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Chemnitz

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Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox German place Chemnitz ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (Template:Lit); Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden, and the fourth-largest city in the area of former East Germany after (East) Berlin, Leipzig, and Dresden.

The city lies in the middle of a string of cities sitting in the densely populated northern foreland of the Elster and Ore Mountains, stretching from Plauen in the southwest via Zwickau, Chemnitz and Freiberg to Dresden in the northeast, and is part of the Central German Metropolitan Region. Located in the Ore Mountain Basin, the city is surrounded by the Ore Mountains to the south and the Central Saxon Hill Country to the north. The city stands on the Chemnitz River, which is formed through the confluence of the rivers Zwönitz and Würschnitz in the borough of Altchemnitz.

The name of the city as well as the names of the rivers are of Slavic origin. Chemnitz is the third-largest city in the Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect area after Leipzig and Dresden. The city's economy is based on the service sector and manufacturing industry. Chemnitz University of Technology has around 10,000 students.

Chemnitz is known for its many industrial age buildings and monuments,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and is the European Capital of Culture of 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ToponymyEdit

Chemnitz is named after the river Chemnitz, the main tributary of the Zwickau Mulde. The word "Chemnitz" derives from the Slavic expression for "stone" (Template:Langx), which is the root of the Upper Sorbian designations for the river ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; "stony [brook]"), as well as for the city itself (also {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). The term is composed of the stem {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, and the Slavic feminine suffix {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The city is known in Czech as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and in Polish sometimes as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.

Chemnitz is one of many places worldwide whose name derives from the Slavic root {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} such as Kamianske and Kamianets-Podilskyi in Ukraine, Kamensk-Uralsky and Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in Russia, Kamenica (Serbia), Kamienna Góra (Poland), Kamenz (Kamjenc) (Germany), Kamień Pomorski (Poland), Kamieniec Ząbkowicki (Poland), Kamenitsa (Bulgaria), Kamenický Šenov (Czech Republic), Kamieńsk (Poland), Kamenskoye (Russia), and Kamenac (Croatia). Of these, Chemnitz has the largest population.

HistoryEdit

Template:For timeline

File:Ansicht Chemnitz um 1850.jpg
Chemnitz by 1850

BeginningsEdit

The area was sparsely settled by Slavic tribes related to the modern Sorbs. The placename is first attested for the eponymous local river (1012/18: "Caminizi fluvium"). In 1143, a Benedictine monastery at "Kameniz" was founded, around which a settlement grew. Around 1170, the town was granted the rights of a free imperial city by emperor Frederick I.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Meissen and SaxonyEdit

In 1307, the town became subordinate to the Margraviate of Meissen, the predecessor of the Saxon state. In medieval times, Chemnitz became a centre of textile production and trade. More than one third of the population worked in textile production. In 1356 the Margraviate was succeeded by the Electorate of Saxony.

Geologist Georgius Agricola (1494–1555), author of several significant works on mining and metallurgy including the landmark treatise De Re Metallica, became city physician of Chemnitz in 1533 and lived here until his death in 1555. In 1546 he was elected a Burgher of Chemnitz and in the same year also was appointed Burgomaster (lord mayor), serving again in 1547, 1551, and 1553. In spite of having been a leading citizen of the city, when Agricola died in 1555 the Protestant Duke denied him burial in the city's cathedral due to Agricola's allegiance to his Roman Catholic faith. Agricola's friends arranged for his remains to be buried in more sympathetic Zeitz, approximately 50 km away.<ref>Agricola, Georgius. De re metallica. Translation by Hoover, Herbert Clark and Hoover, Lou Henry, 1912, reprinted by Dover Publications, New York, 1950, pp. vi-xii.</ref> Chemnitz became a famous trading and textile manufacturing town.

In 1806, with the end of the Holy Roman Empire, the Electorate was renamed as the Kingdom of Saxony, and this survived until the revolutions of 1918 which followed the Armistice ending the First World War.

