In the volunteer editorial team, Volunteers for Chemnitz 2025 publish reports on their experiences, assignments and adventures around the European Capital of Culture.
Bettina and Bodo live in Neukirchen in the Ore Mountains and work in the volunteer editorial team. Bettina has been a volunteer since 2024 and contributes her valuable voluntary experience to the European Capital of Culture gGmbH. Bodo has been a volunteer from the very beginning and has been involved with Chemnitz 2025 for several years. He uses his organisational expertise in the volunteer editorial team and takes care of archiving the texts.
As volunteers, we had the pleasure of taking part in the Chocolate Festival at the Industrial Museum from 1 August to 3 August 2025 and experiencing the fantastic atmosphere up close. A special highlight was the Grand Opening on Friday evening with singer Jesse de Angelo, who rhythmically brought the festival's motto "love, peace and chocolate" to life on stage.
Around 50 exhibitors from 22 countries presented their culinary delicacies - in the spirit of the Capital of Culture: getting to know the unknown. There were great offers such as discussions, meetings with the chocolate makers and of course many, many tastings. The focus was on the ecological production of chocolate, the social conditions in the countries where it is grown and the appreciation of the work of the cocoa farmers.
It is well known that chocolate is healthy, makes you happy and creative. But it was a new experience for us to be able to talk directly to the producers, to feel their enthusiasm and pride in really successful chocolate compositions.
We made many new acquaintances and our shared passion for chocolate instantly bonded us, regardless of whether the makers came from Africa, America, Asia or Europe.
It was a cheerful festival with a huge variety and the rare opportunity to taste and compare chocolate from so many different countries. The fact that this was used so actively was evident from the happy children with chocolate-smeared faces, queues at the stands and happy people in the outdoor area, who took a short break with music and a cocoa drink before continuing on their exploration tour. What you couldn't discover there! There was chocolate in various flavours with nuts or fruit, chocolate spreads, roasted and chocolate-coated cocoa beans, drinking chocolate and, for children, chocolate in all kinds of lolly shapes.
In a tent, visitors could take part in a cocoa ceremony performed by two lovely women from Costa Rica, who exuded a great flair in their traditional clothing. In general, there was a lot to experience in the outdoor area, be it on the big stage or at the many stalls of the traders, who offered chocolate in every form and thus rounded off the festival perfectly.
We left the Chocolate Festival on Sunday after hours, quite exhausted but happy from the many (chocolate) impressions.
What we remember: great exhibitors, delicious chocolate, smiling children, a good atmosphere, rousing music, hard-working volunteers from the Capital of Culture and the organisers and the hope for fair trade and a reunion in 2026.