A HAAMIT in the Kaßberg neighbourhood

Goetz Weigel

If you are looking for unique gifts and cosiness in Chemnitz, the Papeterie on Kaßberg, Weststraße 67, is the right place for you. Götz Weigel has been running Chemnitz's only stationery shop, HAAMIT, for three years. When you enter the shop, it smells of coffee and books, rustic wooden tables invite you to linger and a colourful assortment of ceramic, paper and leather goods is spread throughout the two-storey shop in a seemingly chaotic yet orderly fashion. The neighbourhood feeling is very important here, and this is how the idea for the One Hundred Metre Christmas Market, which attracts visitors with creative, cultural and culinary highlights on the first weekend of Advent, came about together with other shop owners in Kaßberg.

How did you come up with the idea of opening a stationery shop?
Götz Weigel: The idea for the shop came about when I bought an old letterpress printing machine. Through my work as a graphic designer, I had a lot to do with designs and printed products and I have always been fascinated by old printing techniques. So I thought about what range I could combine my self-printed motifs with. I looked for a shop, expanded it and opened HAAMIT in October 2014. I would never have imagined that I would one day run a retail shop. It was a happy coincidence.

Does a stationery shop only sell stationery? How does your range differ from that?
Stationery is of course a reference to the many different paper products that I sell. But I offer even more than that. From leather goods, personalised notepads, calendars and all kinds of pens to ceramics and liquorice, as well as homemade prints.

Haamit means home in the Erzgebirge dialect. But the concept of home actually fits very well in Götz's shop. Identity and a sense of belonging are very important to the Chemnitz native, and he would also like to expand his range with regional manufactured products. A craftsman from Steinebach turns spinning tops, for example, and Annaberg folding stars can be purchased at Christmas time. Since the move a year ago, HAAMIT has also been offering its guests coffee specialities. "I had already planned the coffee story in the initial concept, but I didn't need it because of the proximity to Emma's uncle in the first premises. I always imagined it the way it is now," enthuses Götz about his cosy shop. In fact, people just want to have a coffee, read a book and enjoy the atmosphere.

How did the idea for the One Hundred Metre Christmas Market come about?
Due to the concentration of shops in the catering and retail sector on Kaßberg, it was always in the air that we wanted to do something together. I meet with the other shop owners once or twice a year to exchange ideas and coordinate. But in the end, everyone organises their own individual offerings in and outside the shop. The special thing about it is that the residents can also get involved and put on a small programme, for example. And so it all adds up to a lovely atmosphere with culinary specialities, creative gifts and cultural offerings in a family Christmas atmosphere. For me, that's living neighbourhood culture.

Why exactly 100 metres?
It's actually more than 100 metres. Because the shops are spread over several streets and not in a central square, we chose this approximate limit and called it the One Hundred Metre Christmas Market. Visitors stroll from shop to shop. There is a fixed core of participating retail shops, for example, Emmas Onkel, the Lessing und Kompanie bookshop, Paisa Paisa, the Beti Lue ointment factory and the Wagner wine tavern. And if other shops open up in this area, they are of course very welcome.

What is special about Kaßberg as a shop location for you?
The search for a suitable location was not that easy. The brewery discussion slowly emerged, but nobody knew how it would develop. Small shops have a hard time in the city centre. Kaßberg, with its 20,000 inhabitants and beautiful streets, was the obvious location. There was nothing comparable to HAAMIT in Chemnitz, so it was also a test for me. The beautiful flair here always attracts former residents. For me, Kaßberg still has a lot of potential for development. For example, I would like to see more restaurants and nice shops - in short, more life in the neighbourhood.

E-commerce is booming, department stores are crowding out retail outlets. Why did you open your own shop anyway?
Standing in the shop and talking to people is very important to me. It's a much better way to be part of Kaßberg, part of Chemnitz and the public space. You can't do that on the internet. The lively dialogue with my customers is much more important to me than selling online. I love the atmosphere in the shop.

Where do you see the city in 2025?
I would like the people of Chemnitz to go out more and revitalise the city. They can be braver and dare to do something. There are already good role models: the Augusto at the foot of the Sonnenberg, for example. A lot is possible, you just have to dare!
Cycle paths should play a more important role in road traffic, because cycling gives you a much more intense experience of the city. If you could get the people of Chemnitz out and about, a lot of things would automatically happen on their own. I think the Capital of Culture application can achieve a lot in this direction. People start to see familiar things with new eyes, get ambitious projects off the ground and transform Chemnitz into a city worth living in and loving.