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Chemnitz boasts much impressive architecture thanks to its late 19th- and early 20th-century industrial heritage. The city is a must-see for anyone interested in the aesthetics of modern industrial architecture.

During the industrial revolution Chemnitz was home to a wide range of ground-breaking industries, which led to the rise of a prosperous bourgeoisie willing to invest in the arts, culture and design. Chemnitz’s industrial history is reflected in the modern architecture of this period. Most famous is the Villa Esche, designed and built by Art Nouveau architect Henry van de Velde. Moreover, the Kaßberg district is the largest intact quarter of Art Nouveau buildings in all of Europe. It survived World War II relatively unscathed and therefore still breathes the life of that bygone era.

In 1953 Chemnitz was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt in honour of the grandfather of Socialism. A monumental bust of Karl Marx was unveiled in 1971, and is still in its original place just off Straße der Nationen across from the city’s concert hall. Visitors to Chemnitz are awed by its size: it is the second largest bust in the world after the Sphinx in Egypt.

The Kunstsammlungen Museum and the Gunzenhauser Museum hold a great number of German impressionist and expressionist works of art, particularly by Karl-Schmidt Rottluff, who was born in Chemnitz.

For more information on Chemnitz, please visit http://chemnitz-tourismus.de/en/en-in-chemnitz-zu-gast/