European Mobility Week

The local group is hosting an EMW night on 23 September:

"We Germans are comfortable: even for journeys of less than five kilometres, 40 percent of us usually use a car. Distances between five and ten kilometres are covered by 69 percent by car. Instead of moving ourselves, we prefer to make ourselves comfortable. This has consequences for our own health as well as for the built and natural environment that surrounds us. We are clogging up our living environment.
Where people want to meet, children could play and trees should provide us with good air - we create space for cars. Kaßberg is a prime example of this.

The local chapter of the VCD (Verkehrsclub Deutschland http://www.vcd.org) would like to draw attention to this and is organising a parking day at the end of the European Mobility Week. We want to show that there is another way: on 12 square metres - the average size of a car park (and a German children's room, by the way) there will be culture, encounters and music on Monday between 4 and 7 pm, we will make music together, in the course of the afternoon a group of drummers will come after the sound of strings, meet people and want to talk to each other. Doing without a car is not only good for our physical health, but also for our social interaction, because outside I meet people; in the car I am lonely.

The event will be fun and relaxed on 23 September from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Horst-Menzel-Straße/Weststraße junction (near Edeka)."

Under the motto "Shared Public Space" of this year's European Mobility Week, we would like to encourage you to send us your photo of shared public space during Mobility Week. Whether at the station concert, the cycle tour, the panel discussion or the literature festival. Show us your snapshots from an EMW event and share your personal EMW experience with us.

Edgar and Edda are looking forward to your contributions and are giving away a cuddly baby Edgar to play with, cuddle and make friends with, as well as lots of colourful collector's bags that the Buntermacher:innen have conjured up from our EMW banners, T-shirts and bags with EMW motifs. It's worth taking part!

With the photos submitted, we want to participate as a city in the nationwide photo competition organised by the Federal Environment Agency. We can submit a photo in each of the following three categories:

1. Annual theme

(The photo illustrates how key requirements of the annual theme 2024 are being implemented)

2. Permanent measure

(The photo shows the planning, opening, promotion and implementation of a permanent measure to promote sustainable mobility)

3. "We for sustainable mobility"

(The photo shows specific actors who are committed to their needs and demands regarding sustainable mobility within the framework of the EMW (e.g. children, senior citizens, people with disabilities, young people, commuters, bicycle couriers)

The conditions of participation can be found on the participation form, which must be sent in together with the photo.

The European Mobility Week 2024 offers a colourful range of events and activities from 16 to 22 September. Chemnitz has been taking part in the campaign founded by the European Commission since 2003. The permanent motto "Mix and Move! - climate-friendly mobility" is supplemented by annually changing focal points. This year, for example, "Shared Public Space - Using Street Spaces Together" will give municipalities and companies from all over Europe the opportunity to immerse citizens in the various aspects of sustainable mobility.

The EMW kicked off on 16 September in the Moritzhof. Those who were sustainably mobile received a breakfast bag for refreshments and a survey on mobility was conducted among city administration employees. The city of Chemnitz is inviting people to a discussion on 17 and 19 September in the Weltecho and Open Space. In various discussion formats, experts and citizens can enter into a joint dialogue and exchange questions and comments. A choir and brass concert by Chemnitz Municipal Music School will take place in the station concourse at Chemnitz Central Station on 21 September. There will also be plenty of opportunities for exercise enthusiasts to take part in a 130 km 4-river bike tour organised by the ADFC.

Within the World Café format, interested parties can discuss the topic of mobility in Chemnitz. The event starts at 17:15 in the Open Space behind the Karl Marx Monument.

What did mobility in Chemnitz look like in the past? How should the mobility of the future be organised? What impact will it have on our city and its inhabitants?

We want to explore these and other questions with you.

At the beginning of the event, a poetry slammer will introduce the topic in Chemnitz. Participants will then be able to go through three themed tables on the topics of the environment, the history of mobility in Chemnitz and traffic psychology. At the end of the World Café, there will be room for discussion over free drinks and snacks. Admission is also free of charge.

The "Lauf-KulTour e.V." association was founded in 2007 and since then there have been countless running, cycling and even duathlon events, all of which have had one thing in common: To cover an almost unthinkable distance as a team, using your own muscle power! Initially around Germany, later through the centre of Germany and back to Chemnitz. Since 2022, for the first time across the border to our neighbouring country, the Czech Republic.

We Lauf-KulTourists are on the road to raise awareness and collect donations for those who can no longer do it themselves. People affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that mainly confines boys to a wheelchair at a young age and is still classed as incurable. This disease does not only exist in Germany, does not stop at the borders and gives our event the additional motivation to become active beyond European borders.