By the early 19th century, Chemnitz had become an industrial centre (sometimes called "the Saxon Manchester", Template:Langx, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}). Important industrial companies were founded by Richard Hartmann, Louis Schönherr and Johann von Zimmermann. Chemnitz became a centre of innovation in the kingdom of Saxony and later in Germany. In 1913, Chemnitz had a population of 320,000 and, like Leipzig and Dresden, was larger at that time than today. After losing inhabitants due to the First World War Chemnitz grew rapidly again and reached its all-time peak of 360,250 inhabitants in 1930. Thereafter, growth was stalled by the world economic crisis.

Weimar RepublicEdit

Template:See also As a working-class industrial city, Chemnitz was a powerful center of socialist political organization after the First World War. At the foundation of the German Communist Party the local Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany voted by 1,000 votes to three to break from the party and join the Communist Party behind their local leaders, Fritz Heckert and Heinrich Brandler.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In March 1919 the German Communist Party had over 10,000 members in the city of Chemnitz.<ref>W. Berthold, 'Die Kämpfeti der Chemnitzer Arbeiter gegen die militaristiche Reaktion im August 1919', Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Arbeiterbewegung, no. 1, 1962, p. 127.</ref> Chemnitz was one of the big German industrial centers. Due to the export traffic a modern marshalling yard was erected 1929 in Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf. At that time it was a leading city in the European textile market. Auto Union (today Audi) was founded 1932 in Chemnitz.

World War IIEdit

Allied bombing destroyed 41 per cent of the built-up area of Chemnitz during the Second World War.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chemnitz contained factories that produced military hardware and a Flossenbürg forced labor subcamp (500 female inmates) for Astra-Werke AG.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The oil refinery was a target for bombers during the Oil Campaign of World War II, and Operation Thunderclap attacks included the following raids:

  • 14/15 February 1945: The first major raid on Chemnitz used 717 RAF bombers, but due to cloud cover most bombs fell over open countryside.
  • 2/3–5 March: USAAF bombers attacked the marshalling yards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • 5 March: 760 RAF bombers attacked.

The city was occupied by Soviet troops on 8 May 1945.

The headquarters of the auto manufacturer Auto Union was based in Chemnitz from 1932 and its buildings were badly damaged. At the end of the war, the company's executives fled and relocated the company in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, where it evolved into Audi, now a brand within the Volkswagen group.

The World War II bombings left most of the city centre in ruins and post-war, the East German reconstruction included large low-rise (and later high-rise {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) housing. Some tourist sites were reconstructed during the East German era and after German reunification. Today over 50 % of the city´s buildings date back to before 1950.<ref>https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4 Template:Bare URL inline</ref>

GDREdit

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W0525-0101, Karl-Marx-Stadt, V. Festival der Freundschaft DDR-UdSSR.jpg
Karl-Marx-Stadt in May 1980, during the German Democratic Republic–Soviet Union Friendship Festival

After the dissolution of the Länder (states) in the GDR in 1952, Chemnitz became seat of a district ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). On 10 May 1953, the city was renamed by decision of the East German government to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (German: Karl Marx City) after Karl Marx, in recognition of its industrial heritage and the Karl Marx Year marking the 135th anniversary of his birth and the 70th anniversary of his death.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> GDR Prime Minister Otto Grotewohl said:

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

The people who live here do not look back, but look forward to a new and better future. They look at socialism. They look with love and devotion to the founder of the socialist doctrine, the greatest son of the German people, to Karl Marx. I hereby fulfill the government's decision. I carry out the solemn act of renaming the city and declare: From now on, this city bears the proud and mandatory name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Chemnitzer Tourismus-Broschüre, Herausgeber: City-Management und Tourismus Chemnitz GmbH, 4. Jahrgang • Ausgabe 12 • Sommer 2010 Template:Webarchive; O-Ton-Nachweis im Chemnitzer StadtarchivTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>{{#if:|{{#if:|}}

— {{#if:|, in }}Template:Comma separated entries

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After the city centre was destroyed in World War II, the East German authorities attempted to rebuild it to symbolise the conceptions of urban development of a socialist city. The layout of the city centre at that time was rejected in favour of a new road network. However, the original plans were not completed. In addition, the rapid development of housing took priority over the preservation of old buildings. So in the 1960s and 1970s, both in the centre as well as the periphery, large areas were built in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} apartment-block style, for example {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The old buildings of the period, which still existed especially in the Kassberg, Template:Ill and Template:Ill quarters, were neglected and fell increasingly into dereliction.Template:Citation needed

