Chemnitz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chemnitz
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
  ._IMG_2267WI.jpg) .jpeg)   From top, left to right: Old town hall and High Tower (St James' Church) at night, Castle Pond (Schlossteich) from above, Rabenstein Castle, Karl Marx Monument, Chemnitz Opera House at night, Red Tower (right) and Galerie Roter Turm shopping centre (left)
|
|||
|
|||
 Chemnitz
Location in Germany
Chemnitz
Location in Saxony
|
|||
| Country | Germany | ||
| State | Saxony | ||
| District | Urban district | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 220.85 km2 (85.27 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 296 m (971 ft) | ||
| Population
(2022-12-31)
|
|||
| • Total | 248,563 | ||
| • Density | 1,125.483/km2 (2,914.99/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | ||
| Postal codes |
09001–09247
|
||
| Dialling codes | 0371
037200 (Wittgensdorf) 037209 (Einsiedel) 03722 (Röhrsdorf) 03726 (Euba) |
||
| Vehicle registration | C | ||
Chemnitz (German: [ˈkɛmnɪts]) is a big city in the German state of Saxony. It's the third-largest city there, after Leipzig and Dresden. Chemnitz is located in a busy area, surrounded by the Ore Mountains to the south. The city is built on the Chemnitz River, which is formed by two smaller rivers joining together.
The name Chemnitz comes from a Slavic word meaning "stony brook." The city's economy today is mostly about services and making things (manufacturing). Chemnitz University of Technology is a large university here with about 10,000 students.
Chemnitz was once a very rich city, known for its many old industrial buildings. It has been chosen to be the European Capital of Culture in 2025, which is a big honor!
Contents
Etymology
Chemnitz gets its name from the Chemnitz River. This river is a small branch of the Zwickau Mulde river. The word "Chemnitz" comes from the Sorbian language (Upper Sorbian: Kamjenica). It means "stony brook." The word is made up of a Slavic word for "stone" and a special ending.
History
Early Beginnings
Long ago, a Slavic tribe settled in a place called Kamienica. The name was first written down in 1143. This was when a Benedictine monastery was built there, and a town grew around it. Around 1170, a powerful ruler named Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor gave the town special rights. This made it a "free imperial city," meaning it was directly under the emperor's rule. Later, Kamienica became known by its German name, Chemnitz.
Growing into a Textile Center
In 1307, Chemnitz became part of the Margraviate of Meissen, which later became the state of Saxony. During the Middle Ages, Chemnitz became famous for making and trading textiles (cloth). More than a third of the people in the town worked in this industry.
A famous scientist named Georgius Agricola lived in Chemnitz from 1533 until he passed away in 1555. He was a city doctor and even served as the mayor several times. He wrote important books about mining and metals. Chemnitz continued to be a major trading and textile town.
By the early 1800s, Chemnitz had become a big industrial center. People sometimes called it "the Saxon Manchester" because it was so important for industry, just like Manchester in England. Many important factories were started here. Chemnitz became a place of new ideas and inventions. In 1913, the city had over 320,000 people, which was even more than today!
World War II and Rebuilding
During World War II, parts of Chemnitz were badly damaged by bombs. The city had factories that made things for the military. After the war, in 1945, Soviet troops took over the city.
The main office of the car company Auto Union (which is now Audi) was in Chemnitz. Its buildings were heavily damaged. After the war, the company moved and later became Audi.
Much of Chemnitz's city center was destroyed. After the war, when the city was part of East Germany, it was rebuilt. Many new apartment buildings, called Plattenbau, were constructed.
Karl-Marx-Stadt and Back to Chemnitz
On May 10, 1953, the East German government changed the city's name to Karl-Marx-Stadt (meaning "Karl Marx City"). This was to honor Karl Marx, a famous thinker, and to recognize the city's industrial past.
The city center was rebuilt to show what a "socialist city" should look like. Many old buildings were taken down to make way for new roads and apartment blocks.
After Germany became one country again in 1990, the people of Chemnitz voted on the city's name. On April 23, 1990, 76% of voters chose to go back to the old name, "Chemnitz." The name officially changed on June 1, 1990.
After Germany reunited, Chemnitz faced new challenges. Many people moved away, and there were fewer jobs. The city also needed more modern shops. So, big shopping centers were built around the city.
The city center was also re-planned and rebuilt. Many new buildings with shops and offices were constructed. This changed the look of the city a lot.
In August 2018, there were some protests in Chemnitz. After a sad event, people gathered, and there were some clashes. A week later, a big free concert called "We are more" was held. About 65,000 people came together to show unity and stand against hate.
Culture and Sights
Chemnitz was chosen to be a European Capital of Culture in 2025! This means it will host many special events and show off its culture to Europe.
The Theater Chemnitz offers many different shows, like opera, plays, and ballet. The city also has its own orchestra.
