Review of 2024: April to June
Historic triumph for the Chemnitz basketball team
The writer Jenny Erpenbeck was awarded the International Stefan Heym Prize of the City of Chemnitz 2023 on 1 April. It was presented by Lord Mayor Sven Schulze.
Green light for cultural work
The Culture Committee decided to allocate around 4.6 million euros for independent cultural work in Chemnitz in 2024.
Of the 110 applications submitted, 97, including 59 project applications, could be funded. The grants are vital for many organisations in view of inflation and rising energy costs. Among others, museums, theatres, festivals, youth and socio-cultural projects as well as important cultural events such as the Saxon Mozart Festival and the Saxon Symphony Orchestra ensembles were supported. An Artist in Residence Fund offers grants of up to 3,000 euros for guest residencies by artists. Investment funding was available for renovations, for example in the city library and the opera house.
Modern training facilities for young athletes
The modernised athletics C facility at the Chemnitz Sportforum was officially opened on 30 May. After a year of construction, the facility now offers state-of-the-art training facilities for athletes.
Bridges to Eastern Europe - 20th anniversary of the EU's eastward enlargement
On 10 May, Chemnitz celebrated the 20th anniversary of the EU's eastward enlargement with several events. The main event was a panel discussion with the former EU Enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen, the former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Vladimír Špidla, and the Polish MEP Róża Thun. They talked about the accession negotiations and the development of the EU. The importance of Chemnitz as the Capital of Culture for neighbouring Poland and the Czech Republic was also discussed.
Czech Republic could have. In addition, the mayor of the twin city Ústí nad Labem christened a tram with the name of his city. The event emphasised the historic expansion of the EU from 15 to 25 members in 2004.
International dance art in a class of its own
The 10th International Festival Tanz | Moderne | Tanz brought renowned dance companies from all over the world to Chemnitz. With guest performances, workshops and performances, it conquers stages and public spaces and invites you to experience dance in a new way.
Opening of the security point
In mid-June, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze and Police Commissioner Carsten Kaempf opened the new security point at the central bus stop in the former McDonald's. The security point serves as a contact point for all security-related issues and is operated jointly by the city's public order service and the police.
They are available from Monday to Friday from 3 pm to 10 pm and also on Saturdays during the event season. The aim is to be able to intervene quickly in safety-relevant situations in the city centre. During major events in the city centre, the staff will also be on site at the security point for longer if necessary.
20 installations for the art exhibition
On International Children's Day, 1 June, Mayor Michael Stötzer inaugurated the newly designed playground on the Schloßteichinsel. The playground is very popular and had to be completely renewed due to wear and tear.