After reunificationEdit

File:Das ehemalige Karl-Marx-Forum in Chemnitz 2015.jpg
Chemnitz at night, October 2015
File:Altes Rathaus und Siegertsches Haus am Marktplatz in Chemnitz, 2015.jpg
The restored market of Chemnitz

On 23 April 1990, a referendum on the future name of the city was held: 76% of the voters voted for the old name "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}". On 1 June 1990, the city was officially renamed.<ref>"East Germany invited to join EC Dublin summit", The Times page 9, 2 June 1990</ref>

After the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990, the city of Chemnitz faced several difficult tasks. Many inhabitants migrated to the former West Germany and unemployment in the region increased sharply; in addition Chemnitz did not have adequate shopping facilities, but this was increasingly demanded.<ref name="PROM_BERGMANN">"Kurzfassung zur Promotion des Dipl.-Pol. Alexander Bergmann zur Thematik 'Deutschlands jüngste Innenstadt – Rekonstruktion in Chemnitz verstehen'"</ref> Large shopping centers were constructed on the city periphery to the early 1990s.

Chemnitz is the only major German city whose centre was re-planned after 1990, similar to the reconstruction of several other German cities in the immediate post-war years. Plans for the recovery of a compressed city centre around the historic town hall in 1991 led to an urban design competition. This was announced internationally by the city and carried out with the help of the partner city of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The mooted project on an essentially unused area of the former city would be comparable in circumference with the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Berlin.<ref name="PROM_BERGMANN"/>

Numerous internationally renowned architects such as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} provided designs for a new city centre. The mid-1990s began the development of the inner city brownfield around the town hall to a new town. In Chemnitz city more than 66,000 square meters of retail space have emerged. With the construction of office and commercial building on the construction site "B3" at the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} court, the last gap in 2010 was closed in city centre image. The intensive development included demolition of partially historically valuable buildings from the period and was controversial.<ref>{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, 12 May 2006.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, 7 December 2006.</ref> Between 1990 and 2007 more than 250 buildings were leveled.Template:Citation needed

File:WirSindMehr2018-FeineSahneFischfilet-22.jpg
Chemnitz during the Wir sind Mehr concert in September 2018

In late August 2018 the city was the site of a series of protests that attracted at least 8,000 people. The protests were attended by far-right and Neo-Nazi groups. News outlets reported about mob violence and riots. The protests started after two immigrants from the Middle East were arrested in connection with the murder of Daniel H., a 35 year old German man, the son of a German mother and a Cuban father, which had happened on 26 August. Violent clashes occurred between far-right protesters and far-left counter protesters, leading to injuries. The mobs outnumbered the local police presence. There were reports that rightist protesters chased down dark skinned bystanders and those that appeared to be foreigners on the streets before more police arrived and intervened. The riots were widely condemned by media outlets and politicians throughout Germany, and were "described as reminiscent of civil war and Nazi pogroms."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The reports of mob violence and riots were criticized as incorrect later on. The German language Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung corrected its earlier reports, stating that there had evidently been no mob violence but there have been sporadic encroachments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Minister President of Saxony Michael Kretschmer came to the same conclusion: "there were no mobs and man hunts".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

One week after the protests, a free "Concert against the Right" under the motto "We are more" (#wirsindmehr) attracted an audience of some 65,000 people.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A one-minute silence commemorated the murdered Daniel H., the son of a German mother and a Cuban father.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The concert itself has been criticized for far-left activities and violent song texts of some of the participating bands.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Culture and sightsEdit

The city won the bid to be one of the two European Capitals of Culture (in 2025) on 28 October 2020, beating Hanover, Hildesheim, Magdeburg and Nuremberg.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Theater Chemnitz offers a variety of theatre: opera (opera house from 1909), plays, ballet and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (puppets), and runs concerts by the orchestra Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie (founded 1832).

Tourist sights include the Kassberg neighborhood with 18th and 19th century buildings and the Karl Marx Monument by Lev Kerbel, nicknamed {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (a Saxon dialect word for head) by the locals. Landmarks include the Old Town Hall with its Renaissance portal (15th century), the castle on the site of the former monastery, and the area around the opera house and the old university. The most conspicuous landmark is the red tower built in the late 12th or early 13th century as part of the city wall.