Some popular places to visit include the Kassberg area, which has beautiful old buildings from the 1700s and 1800s. You can also see the famous Karl Marx Monument, which locals call Nischel (a dialect word for "head"). Other important sights are the Old Town Hall, the castle, and the area around the opera house. The most noticeable landmark is the Red Tower, built hundreds of years ago as part of the city wall.
The Chemnitz petrified forest is a very special sight. It's located in the courtyard of a building called Kulturkaufhaus Tietz. This forest is made of trees that turned into stone millions of years ago! You can learn more about it at the Museum of Natural Sciences. Also, in the Rabenstein area, you can find Rabenstein Castle, which is the smallest castle in Saxony.
The city center has changed a lot since Germany reunited. Many new shops and large shopping centers have been built. The big Galerie Roter Turm (Red Tower) shopping center is very popular.
The Chemnitz Industrial Museum is a great place to learn about the city's industrial past. There are also other cool industrial sites, like the Saxon Railway Museum. The State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz opened in 2014 in an old department store building.
The Museum Gunzenhauser has a large collection of modern art. Another important art museum is the "Museum am Theaterplatz." Chemnitz also has two botanical gardens, which are great for seeing different plants. The "Villa Esche" is a beautiful historic house built in 1902 in the Art Nouveau style.
Chemnitz hosts the SCHLINGEL International Film Festival every year. This festival, started in 1996, focuses on movies for young people.
Image gallery
-
Old and new city hall
-
Red tower
-
Chemnitz Opera at Opernplatz
-
St. Petri church
-
Lutheran church
-
Castle church over the Castle Lake
-
The Mercure Hotel, tallest building in Chemnitz
-
The Transparent department store
-
View over Falkeplatz at night
-
Burg Rabenstein
-
Bust of Karl Marx, the city's former namesake
-
Chemnitz University of Technology
-
Gründerzeit quarter Kaßberg
-
View over the city halls and the inner city
-
Chemnitz-Kulturhaus
-
Watercastle Klaffenbach
-
Chemnitz Stadtbad
-
Guest houses at Castle park
-
Chemnitz petrified forest inside the Kulturkaufhaus Tietz
-
Gunzenhauser Museum
-
State Museum of Archaeology Chemnitz
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
Climate
| Climate data for Chemnitz (1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.7 (36.9) |
3.7 (38.7) |
7.6 (45.7) |
13.1 (55.6) |
17.5 (63.5) |
20.8 (69.4) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.2 (73.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
7.2 (45.0) |
3.7 (38.7) |
12.8 (55.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
0.8 (33.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.7 (47.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
16.0 (60.8) |
18.2 (64.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
13.8 (56.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
4.4 (39.9) |
1.2 (34.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
0.7 (33.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.6 (56.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.1 (43.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
5.3 (41.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48.1 (1.89) |
38.9 (1.53) |
51.5 (2.03) |
40.7 (1.60) |
66.0 (2.60) |
72.8 (2.87) |
95.4 (3.76) |
89.9 (3.54) |
63.4 (2.50) |
57.8 (2.28) |
55.1 (2.17) |
53.2 (2.09) |
732.7 (28.85) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 16.6 | 15.0 | 16.6 | 12.5 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 15.1 | 13.7 | 12.8 | 14.3 | 15.2 | 17.6 | 178.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 1.0 cm) | 15.1 | 14.3 | 7.8 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 4.3 | 10.6 | 56.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 83.5 | 80.5 | 77.2 | 69.3 | 70.6 | 72.2 | 69.8 | 69.0 | 76.1 | 80.3 | 84.4 | 84.5 | 76.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 66.1 | 84.7 | 124.2 | 180.9 | 211.3 | 212.1 | 227.0 | 214.5 | 158.7 | 121.2 | 69.4 | 59.8 | 1,729.8 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
City Layout and Neighborhoods
Chemnitz is divided into 39 neighborhoods. Some of these neighborhoods used to be separate towns before they became part of Chemnitz after 1990. These special neighborhoods have their own local councils. These councils help make decisions about their area, but the main city council of Chemnitz makes the final choices.
The neighborhoods are numbered in a special way. Starting from the city center, they are numbered clockwise as you move outwards.
¹ also a locality |
Because of many towns joining Chemnitz, the city area isn't just one big connected settlement. Some rural areas are separated from the main city center.
Urban Renewal
After World War II, much of Chemnitz's city center was destroyed. Later, more buildings were taken down to create a new "socialist" city center. This left a large empty space around the town hall.
It wasn't until 1999 that major building work started again in the center. Like a famous square in Berlin, a whole new part of the city was built. New buildings include a department store and large shopping centers.
Economy
Chemnitz is the biggest city in its region and an important economic area in eastern Germany. In 2016, the city's economy produced over 8 billion Euros. Since about 2000, Chemnitz's economy has been growing quickly. It's one of the top German cities for economic growth.