On foot and by bike, this year's 21-strong team is setting itself the goal of covering more than 1,100 km from 30 August to 8 September 2024. We are crossing borders on our route. Our own sporting ones, those of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic and those of our imagination, "... that this is actually madness".

With our campaign, the cooperation with international associations and the call to participate at selected stage locations, we want to achieve that everyone moves closer together, forgets their own comfort zone and their own borders in order to make a difference together!

This European idea is also represented by the European Mobility Week campaign, which has been actively supporting our project since last year. Together with Ediček (a self-crocheted counterpart to the Europe-wide mascots of the campaign week Edda and Edgar), we already went on tour in 2023, which came to an abrupt end in the arms of a beaming girl from the children's and youth centre in Ústí nad Labem.

Edda and Edgar will accompany us again this year, supporting us as official ambassadors for the European Mobility Week.

As the last day of the EMW and CITY CYCLING in Chemnitz, 22 September 2024 will be the last day to cycle. The rally through Chemnitz offers three different routes for everyone, all of which will arrive at the market at 3 pm.
The tours of different lengths start at three different locations at different times.

• North tour: Start in Nordpark, around 13:00
• West tour: Start in Frei-Otto-Park, around 12.30 pm
• South tour: Start at Klaffenbach moated castle, around 1.00 pm

All tours are suitable for children with cycling experience. The north tour is recommended for children and families. Depending on the number of participants, the tour is organised in a closed group. Wearing a helmet is recommended. The rally is organised by VCD Chemnitz, smac, the Museum of Saxon Vehicles Chemnitz, LaufKul-Tour e. V. in cooperation with the coordinators of STADTRADELN and EMW.

Do we need e-fuels in the energy transition? How efficient are they and are they even affordable? Dr René Stahlschmidt asked himself questions like these on the evening of 22 September.

Dr Stahlschmidt is Head of Sales at CAC ENGINEERING GMBH, the Chemnitz-based engineering service provider and technology provider for the production of synthetic fuels. "Among other things, this technology can be used to produce climate-neutral petrol from water, CO2 and electricity. Numerous practical and fleet tests by renowned vehicle manufacturers as well as use in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring have proven that e-fuels can completely or partially replace their fossil counterparts.

In addition to the main goal of reducing CO2 emissions, e-fuels are compatible for the existing passenger car fleet (1.2 billion worldwide). They can be made available nationwide via the existing petrol station network and can be stored and transported. CAC ENGINEERING GMBH realised this vision 15 years ago and built Europe's largest plant of this type in Freiberg. The technology is ready for the market and can be implemented on an industrial scale," says Dr Stahlschmidt.

The presentation focussed on the current obstacles and the next milestones.

fahrzeugmuseum-chemnitz.de/veranstaltung/vortrag-auch-morgen-mobil-synthetische-kraftstoffe/

Dialogue with the people of Chemnitz was essential for a successful Mobility Week.

In keeping with this, an exchange format on the topic of "Sustainable mobility" took place on 20 September. In the style of the Oxford Debate, eight participants discussed the selected sub-topics on the topic: traffic turnaround, 30 km/h in cities (with a focus on Chemnitz), the goal of zero road deaths, the reduction of emissions in road traffic and equal rights for all types of road users. The aim of this event is to sensitise all those present in Chemnitz to the issues of sustainable mobility and road safety.

The venue was theOpen Space (behind the Karl-Marx-Kopf).

As part of Mobi Week, there is a lot going on not only in Chemnitz, but also in the surrounding area: In Werdau, there was a cultural tour of the town by bike on 17 September. - The "City in the Green under Steam and Mobility" in the Chemnit Zwickau tourist destination.

The tour started at Werdau railway station, one of the first stations in railway history and one of the first lines between Werdau and Leipzig. Bay. Bay. station at the arch triangle to the Werdau-Dresden and Werdau-Hof line was opened on 5 September 1845. The station was partially renovated by 2023, giving it a new splendour as the starting point of the cultural tour. As part of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025, the railway station was selected for the preservation and use of the Sächsischer KulturBahnhof 1845 Werdau for support from the Club2025 business development organisation. This meant that it could be saved from demolition and partially renovated.

The tour took culture-loving cyclists through Werdau, where they learnt about the 700-year-old town and region. The folk festival in the old town served as a short stop before the tour ended at the town's largest reservoir at the Koberbach dam. Boat hire, a drive-in cinema and mini golf course awaited the participants there, as well as a campsite and restaurants for refreshments after the tour.

The cultural tour was organised by the Werdau City Preservation and Development Association, which used the tour to raise voluntary donations for the non-profit organisation.

