Chemnitz UT: European Studies: Junior Professorship Cultural and Social Change: International Congress: Location and Facilities

Chemnitz, formerly one of the most important industrial cities of Germany, is located in the Western part of Saxony and it is the third biggest city in the state following Dresden and Leipzig. The city, which is currently undergoing great changes, is part of the "Saxon triangle metropolitan area".

After the peaceful revolution in 1989 Karl-Marx-Stadt regained its old name Chemnitz and developed a new self-understanding as a modern European city in the middle of the enlarged Europe during the last 20 years. Shrugging off the inheritance of 40 years of Communist rule, Chemnitz has become a centre of learning, industry and art.

Chemnitz is located in the South-East of Germany, close to the Czech border. It is the third biggest town in Saxony, situated between Leipzig and Dresden, the Saxonian capital.
Both Leipzig and Dresden have international airports from which the German railway Deutsche Bahn conveniently caters to guests who wish to go to Chemnitz. Trains run regularly a number of times a day from Dresden and Leipzig to the Chemnitz main station.
Other international airports such as Munich, Prague, Berlin or Frankfurt/Main are much farther away and trains to Chemnitz may take more than 6 hours.

• Where is Chemnitz situated in Germany?
• Transport connection (train stations, airports etc.)

Chemnitz city boasts a great number of telltale architectural sights from its industrial past in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This era long-gone still dominates the impression guests of Chemnitz have of this town as the buildings from these times still cast a spell on the onlooker and work their magic on anyone interested in the aesthetics of modern industrial architecture.

During the industrial revolution Chemnitz became home to a wide range of groundbreaking mechanical industries and thus enforced the development of a progressive bourgeoisie, which of course is reflected in the architectural footprints left behind from this time. Kaßberg is the largest intact quarter of Art Nouveau buildings in the whole of Europe. It came through World War II relatively unscathed and therefore still breathes the life of that bygone era and it is one of Chemnitz' most sought after residential areas.

In 1953 Chemnitz became Karl-Marx-Stadt in honour of the grandfather of Socialism, who was also revered by a monumental bust of the head of Karl Marx installed in 1971. It is still in its original place just off Straße der Nationen across from the Stadthalle concert hall. Visitors to Chemnitz are awed because of its size (it is the second largest head bust in the world after the Sphinx in Egypt) and the urban design provides an appropriate background for the work.

The city centre contrasts this with its commercial architecture mostly erected during the last decade. To name a few, the Arab-inspired look of the Galerie Roter Turm shopping mall, designed by the famous architect Kollhoff, supposedly reflects the longing of Chemnitz for a fairy-tale history, or rather any history at all since almost 90% of the historic city centre was destroyed in the last months of World War II. Another two impressive buildings built during the last few years which close the gaps in the city centre are the Galeria Kaufhof and P&C department stores. These three and the old town hall provide the frame for the bustling café life in the market square - a meeting point for senior citizens and students alike.

Chemnitz having been home to Karl-Schmidt-Rottluff, Kunstsammlungen hosts a great number of German impressionist and expressionist pieces of art as well as short-time exhibitions on different subjects, from Lukas Cranach to Bob Dylan's Drawn Blank series. The newly opened Gunzenhauser Museum has a similar focus on German impressionist painting and is also famed for its clever re-construction of the building which used to be Germany's first vending machine restaurant in the 1920s and later on housed a bank until its modern design was deemed the perfect backdrop for the Gunzenhauser collection..

DAStietz houses the Museum of Natural History, the MNew Saxonian Gallery and a most singular exhibit, the stone forest. These are large trees, which turned to stone during the past millennia and were discovered in old swamps, they were dug out and now adorn the foyer of the building. Reaching up to the 4th floor in the building, they are a unique sight to behold.

Nowadays, the city provides its inhabitants and visitors with a great quality of life and a variety of places serve to entertain the flâneur.

Chemnitz city centre offers the visitor a broad range of culinary opportunities. Chinese, French, Japanese, Mexican, Greek, Czech and of course traditional German cuisine can be found within walking distance from the market square. Furthermore cafés and bistros serve the coffee or tea-time enthusiast.

Cultural events in Chemnitz are usually hosted in the Schauspielhaus theatre, the Stadthalle concert hall or in smaller venues like Weltecho or DiFranco Deluxe, which cater to various needs. Every week concerts, readings, plays or films enrich and complement the highbrow offers of the afore-mentioned traditional institutions.

Because of all this, Chemnitz is proud of its second name: the City of Modernism.

The congress takes place on the campus of the Chemnitz University of Technology.

Address:
TU Chemnitz, Neues Hörsaalgebäude
Reichenhainer Straße 70
09126 Chemnitz


Größere Kartenansicht

The "Theaterplatz" bus stop is next to the hotel.

Use Bus Line 51 to get to the Reichenhainer Straße campus and get off the bus at the "Thüringer Weg" bus stop, one stop after "Technische Universität".

You should see this building of our congress location when you leave the bus at bus stop "Thüringer Weg".

The congress Ideas of Europe/Ideas for Europe will provide a child care for registered attendants at our "Zwergencampus". For further information please contact us.