In the volunteer editorial team, Volunteers for Chemnitz 2025 publish reports on their experiences, assignments and adventures around the European Capital of Culture.
After leaving school, Cathleen left her home in Saxony for an apprenticeship in the beautiful Rhineland. After more than 20 years, during coronavirus, she returned to Chemnitz - where she had to find her feet, but now feels very much at home here. She has been enthusiastically involved in the Capital of Culture since summer 2024.
On 1 May, I volunteered to work at the information desk in the Hartmannfabrik. I thought the long weekend would certainly attract many visitors to the Capital of Culture for a few days.
And indeed, when the doors opened at 10 a.m., the first point of contact filled up with interested visitors. I and four other volunteers tried to answer all kinds of questions, in general terms: "What can you recommend at the weekend?" or "What's going on today?" or very specific questions about exhibitions, museums and events on the long weekend in May.
Not only were the various flyers and brochures very popular, but the touchscreens on which I showed the guests the calendar of events on the Chemnitz 2025 website were also met with great enthusiasm.
So we volunteers had a lot to do in the first shift until midday. The conversations usually ended with "Can I ask where you're from?", because I find that exciting. And of course with a friendly farewell: "I hope you have fun and a good time in Chemnitz."
Surprisingly, I met an older couple who were still standing at my bar that morning at a cosy Brass Open Air event at Club Subbotnik later that day. I bumped into another couple over the next two days in the city and again on the free walking tour.
And when I ask them about their impressions and experiences, I am always happy when the guests speak almost predominantly positively about their stay in Chemnitz.
And I'm already looking forward to the next visit to the Hartmannfabrik so that I can talk to more people from Germany and abroad and give them recommendations for their visit to our city.