July
Thursday, 2nd / 9th / 16th / 23rd / 30th July, 3 pm
Event: Language Café
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: free
Link to the event
We are opening our doors to the Chemnitz Language Café – an open, relaxed social gathering where people of different languages and backgrounds can chat, practise German and network.
As hosts, we’re delighted to provide the venue for this wonderful initiative. The organisation and programme are managed by the Language Café team.
Do come along – open to anyone who fancies a chat and meeting new people!
Thursday, 2 July, 3 pm
Guided tour: Children’s preview of ‘Serving Gender’
For children aged 6 to 12 – no parents needed
Venue: Museum Gunzenhauser, meeting point: ticket office at Museum Gunzenhauser
Admission: free; please register by emailing info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de or by calling 0371 488 4424.
Link to the event
A special experience awaits you at the Museum Gunzenhauser!
Come along to the children’s preview and discover our new exhibition on the theme of food before anyone else! The exhibition ‘Serving Gender’ explores how food is linked to the expectations and behaviour of women. The exhibition features images and artworks that examine who cooks, looks after others and provides for them. Who does the cooking in your home?
Children can attend the Children’s Preview without an accompanying adult. To do so, please fill in the form on the KSC website as a parent or guardian.
Thursday 2 July, 6.15 pm
Reading: An Evening for Doris Kiesow. Stella Maria Adorf on her grandmother
Venue: Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz
Admission: 10 euros
Link to the event
Stella Maria Adorf, daughter of Mario Adorf, talks about her grandmother Doris Kiesow, who enjoyed great success on stage in Chemnitz in the mid-1920s. She was a close friend of the Jewish industrialist Karl Goeritz.
The event is a collaboration with the SMAC and the Buntmacher:innen and takes place as part of the exhibition “Threads. Interconnections”, which is on display at the SMAC until 26 July 2026.
The exhibition explores the networks of 25 Jewish families who once lived in Chemnitz. It interweaves their biographies and rediscovers lost stories. The Chemnitz textile industry, the city’s dominant economic sector in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was significantly shaped by Jewish entrepreneurs. With their spinning mills, textile factories and entrepreneurial acumen, they made a decisive contribution to Chemnitz’s development into a prosperous industrial and commercial city. Their innovative potential – in economic, social and cultural terms alike – was enormous. They acted as patrons, generously supported the establishment of cultural institutions, championed emerging artists, contributed to the modernisation of marketing and, in doing so, created lasting, trend-setting influences that extended far beyond the city.
Saturday, 3 July, 6 pm
Opening: Mahlzeit! Serving Gender
Venue: Museum Gunzenhauser
Admission: free
Link to the event
To mark the opening of the exhibition ‘Mahlzeit! Serving Gender’, we warmly invite you, your family and friends to the Museum Gunzenhauser.
Welcome address: Florence Thurmes, Director-General of the Chemnitz Art Collections, Anja Richter, Director of the Museum Gunzenhauser
Opening remarks: Dagmar Ruscheinsky, Councillor for Education, Social Affairs, Youth, Culture and Sport for the City of Chemnitz
Introduction to the exhibition: Pauline Tigges, Curator
Tuesday, 7th / 14th / 28th July, 2.00 pm
Family tour: From Tetra Pak to printing plate (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Museum Gunzenhauser
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 adults per child); a day ticket must be purchased for separate visits to the exhibitions
Please book at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 9 and over, max. 15 children per group
Link to the event
This summer holiday, we’re inviting families and anyone interested to join us for an entertaining guided tour of the exhibition ‘Mahlzeit! Serving Gender’. We’ll explore selected artworks and learn fascinating background stories. In the creative session that follows, we’ll be experimenting with printing! We’ll use milk or juice cartons to print our ideas in miniature. We’ll discover how the technique of etching works and take our own little works of art home with us.
Children can also take part in the holiday programme without an accompanying adult. To do so, please complete the consent form (KSC page).
Wednesday, 8th / 15th / 22nd / 29th July, 2 pm
Family tour: Where from and where to? The journey of a work of art (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 people per child); a day ticket must be purchased if visiting the exhibitions separately
Please register at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 6 and over, max. 15 children per group
Link to the event
This summer holiday, we’re inviting families and anyone interested to join us for an entertaining guided tour of the exhibition ‘An Unfinished Story’. We’ll explore selected artworks and discover fascinating background stories. In the creative session that follows, we’ll be designing our own picture frames! We’ll be upcycling chopsticks to create a unique clip-on frame to take home.