The Chemnitz petrified forest is located in the courtyard of Kulturkaufhaus Tietz. It is one of the very few in existence, and dates back several million years (details shown in the Museum of Natural Sciences "Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz", founded 1859). Also within the city limits, in the district of Rabenstein, is the smallest castle in Saxony, Rabenstein Castle.

The city has changed considerably since German reunification. Most of its industry is now gone and the core of the city has been rebuilt with many shops as well as huge shopping centres. Many of these shops are international brands, including Zara, H&M, Esprit, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Leiser Shoes, and Peek & Cloppenburg. The large {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Red Tower) shopping centre is very popular with young people.

The Chemnitz Industrial Museum is an Anchor Point of ERIH, the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Additional unique industrial monuments are located at the "Schauplatz Eisenbahn" (Saxon Railway Museum and Museum of Technology Rope Shunting System) in Chemnitz-Hilbersdorf. The State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> opened in 2014 and is located in the former Schocken Department Stores (architect: Erich Mendelsohn; opening of the department store: 1930).

The {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, formerly a bank, opened on 1 December 2007. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, who lived in Munich, had a collection of some 2,500 pieces of modern art, including many paintings and drawings by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and others. The other great art museum in Chemnitz is located near central railway station, it is called "Museum am Theaterplatz" (erected 1909 as "König-Albert-Museum"). The {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a municipal botanical garden, and the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a non-profit garden specializing in arctic and alpine plants. Near the city center is the "Villa Esche" located (Henry-van-de-Velde-museum). This historical house was built in 1902 in art-nouveau-style by van de Velde.

The City is home of the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival, a yearly festival created in 1996 and that focuses on cinema for young audiences.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Image galleryEdit

  • Altes und Neues Rathaus am Chemnitzer Marktplatz 2015.jpg

    Old and new city hall

  • Chemnitz, Roter Turm und Galerie Roter Turm.JPG

    Red tower

  • Chemnitz Opernhaus 2002.jpg

    Chemnitz Opera at Opernplatz

  • St.-Petri-Kirche in Chemnitz (Barras).JPG

    St. Petri church

  • Lutherkirche chemnitz.jpg

    Lutheran church

  • Schlossteich und -kirche in Chemnitz (Hiroshi).JPG

    Castle church over the Castle Lake

  • Hotel Mercure, Chemnitz, 2015.jpg

    The Mercure Hotel, tallest building in Chemnitz

  • Chemnitz-Glaesernes-Kaufhaus.jpg

    The Transparent department store

  • Chemnitz-Falkeplatz.jpg

    lang}} at night

  • Castle Rabenstein 1 (aka).jpg

    lang}}

  • Karl-Marx-Monument in Chemnitz.jpg

    Bust of Karl Marx, the city's former namesake

  • Hauptgebäude der TU Chemnitz, 2015.jpg

    Chemnitz University of Technology

  • Weststraße Chemnitz.JPG

    Gründerzeit quarter Kaßberg

  • Blick zur Galerie Roter Turm und zum Hotel Mercure in Chemnitz 2015.jpg

    View over the city halls and the inner city

  • Chemnitz-Kulturhaus.jpg

    lang}}

  • Wasserschloss-Klaffenbach2.jpg

    lang}}

  • Chemnitz Stadtbad1.JPG

    lang}}

  • Chemnitz-AmSchloss.jpg

    Guest houses at Castle park

  • Der Versteinerte Wald von Chemnitz im Lichthof des Kulturkaufhaus DAStietz, 2015.jpg

    lang}}

  • Chemnitz-Gunzenhauser-night.jpg

    Gunzenhauser Museum

  • Kaufhaus Schocken in Chemnitz 2014.jpg

    State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz

ClimateEdit

Chemnitz has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb; Trewartha: Dobk). The annual precipitation is Template:Convert, and the precipitation in summer is about twice that in winter.

