A glance over the rooftops is enough to get an idea of the city's general atmosphere. It's not only the churches and palaces that catch the eye here, but also the chimneys and industrial buildings. These "cathedrals of industry" have influenced Chemnitz's image for a long time now. Together with Wilhelminian and art-nouveau-style buildings, they symbolize an entire era that got stretched further into the future. Today's Chemnitz calls itself "City of Modernity," which reflects its principle of constant advancement.

Industrial traces

How all this modernity began can be seen at the Saxon Museum of Industry. The Saechsisches Industriemuseum is a place where the city acknowledges its own achievements and looks back on its past. The exhibition shows the different phases of development in industrialization - from the steam engine to the automobile, from the Spinning Jenny to the modern automatic stitching table.

City of pictures

Some "real" art can be found in the city's art collections. They contain paintings by Caspar David Friedrich and Max Liebermann, to name just a few. Even singer Bob Dylan had his first art exhibition here rather than in London or New York. The Gunzenhauser collection - one of Germany's most prominent private collections - was recently added to this mix, going on display in a museum of its own.  It includes 290 works by Otto Dix - the largest concentration of his works in the world.

The operatic heart of Saxony

Music enthusiasts will also find something they enjoy in Chemnitz. Apart from galleries, the city has gained a reputation for its opera. Fans of composer Richard Wagner feel elated when they recall the local performances of "The Ring of the Nibelung" or the "Flying Dutchman." Among opera lovers, Chemnitz is considered to be Saxony's version of Bayreuth, a city in Bavaria famous for its association with Wagner. Even the local opera house is considered to be as impressive as the one in Bayreuth.

For those who've suffered an overdose of high culture, there are plenty of clubs, bars and movie theaters here, too. There is, for example, the club-cinema Siegmar, which screens art house films in elegant surroundings. There's also the Atomino-Club, which offers a rich repertoire of evening music. James Bond, who appeared briefly in Chemnitz in his film "Octopussy," would have most certainly ordered his Martini here.

Author: Sven Naebrich