In the volunteer editorial team, Volunteers for Chemnitz 2025 publish reports on their experiences, assignments and adventures around the European Capital of Culture.
Bettina lives in Neukirchen in the Ore Mountains. Bettina has been a volunteer since 2024 and contributes her valuable voluntary experience to Kulturhauptstadt gGmbH. A former bank clerk, she previously worked as a hardware and software developer.
It was with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation that I began my supervision on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, at the newly opened #3000Garages exhibition in the Garagencampus. After the great success of the opening event, how would visitors receive this exhibition? For me as a typical GDR child, garages were the most natural thing. They were just there and we played in the garage yards and could run around there undisturbed. A paradise for children, but also places of retreat - little islands of freedom. Now, as #3000Garages, they are a cultural flagship of the Capital of Culture Chemnitz. The first visitors arrived as early as 12 noon. There was scepticism at first - an exhibition about garages? But the scepticism quickly gave way to curiosity. Memories were awakened and conversations about life in the GDR unfolded. The garages were much more than workshops - they were social meeting places, places of exchange, support and celebration. Over the course of the afternoon, numerous visitors arrived, many from the old federal states. Some had travelled especially to experience this unusual exhibition. Although only two garages of the parcours were open, this made the conversations all the more intense. Personal experiences were shared, the past was reflected upon and new perspectives were gained. It was a day full of inspiring moments and lively encounters. People from Vienna, Mainz, Regensburg and Chemnitz came together to discover a story that may not have been their own, but touched them nonetheless. An afternoon that proved that the past can not only be preserved, but also experienced anew - in garages that were once commonplace and are now cultural bridges.
If you are curious about the stories behind the #3000Garages, don't miss the opportunity to immerse yourself and experience the special atmosphere of this unique exhibition! We look forward to seeing you.
Text: Bettina