Chemnitz (dpa/sn) – Two years before the Capital of Culture year 2025 in Chemnitz, the federal and state governments see the preparations on the right track. “The locomotive of the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 has visibly picked up speed,” stated Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) on Wednesday after a meeting with those responsible on site. The radiance extends to the entire surrounding area. The “Purple Path” project was mentioned as an example – an art and culture path that is intended to connect around 40 cities in the region. At the same time, the goal is to set European policy accents with the neighbors in the Czech Republic and Poland.
The cultural heart of the Federal Republic and Europe will beat in Chemnitz in 2025, said the head of the Federal Minister of State for Culture, Andreas Görgen. The preparations have gone very far. “I have seldom seen a project prepared so carefully and comprehensively at an early stage.” In particular, he praised the fact that the topics of democracy and sustainability as well as culture were tackled in all their diversity. Program manager Stefan Schmidtke spoke of a process in which more and more people are coming into the program and everyone is taking it with them.
Chemnitz shares the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 with Nova Gorica in Slovenia. Under the motto “C the Unseen”, the city wants to make the hidden visible and activate the “silent center” in urban society. In addition to the “Purple Path”, plans include a European parade of apple trees across the city, a creative hub in virtual space and a project on garages as hidden creative places.
