 2031 - as a guideline for how we can sustainably develop culture, urban development and social cohesion.

This is about structures. About spaces. And the question of how we can enable creativity, self-confidence and self-efficacy in the long term - as part of our city identity.

Now is the time to get involved - and not wait and see. Now is the time to decide whether we seize the momentum or let it pass.

The Capital of Culture year has shown what is possible when urban society and business take responsibility together. Many companies were part of this movement from the very beginning. They have invested - in trust and with ideas. They have shown that culture and economic strength are not opposites, but are mutually inspiring.

This commitment has had an impact: on the image of our city, on its attractiveness as a location and on the retention of skilled labour. I would like to expressly thank you, dear entrepreneurs, for this.

Stay part of this development. Continue to get involved. Let's go down these new paths together.

A possible next step could be a legacy foundation - as a common foundation for the city, business and society. A foundation that enables projects, develops ideas and ensures that what began in 2025 also has an impact.

Because one thing is clear: we have ideas. We have projects.

What we need are people and partners to make them possible.


[Salutation],

We need to talk about it openly: The financial situation of local authorities, including in Chemnitz, is very tight. Large, completely new construction projects from our own resources will therefore be the exception in the coming years. The financial room for manoeuvre is limited. It is therefore all the more important that we set our priorities clearly.

Maintaining value, repairing and intelligently developing existing buildings are now the top priorities - especially for schools, daycare centres and public facilities.

Does a tight budget mean that urban development no longer plays a role? No. Rather, it presents us with the balancing act of maximising the benefits for our city with our own limited resources.

A good example of this is the further expansion of the Chemnitz model. We are really getting to grips with this. With the next expansion stage that has now been approved, we are closing the tram ring around the city centre and extending the line to Limbach-Oberfrohna in the future. This will not only take Chemnitz's mobility services to a new level: streets, paths and public spaces along the routes will be fundamentally renewed - with positive effects for entire neighbourhoods.

The same applies to the further expansion of the premium cycle path between Riedstraße and Grüna.

Our approach is clear:

We are not building bigger, but smarter.

The federal government's infrastructure funds, which will flow to the municipalities in the coming years, are an important instrument in this regard. For Chemnitz, this means that our city will receive around 8.8 million euros annually over a period of twelve years. A further five million euros or so will be available through funding programmes for roads, bridges and school construction.

That sounds like a lot of money at first - and it is important support. At the same time, we must not delude ourselves: In view of the backlog of renovation work on roads, bridges, schools and public facilities, this money is not a luxury, but urgently needed.

And to be honest: too little to meet all the needs.

This is precisely why these funds must be used wisely, strategically and sustainably. The city council will decide in the first half of the year what the money will be used for in the first four years. These decisions will be formative. It is about projects that strengthen structures and create the greatest possible added value for our urban society.

And this brings us to a topic that will occupy us intensively this year: the budget discussions for 2027 and 2028. These discussions begin with the question of what we can afford as a city and what we want to afford.

One thing is particularly important to me: honesty. We need to talk openly about what room for manoeuvre we have - and what we don't have. No false promises. No postponing necessary decisions. This also includes decisions that will hurt. But that is also responsible local politics.

However, the way in which we conduct these debates is just as important to me. Different positions are legitimate. Controversy is part of democracy. But it must remain respectful - in the city council, in the administration and in public. Because at the end of the day, we all share responsibility for this city. It thrives on fair and objective dealings with one another.


[Salutation],

Another key issue is the economic development of our city and the region. Many companies are feeling the headwind - due to global uncertainties, structural change, a shortage of skilled labour, a slumping economy, high costs and bureaucracy. As a municipality, our direct room for manoeuvre is limited. But we can set frameworks and strengthen networks. This is exactly what the masterplan for Chemnitz and the south-west Saxony region is about, for example: it is not a project for individuals, but a joint endeavour between local authorities, business, science and society. The aim is a long-term, sustainable direction for our economic region. An aid, an impulse. Not a panacea! The planned 100 million currently available for the masterplan is not enough.

Despite all the tasks and debates, there are still many things I am personally looking forward to this year:

• The former Kauhof building will come back to life at the end of the year.
• I am looking forward to the first modern battery-powered multiple-unit trains on the RE-6 line.
• I am looking forward to the opening of the new practice world of our polyclinic in the city centre, which will take medical care to a new level.
• And I am looking forward to a cultural highlight: "Theatre of the World" from 18 June to 5 July 2026. In keeping with the tradition of the Capital of Culture year, Chemnitz will once again be internationally visible - as the host of Germany's largest international theatre festival, with artists from all over the world and productions that will turn our city into a stage for the world for three weeks.

[Salutation],

I hope we will carry the title of European Capital of Culture in our hearts for a long time to come. And even today in our logo, which characterises the public image of our city. A change was needed here.

That's why the City of Chemnitz is using its word and image brand in a revised form from today - not as a new start, but as a cautious further development. The previous claim "European Capital of Culture 2025" has been dropped. In future, we will deliberately appear without a slogan: self-confident, clear and reduced. Chemnitz stands for itself.

The design, design language and recognisability will be retained. The adjustments are limited to what is necessary to make the brand timeless, long-term and internationally usable.

We are also acting responsibly in terms of costs. And before you ask: the redesign cost 7,000 euros and will be introduced gradually. Existing materials will be adapted as part of regular updates.


[Salutation],

This year, we once again want to focus on the people without whom many things would not be possible. This year, the City of Chemnitz is once again awarding the "Ehrentaler" - as a sign of our gratitude and recognition. It goes to people who work with energy and passion for our city and the people of Chemnitz and who therefore achieve far more than can be expected.

This year's award winners are representative of many others who take on responsibility every day - in voluntary work, in initiatives, in associations or quietly in the background. They are the ones who hold Chemnitz together. They give our city a face, attitude and warmth. They are the foundation of a strong urban society.

Two people who also deserve to receive the Chemnitz Honour Award are the two managing directors of Kulturhauptstadt GmbH, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke. They have decisively shaped Chemnitz 2025. Thanks to them - and together with them - our city has experienced a year that has had an impact far beyond individual events. With courage, perseverance and great passion, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke have written a new page in the history of Chemnitz.

This success did not come about by itself. It is the result of many conversations, hard work and a deep belief in this city. Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke have brought people together, opened up spaces and created trust - and always had their fantastic team behind them, who have travelled this path with them.

The Capital of Culture year 2025 will remain inextricably linked to their names. And it will be remembered as a year that changed Chemnitz. We say thank you for that today. From the bottom of our hearts.

As a visible sign of our gratitude and recognition, I would like to ask you both to take the stage and sign the city's Golden Book.


Farewell:

Thank you very much for accepting my invitation today. Let us conclude this evening together: with good conversations and even better encounters.

(The spoken word prevails)