Children may also attend the holiday programme without an accompanying adult. To do so, please complete the consent form (KSC page).
Friday 10, 17, 24 and 31 July, 2.00 pm
Family tour: Watercolour and Nature – the early Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff House
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 people per child); a day ticket must be purchased if visiting the exhibitions separately
Please register at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 6 and over, max. 15 children per group
Website: Link to the event
How did Karl Schmidt-Rottluff paint in his youth? And what inspired him about nature? It was often the immediate surroundings of his home that he captured in his early works. In our holiday programme, children will discover the young artist’s landscape paintings on an exciting guided tour of the exhibition through his family’s former home. Afterwards, we’ll get creative ourselves: using water-filled brushes and watercolours, everyone will bring their own favourite landscape to life on paper. An imaginative holiday outing into the world of colours and nature!
Children can also take part in the holiday programme without an accompanying adult.
Thursday, 16 July, 6.30 pm
Reading: Stephan Hermlin and Stefan Heym – two great figures from Chemnitz, both from Jewish entrepreneurial families
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: Day ticket 10 euros, concessions 6.50 euros
Link to the event
Their life stories remain inextricably linked to the cultural identity of the city of Chemnitz. “Despite differences of opinion, what united the two of them always prevailed,” says Inge Heym, “their friendship lasted a lifetime.” The exhibition on the art collection of Lola and David Leder, Hermlin’s parents, provides the occasion for a literary journey of discovery.
With Dr Ulrike Uhlig, Honorary Chair of the International Stefan Heym Society.
Sunday, 19 July, 2 pm
Artist Talk: Guided tour with Heidi Specker and the photography class
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: Day ticket €10, concessions €6.50
Link to the event
During this guided tour of the exhibition, artist Heidi Specker and students from the Photography Class at the Academy of Graphic Arts and Book Design (HGB) will offer personal insights into their work and the inspiration they have gained from engaging with the oeuvre of Käthe Kollwitz. Through direct dialogue, you can gain exclusive insights into creative processes, background contexts and the development of contemporary art.
Friday, 24 July, 4 pm
Workshop: Online hate: How do I respond to cyberbullying and hate speech?
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: free, maximum 15 people
Booking free tickets : via the ticket shop (Registration is only permitted for those aged 18 and over.)
Link to the event
We warmly invite you to the workshop ‘Online Hate: How do I respond to cyberbullying and hate speech? ’ as part of the exhibition ‘Utopia. The Right to Hope ’. The event is being held in collaboration with ARBEIT UND LEBEN Sachsen e.V.
Hate on the internet is growing louder, whilst those affected often remain silent. Digital violence takes many forms: hate speech, cyberbullying and cybergrooming. People are insulted, marginalised and humiliated; fake news reinforces prejudices and defames entire groups. What does all this mean for our society? And what can be done about it? How can people protect themselves, and how can parents and educators best support children and young people as they grow up in the digital age? As part of this event, we want to discuss these issues together, share experiences and pass on practical tips. We also aim to develop guidelines for respectful online behaviour and discuss how to foster healthier communication in the digital world.
The exhibition *Utopia: The Right to Hope* brings together artistic perspectives that, in the face of global crises, outline concrete visions for a more just and sustainable way of living together. Alongside a critical examination of utopia itself and its promising yet also totalitarian implications, *Utopia* focuses on projects aimed at bringing about change on a small scale. The works and objects on display propose alternative ways of life that seem unattainable from today’s perspective. In this context, art in particular can make pioneering contributions to utopian models of the future, as it has critically accompanied social processes since the modern era with its range of aesthetic and thematic means. This critical stance has always made art a space for utopian thought.
Friday, 24 July and 28 August, 4.45 pm
Workshop: Yoga at the Museum
Venue: Museum Gunzenhauser
Admission: 12 euros per person
Yoga teacher: Mileen Rudelt
Link to the event
Round off your day in a special setting: Every fourth Friday at 4.45 pm, you can take part in yoga sessions in the exhibition rooms at the Gunzenhauser Museum under professional guidance. If possible, please bring your own yoga mat – a limited number of mats are available.
Friday, 31 July, 4 pm
Workshop: TikTok, Instagram Reels & YouTube Shorts: the new arenas of opinion-forming
Venue: Kunstsammlungen am Theaterplatz
Admission: free, maximum 15 people
Book free tickets: Ticket Shop (Registration is only permitted for those aged 18 and over.)
