Volunteers for Chemnitz 2025 publish reports on their experiences, assignments and adventures around the European Capital of Culture.
Maxi, 41 years old, is a teacher at a Chemnitz secondary school and has lived in Kaßberg with her husband and son since 2020. For her, Chemnitz is a city where you can feel at home. That's why she wants to get involved in the Capital of Culture.
My husband was already here a fortnight ago - today is a good day for me: I'm attending the get-to-know-you event at Schmidtbank. The comment that people are on first-name terms here - that's the Capital of Culture spirit - wipes away my first little uncertainty. A short speed dating session then follows as an introduction. Three times three minutes, one question, then an exchange of conversation partners - oh no, that's already over.
I get to know:
Marko, the Karl-Marx-Städter, who talks almost tenderly about his city, which is both urban and rural at the same time. Chemnitz can now finally and deservedly shine alongside the class leaders Dresden and Leipzig.
Katrin, who looks sporty and smart and is convinced that 7 euros admission to the butterfly show at the Botanical Gardens is not too much, but a well-invested donation.
Jana, the teacher, from whom I take the motto "You don't say no to good merchandise".
Lina from Brazil, who loves the charm of East Germany and thinks it's cheeky that Chemnitz has such a bad reputation in other regions of Germany.
Susi, the industrial clerk, from whom I learn that our "Lulatsch" doesn't want to be called Esse, but Schornstein. Even the tallest building in Saxony has feelings. I vow to do better.
Last to speak is Danny, the volunteer mascot, as he calls himself, a volunteer from the very beginning. He tells us that the organisation has steadily improved over the past 2.5 years, that it's great to be able to look behind the scenes of the cultural sector, that you can also contribute your own ideas and that volunteering means exactly that: volunteering. He tells us about this and looks as fresh as the introductory meeting feels to me. At the end, there's pizza, initial equipment and a volunteer T-shirt.
Now I'm a volunteer. I'm delighted!