The Chemnitz weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>

  • Its highest temperature was Template:Convert on 20 August 2012.
  • Its lowest temperature was Template:Convert on 11 February 1956.
  • Its greatest annual precipitation was Template:Convert in 1941.
  • Its least annual precipitation was Template:Convert in 1943.
  • The longest annual sunshine was 2,119 hours in 2011.
  • The shortest annual sunshine was 1,077.7 hours in 1977.

Template:Weather box

Administrative divisionsEdit

The city of Chemnitz consists of 39 neighborhoods. The neighborhoods of Einsiedel, Euba, Grüna, Klaffenbach, Kleinolbersdorf-Altenhain, Mittelbach, Röhrsdorf and Wittgensdorf are at the same time localities within the meaning of Sections 65 to 68 of the Saxon Municipal Code. These neighborhoods came in the wake of the last incorporation wave after 1990 as formerly independent municipalities to the city of Chemnitz and therefore enjoy this special position compared to the other parts of the city. These localities each have a local council, which, depending on the number of inhabitants of the locality concerned, comprises between ten and sixteen members as well as a chairman of the same. The local councils are to hear important matters concerning the locality. A final decision is, however, incumbent on the city council of the city of Chemnitz.<ref name=Hauptsatzung>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} (PDF; 75 KB)</ref> The official identification of the districts by numbers is based on the following principle: Starting from the city center (neighborhoods Zentrum and Schloßchemnitz), all other parts of the city are assigned clockwise in ascending order the tenth place of their index, the one-digit is awarded in the direction of city periphery in ascending order. Template:Col-float <imagemap> Image:Chemnitz stadtteilnummern.svg|left| </imagemap> Template:Col-float-break

Neighborhoods by number code

Template:Colbegin

Template:Colend ¹ also a locality

Template:Col-float-end The city area does not include a unified, closed settlement area after numerous incorporations. The rural settlements of mainly eastern districts are separated from the settlement area of the Chemnitz city center, whereas this partly continues over the western city limits to Limbach-Oberfrohna and Hohenstein-Ernstthal.

PoliticsEdit

MayorEdit

The first freely elected mayor after German reunification was Dieter Noll of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who served from 1990 to 1991, followed by Joachim Pilz (CDU) until 1993. The mayor was originally chosen by the city council, but since 1994 has been directly elected. Peter Seifert of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) served from 1993 until 2006. Between 2006 and 2020 Barbara Ludwig (SPD) has served as mayor. Sven Schulze (SPD) was elected mayor in 2020.<ref name=mayor/>

The most recent mayoral election was held on 20 September 2020, with a runoff held on 11 October, and the results were as follows:

Template:Election table ! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate ! rowspan=2| Party ! colspan=2| First round ! colspan=2| Second round |- ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Sven Schulze | align=left| Social Democratic Party | 22,241 | 23.1 | 31,749 | 34.9 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Almut Patt | align=left| Christian Democratic Union | 20,630 | 21.4 | 20,047 | 22.0 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Susanne Schaper | align=left| The Left | 14,584 | 15.1 | 14,668 | 16.1 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Ulrich Oehme | align=left| Alternative for Germany | 11,731 | 12.2 | 12,034 | 13.2 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Lars Faßmann | align=left| Independent | 11,470 | 11.9 | 12,515 | 13.8 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Volkmar Zschocke | align=left| Alliance 90/The Greens | 6,811 | 7.1 | align=center colspan=2| Withdrew |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Matthias Eberlein | align=left| Free Voters | 3,394 | 3.5 | align=center colspan=2| Withdrew |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Paul Vogel | align=left| Die PARTEI | 1,527 | 1.6 | align=center colspan=2| Withdrew |- ! colspan=3| Valid votes ! 96,428 ! 99.5 ! 91,017 ! 99.7 |- ! colspan=3| Invalid votes ! 489 ! 0.5 ! 285 ! 0.3 |- ! colspan=3| Total ! 96,917 ! 100.0 ! 91,302 ! 100.0 |- ! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout ! 194,952 ! 49.7 ! 194,850 ! 46.9 |- | colspan=7| Source: Wahlen in Sachsen |}

City councilEdit

The most recent city council election was held on 9 June 2024, and the results were as follows:

