The opening of the European Capital of Culture in Chemnitz
80,000 celebrate the opening of Chemnitz 2025
Chemnitz experienced an overwhelming start to the European Capital of Culture 2025 today. An estimated 80,000 people from Germany and abroad have been celebrating a big opening party in the city centre since the morning. Bright weather ensured a great mood and a good atmosphere on all the streets and squares. In his welcoming address at the show on Brückenstraße, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier declared Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025 open.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "With the opening of our Capital of Culture year, the images we wanted have gone out into the world: a colourful, cheerful city full of people discovering and experiencing new things. We have already made many things visible that were previously hidden, and I am sure that this opening will make many people curious to experience Chemnitz for themselves and be surprised. Today we are turning a new page in our city's history book and are looking forward to a year full of shared experiences and lasting inspiration."
Celebrations throughout the city centre
High-ranking guests sign the city's Golden Book
On the occasion of the ceremonial opening of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, high-ranking guests were honoured with an entry in the Golden Book of the City of Chemnitz on Saturday, 18 January, following the ceremony in the Opera House.
In the presence of Lord Mayor Sven Schulze, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and the EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, signed the City of Chemnitz's Golden Book in the Opera Café on the second floor of the Chemnitz Opera House.
Ceremony in the opera house
On 18 January, the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 was officially opened with a ceremony at the Chemnitz Opera House. Lord Mayor Sven Schulze welcomed Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, the EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, and the Minister of State for Culture and Media, Claudia Roth.
The 700 or so invited guests from politics, business, culture and society also included representatives of the ECoC Family, the twelve Chemnitz partner cities and international networks as well as mayors of the cultural region and honorary citizens of the city of Chemnitz. The ECoC Family is the network of all European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) and includes past, present and future holders of this title.
EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef awarded the €1.5 million Melina Mercouri Prize - named after the former Greek Minister of Culture and initiator of the European Capital of Culture programme - to the management of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH, Andrea Pier and Stefan Schmidtke, for the successful third monitoring.
Reception hosted by Lord Mayor Sven Schulze at the town hall
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze welcomed around 150 guests from Germany and abroad to City Hall as part of the opening of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025. The participants from politics and society included ministers from Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia, the mayors of the cultural region, representatives from seven partner cities, from several embassies and from other future and past European Capitals of Culture (ECoC family).
Among others, Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport, Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture and Media, Carsten Schneider, Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, and Barbara Klepsch, Saxon Minister of State for Science, Culture and Tourism, took the opportunity to congratulate the city of Chemnitz on its title as European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025.
It was a special meeting for the representatives of the Ministries of Culture of Germany (Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth), Slovenia (Minister of Culture Dr Asta Vrečko), the Czech Republic (Deputy Minister of Culture David Kašpar) and Poland (Deputy Minister of Culture Marta Cienkowska), who jointly signed the City of Chemnitz's European Capital of Culture book.
