Monday January 20, 2025

80,000 at European Culture Capital opening ceremony in Chemnitz

Published : 19 Jan 2025, 18:46

DF News Desk

Participants in a counter-demonstration against the event organized by the small right-wing extremist party "Free Saxony" demonstrate at the start of the European Capital of Culture year in Chemnitz. Photo: Jan Woitas/dpa.

Around 80,000 people attended the opening ceremony for the European Culture Capital held in the eastern German city of Chemnitz, the city authorities said on Sunday, reported dpa.

The images showed a colourful and happy city full of people on Saturday, Mayor Sven Schulze said.

A staff of around 2,000 organized the festivities on various stages throughout the city, with 450 volunteers supporting their work.

Chemnitz is one of three European Capitals of Culture in 2025 alongside Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy.

Under the motto "C the Unseen," in reference to the city's lesser-known status abroad, Chemnitz is to host more than 200 projects and 1,000 events over the year.

Previously known as Karl Marx City in the former East Germany, Chemnitz today has a population of around 240,000.