Template:Election table ! colspan=2| Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Alternative for Germany (AfD) | 86,198 | 24.3 | Template:Increase 6.4 | 15 | Template:Increase 4 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Christian Democratic Union (CDU) | 75,727 | 21.3 | Template:Decrease 1.3 | 13 | Template:Steady 0 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) | 53,441 | 15.0 | New | 8 | New |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Social Democratic Party (SPD) | 43,922 | 12.4 | Template:Increase 0.8 | 7 | Template:Steady 0 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| The Left (Die Linke) | 26,984 | 7.6 | Template:Decrease 9.1 | 5 | Template:Decrease 5 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | 25,833 | 7.3 | Template:Decrease 4.2 | 4 | Template:Decrease 3 |- | bgcolor=009332| | align=left| Pro Chemnitz/Free Saxons (Pro C/FS) | 17,557 | 4.9 | Template:Decrease 2.8 | 3 | Template:Decrease 2 |- | bgcolor=Template:Party color| | align=left| Free Democratic Party (FDP) | 12,759 | 3.6 | Template:Decrease 3.8 | 2 | Template:Decrease 2 |- | | align=left| Citizen Alliance Solidarity (BBS) | 2,656 | 0.7 | New | 0 | New |- ! colspan=2| Valid votes ! 121,838 ! 98.5 ! ! ! |- ! colspan=2| Invalid votes ! 1,804 ! 1.5 ! ! ! |- ! colspan=2| Total ! 123,642 ! 100.0 ! ! 59 ! Template:Decrease 1 |- ! colspan=2| Electorate/voter turnout ! 189,189 ! 65.4 ! Template:Increase 4.1 ! ! |- | colspan=7| Source: Wahlen in Sachsen |}

Urban renewalEdit

File:Chemnitz Stadtzentrum vom Kaßberg 2014.jpg
Downtown Chemnitz in 2014

Heavy destruction in World War II as well as post-war demolition to erect a truly socialist city centre left the city with a vast open space around its town hall where once a vibrant city heart had been. Because of massive investment in out-of-town shopping right after reunification, it was not until 1999 that major building activity was started in the centre. Comparable to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in Berlin, a whole new quarter of the city was constructed in recent years. New buildings include the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} department store by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} with a façade by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and Peek & Cloppenburg clothing store by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and Partner.

EconomyEdit

Chemnitz is the largest city of the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} urban area and is one of the most important economic areas of Germany's new federal states. Chemnitz had a GDP of €8.456 billion in 2016, with GDP per capita at €34,166.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since about 2000, the city's economy has recorded high annual GDP growth rates; Chemnitz is among the top ten German cities in terms of growth rate. The local and regional economic structure is characterized by medium-sized companies, with the heavy industrial sectors of mechanical engineering, metal processing, and vehicle manufacturing as the most significant industries.

About 100,000 people are employed, of whom about 46,000 commute from other municipalities.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 16.3% of employees in Chemnitz have a university or college degree, twice the average rate in Germany.

Image galleryEdit

  • VW factory Mosel-Zwickau (aka).jpg

    lang}} Agglomeration.

  • Büro- und Wohnhaus der Deutschen Bundesbank - Filiale Chemnitz, Zschopauer Straße, 2015.jpg

    lang}}

  • Anbau Dämmerung.jpg

    lang}} is the largest hospital in the former East German states and the second biggest employer in Chemnitz.

  • Kaufhaus Peek&Cloppenburg, Chemnitz, Neumarkt, 2015.jpg

    Chemnitz is a shopping destination. Photo shows the Peek & Cloppenburg store in the city centre.

  • View from Klínovec northwards.JPG

    Chemnitz is the centerpiece of tourism in the Ore Mountains.

DemographicsEdit

Template:Historical populations

File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Chemnitz.svg
Chemnitz's population since 1466