The European Mobility Week kicked off on 16 September with a city walk along Zwickauer Straße under the motto "Saving energy". The tour guide Veronika Leonhardt, accompanied by Michael Stötzer, Mayor for Urban Development and Construction, led the participants from Falkeplatz via the vehicle museum to the tram museum.

Mrs Leonhardt on the tour:

The writer and time traveller Johann Gottfried Seume, who gave his name to a Chemnitz street in the Schloßchemnitz district, wrote 200 years ago: "He who walks sees more than he who drives ... and I am of the opinion that everything would go better if one walked more".

Based on this, the opening walk deliberately picks up on the oldest form of human locomotion - walking.

As part of nature, humans should reflect on their most natural form of locomotion - walking. (And animals don't run all day
animals do not run all day, but limit this type of accelerated locomotion to individual phases, such as hunting or fleeing).

The advantages of walking are manifold. It enables a more intensive experience of the living environment, contributes to a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle by saving resources.

It grounds people to a certain extent and also reduces the risk of accidents in connection with other mobile modes of transport (bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter...)

At the same time, the tour focussed on the development of individual forms of mobility in Chemnitz - which can be seen in the "Stern Garages", one of the oldest high-rise garages in Germany, in which over 150 cars, motorbikes and bicycles are on display.

In addition to railway mobility, the development of buses and trams was also discussed.

The tram museum offered further insights.

Information on the industrial architecture along Zwickauer Straße rounded off the city walk.

Many thanks to Ms Leonhardt, Mr Stötzer and Mr Schmerschneider for this successful insight into the history of mobility in Chemnitz, which provides a wonderful basis for looking to the future.

For the first time, the historic trams in Liberec and Chemnitz simultaneously realised an extraordinary ride for the public on both sides of the border. The event was organised by both transport companies with the support of enthusiasts of historic trams, presented in Liberec by the Boveraclub and in Saxony by the Chemnitz Tram Friends.

In Liberec, the entire current tram network could be travelled free of charge with tram car T3M No. 8106, from the depot to Vratislavice and via Horní Hanychov and Lidové Sady back to the depot. While in Chemnitz there was a special trip with the historic tram ET 54 No. 801 "Lowa".

In both cities, the historic trams departed at the same time - at 19:30 on 16 September. The aim of the event was the joint promotion of public transport and the active participation of both transport companies in the promotion of European Mobility Week.

Yay, we celebrated the worldwide Parking Day on Friday, 15 September from 3 pm together with the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) and then officially kicked off Mobi Week 2023 on Saturday.

Edgar and Edda hid in a car park at Getreidemarkt and used it for this purpose. Anyone who found them was able to pick up a surprise. More information? > On the website of the local VCD group

We are not going to miss this! - To kick things off, on 16 September from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, we invited people to a freecity walk with Mayor Michael Stötzer and tour guide Veronika Leonhardt. It was a slow-paced return to the roots and the most original means of transport of all: walking.

In the evening, our historic tram travelled through Chemnitz again. We set off from the main station at 7.30 pm and then headed towards Hutholz.

For one week from 16 to 22 September, the focus in Chemnitz was on European mobility awareness. Many of the city's stakeholders were involved, organising discussions, art projects, demonstrations, walks and bike tours.

To implement this year's motto, the traditional Mobility Day took place on 18 September in collaboration with the NUMIC project on the model route from the Sportforum via the Yorck area to the Zeisigwald. Cyclists, walkers, families with children or pushchairs and people with limited mobility were invited to explore the 5 km route.

They are characterised by their architectural simplicity. They are above ground, below ground or both. The efficiently organised forecourts to consumer pleasure in abundance: PARKHÄUSER. Mostly square, practical but also good?

The absence of clear features often makes orientation difficult: will I ever find my Ferrari Testarossa here again? There is a draught and the fear of not being able to get out of here always creeps up the barrier. We wanted to temporarily give this place of joy and sorrow a new utilisation concept.

"Park and Bike" was the name of the game as part of the City of Chemnitz's European Mobility Week with a film on the topic: The East German's hobby room - the garage.

Myth or truth - a panel discussion on the topic of drive systems

Are fuel cell cars dangerous?
Will the power grid collapse if we all go electric?
Does diesel still have a future?
Which drive system is the best?

On this evening, interested members of the public were able to talk to experts in the field of drive systems. Thomas von Unwerth from Chemnitz University of Technology (Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Alternative Vehicle Drives), Ferry Franz from Toyota Motor Europe, Prof. Dr Joachim Böhme (engine developer for Audi AG, among others) and Dipl.-Ing. Sören Scheffler (project manager at the Fraunhofer IWU in Chemnitz) answered the questions.

To the event notice of the Museum für sächsische Fahrzeuge e. V.