Link to the event
We warmly invite you to the workshop ‘TikTok, Instagram Reels & YouTube Shorts: the new arenas of opinion-forming’ as part of the exhibition ‘Utopia. The Right to Hope’. The event is being held in collaboration with ARBEIT UND LEBEN Sachsen e.V.
In recent years, social media platforms such as TikTok have gained enormous influence over the formation of political and social opinion. Young people in particular often consume political content casually in their entertainment feeds – without critical reflection. The algorithm amplifies content that evokes strong emotions, which can facilitate the spread of populism and misinformation. Yet TikTok also offers opportunities: young people use the platform for self-expression, political activism, identity formation and social participation. Creative formats such as challenges, memes and hashtags can convey political issues in innovative ways and spark discussions. We want to discuss the benefits and put the critical aspects into perspective. Above all, however, we want to provide an introduction to how TikTok and similar platforms work and what makes these new opinion-forming platforms so appealing.
The exhibition *Utopia. The Right to Hope* brings together artistic perspectives that, in the face of global crises, outline concrete visions for a fairer and more sustainable way of living together. Alongside a critical examination of utopia itself and its promising yet also totalitarian implications, *Utopia* focuses on projects aimed at bringing about change on a small scale. The works and objects on display propose alternative ways of life that seem unattainable from today’s perspective. In this context, art in particular can make pioneering contributions to utopian models of the future, for since the modern era it has critically accompanied social processes through its range of aesthetic and thematic means. This critical stance has always made art a space for utopian thought.
August
Tuesday, 4 / 11 August, 2 pm
Family tour: From Tetra Pak to printing plate (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Museum Gunzenhauser
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 people per child); a day ticket must be purchased for separate visits to the exhibitions
Please register at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 9 and over, max. 15 children per group
Link to the event
This summer holiday, we’re inviting families and anyone interested to join us for an entertaining tour of the exhibition ‘Mahlzeit! Serving Gender’. We’ll explore selected artworks and learn fascinating background stories. In the creative session that follows, we’ll be experimenting with printing! We’ll use milk or juice cartons to print our ideas in miniature. We’ll discover how the technique of etching works and take our own little works of art home with us.
Children can also take part in the holiday programme without an accompanying adult. To do so, please complete the consent form (KSC page).
Wednesday, 5 / 12 August, 2.00 pm
Family tour: Where from and where to? The journey of a work of art (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 people per child); a day ticket must be purchased if visiting the exhibitions separately
Please register at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 6 and over, max. 15 children per group
Link to the event
This summer holiday, we’re inviting families and anyone interested to join us for an entertaining guided tour of the exhibition ‘An Unfinished Story’. We’ll explore selected artworks and learn fascinating background stories. In the creative session that follows, we’ll be designing our own picture frames! We’ll be upcycling chopsticks to create a unique clip-on frame to take home.
Children may also attend the holiday programme without an accompanying adult. To do so, please complete the consent form (KSC page).
Thursday, 6th / 13th / 20th / 27th August, 3 pm
Event: Language Café
Venue: Art Collections at Theaterplatz
Admission: free
Link to the event
We are opening our doors to the Chemnitz Language Café – an open, relaxed social gathering where people of different languages and backgrounds can chat, practise German and network.
As hosts, we’re delighted to provide the venue for this wonderful initiative. The organisation and programme are managed by the Language Café team.
Do come along – open to anyone who fancies a chat and making new friends!
Friday, 7th / 14th August, 2 pm
Family tour: Watercolour and Nature – the early Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (summer holiday programme)
Venue: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Haus
Admission: €2 per person, accompanying adults free (max. 2 people per child); a day ticket must be purchased if visiting the exhibitions separately
Please register at least one week in advance by email to: info.kunstsammlungen(at)stadt-chemnitz.de
Recommended for ages 6 and over, max. 15 children per group
Website: Link to the event
How did Karl Schmidt-Rottluff paint in his youth? And what inspired him about nature? It was often the immediate surroundings of his home that he captured in his early works. In our holiday programme, children will discover the young artist’s landscape paintings on an exciting guided tour of the exhibition through his family’s former home. Afterwards, we’ll get creative ourselves: using water-filled brushes and watercolours, everyone will bring their own favourite landscape to life on paper. An imaginative holiday outing into the world of colours and nature!
Children can also take part in the holiday programme without an accompanying adult. To do so, please complete the consent form (page KSC).