Chemnitz has a population of 246,000 people and is the 3rd largest city in Saxony. The population of Chemnitz grow rapidly since the early 1900s due to its industrialization. Chemnitz reached its highest peak of population in 1930 with population of about 362,000. Chemnitz in the East Germany era when the city was called "Karl-Marx-Stadt", it became a significant industrial city known for it textile and leather industries. Chemnitz was also the 4th largest city in then East Germany after East Berlin, Leipzig and Dresden. After the German Reunification Chemnitz faced a significant population decrease. Since 1988 Chemnitz has lost about 20 percent of its inhabitants. Chemnitz's population decreased from 300,000 in 1989 to under 250,000 in 2003, which made Chemnitz one of the cities with most population loss in Germany. Chemnitz's population started to grow again in the 2010s due to its immigration from mostly war active countries like Syria but it faced a problem due to many right-wing extremists and active Neo-Nazi groups where many foreigners experience racism and moved away from Chemnitz. The city had a fertility rate of 1.64 in 2015.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Foreign population in Chemnitz by nationality as of 31 December 2022:Template:Citation needed

Rank Nationality Population (31.12.2022)
1 Template:Flag 3,465
2 Template:Flag 2,915
3 Template:Flag 2,340
4 Template:Flag 1,460
5 Template:Flag 1,384
6 Template:Flag 1,287
7 Template:Flag 1,246
8 Template:Flag 1,235
9 Template:Flag 1,145
10 Template:Flag 1,077

A large contributor to the city's foreign population is Chemnitz University of Technology. In 2017, out of its 10,482 students, 2712 were foreign students, which equals to about 25%, making Chemnitz the most internationalised of the three major universities of Saxony.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

LanguagesEdit

TransportEdit

File:Chemnitz -- Straßenbahn - Netzplan.png
lang}} network

RoadsEdit

Chemnitz is linked to two motorways ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}s), A4 {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and A72 {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. The motorway junction {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is situated in the northwestern area of the city. The motorway A72 between {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and Leipzig is still under construction. Within the administrative area of Chemnitz there are eight motorway exits ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). The A4 motorway is part of the European route E40, one of the longest European E roads, connecting Chemnitz with the Asian Highway system to the east and France to the west.

Public transportEdit

Public transport within Chemnitz is provided with tram and bus, as well as by the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. Nowadays, the city and its surroundings are served by one {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} line, five lines of the Chemnitz tramway network, 27 city bus lines, as well as several regional bus lines. At night, the city is served by two bus lines, two tram lines, and the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} line.

Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof is the main station for the city. In June 2022, an intercity connection from Chemnitz via Dresden and Berlin to Rostock-Warnemünde was established again for the first time since 2006. Prior to this, Chemnitz was for a long time the largest German city without a connection of long-distance intercity services. 2 RegionalExpress routes connected Chemnitz to the larger cities of Saxony (RE3 from Dresden Hbf via Chemnitz to Hof & RE6 to Leipzig Hbf). In addition, 4 RegionalBahn and 4 CityBahn routes also operate from the Hauptbahnhof.

The length of the tram, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and bus networks is Template:Convert, Template:Convert and Template:Convert respectively. In August 2012, electro-diesel trams were ordered from {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, to support an expansion of the light rail network to Template:Convert, with new routes serving {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

AirportsEdit

Three airports are near Chemnitz, including the two international airports of Saxony in Dresden and Leipzig. Both Leipzig/Halle Airport and Dresden Airport are about Template:Convert from Chemnitz and offer numerous continental as well as intercontinental flights.

Chemnitz also has a small commercial airport (Template:Ill about Template:Convert south of the city. When its current upgrade is completed it will have an asphalt runway Template:Convert long and Template:Convert wide.

  • Hauptbahnhof Chemnitz und Bahnhofsvorplatz 2015.jpg

    lang}}, the main train station of Chemnitz

  • Zentralhaltestelle Chemnitz, Innenstadt, 2015.jpg

    Tram stop at the main tram and bus station at night

  • Trams at Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof - geo.hlipp.de - 5066.jpg

    A tram in Chemnitz

  • Aerial image of the Chemnitz-Jahnsdorf airfield.jpg

    The small commercial airport Flugplatz Chemnitz-Jahnsdorf

SportsEdit

File:BV Chemnitz 99.jpg
BV Chemnitz 99 in January 2020
File:Gellertstrasse-Hinterm Tor.JPG
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Notable peopleEdit

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Twin towns – sister citiesEdit

Template:See also Chemnitz is twinned with:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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Former twin cities: Template:Colbegin

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See alsoEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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BibliographyEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Germany districts saxony Template:Cities in Germany Template:Bezirke DDR Seats Template:European Capital of Culture

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