The economy is mainly made up of medium-sized companies. The most important industries are mechanical engineering (making machines), metal processing, and building vehicles.
About 100,000 people work in Chemnitz. Many of them travel from other towns. A high number of workers in Chemnitz have a university degree, which is twice the average for Germany.
Image gallery
-
Volkswagen is a very large employer in the Chemnitz-Zwickau area.
-
Deutsche Bundesbank Chemnitz
-
The Klinikum Chemnitz GmbH is a large hospital and a big employer in Chemnitz.
-
Chemnitz is a popular place for shopping. This photo shows the Peek & Cloppenburg store.
-
Chemnitz is a central point for tourism in the Ore Mountains.
.jpg){kind=small}
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1466 | 3,455 | — |
| 1801 | 10,835 | +213.6% |
| 1852 | 35,163 | +224.5% |
| 1871 | 68,229 | +94.0% |
| 1885 | 110,817 | +62.4% |
| 1900 | 206,913 | +86.7% |
| 1905 | 244,927 | +18.4% |
| 1910 | 287,807 | +17.5% |
| 1913 | 326,075 | +13.3% |
| 1916 | 285,285 | −12.5% |
| 1920 | 313,444 | +9.9% |
| 1930 | 361,200 | +15.2% |
| 1933 | 348,720 | −3.5% |
| 1940 | 332,200 | −4.7% |
| 1945 | 243,613 | −26.7% |
| 1950 | 293,373 | +20.4% |
| 1955 | 290,153 | −1.1% |
| 1960 | 286,329 | −1.3% |
| 1965 | 295,160 | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 299,411 | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 305,113 | +1.9% |
| 1980 | 317,644 | +4.1% |
| 1985 | 315,452 | −0.7% |
| 1990 | 294,244 | −6.7% |
| 1995 | 266,737 | −9.3% |
| 2001 | 255,798 | −4.1% |
| 2011 | 240,253 | −6.1% |
| 2022 | 240,078 | −0.1% |
| Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions. Source for 2001-2022: |
||
Chemnitz has about 246,000 people and is the third-largest city in Saxony. The city's population grew very fast in the early 1900s because of its many industries. In 1930, Chemnitz reached its highest population ever, with about 362,000 people.
During the time of East Germany, when it was called "Karl-Marx-Stadt," Chemnitz was an important industrial city, especially known for textiles and leather. It was the fourth-largest city in East Germany.
After Germany reunited, Chemnitz saw a big drop in its population. From 1989 to 2003, the population decreased significantly. However, in the 2010s, the population started to grow again, partly due to people moving to the city from other countries.
A big reason for the international population in Chemnitz is Chemnitz University of Technology. In 2017, about 25% of its students were from other countries. This makes Chemnitz one of the most international universities in Saxony.
Languages
- Standard German
- Chemnitz dialect, which is a type of German spoken in this area.
Transport
Roads
Chemnitz is connected to two major highways called Autobahns: the A4 (which goes from Erfurt to Dresden) and the A72 (which goes from Hof to Leipzig). There are eight exits from these highways within the city. The A4 is also part of a very long European road called the European route E40.
Public Transport
Getting around Chemnitz is easy with its public transport system. The city has trams, buses, and a special light rail system called Stadtbahn. There is one Stadtbahn line, five tram lines, and 27 city bus lines. At night, some bus and tram lines still run.
Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof is the city's main train station. In June 2022, a long-distance train connection was started again, linking Chemnitz to Dresden, Berlin, and Rostock-Warnemünde. Before this, Chemnitz was the largest German city without such a connection for a long time. Regional trains also connect Chemnitz to other big cities in Saxony.
The tram network is about 28.73 kilometers long, and the bus network is much longer, at 326.08 kilometers. New trams were ordered to expand the light rail system even further.
Airports
There are three airports close to Chemnitz. Two of them are international airports in Dresden and Leipzig, both about 70 kilometers away. They offer many flights to different places.
Chemnitz also has a smaller local airport called Flugplatz Chemnitz-Jahnsdorf. It's about 13.5 kilometers south of the city. It's being upgraded to have a longer paved runway.
-
Chemnitz Hauptbahnhof, the main train station of Chemnitz
-
Tram stop at the main tram and bus station at night
-
A tram in Chemnitz
-
The small commercial airport Flugplatz Chemnitz-Jahnsdorf
Sports
Chemnitz is home to many sports teams and clubs, including:
- BV Chemnitz 99 (men's basketball)
- Chemnitzer FC (football)
- Chemnitzer PSV (football, handball, volleyball)
- Chemcats Chemnitz (women's basketball)
- VfB Fortuna Chemnitz (football)
- Post SV Chemnitz (swimming)
- Schwimmclub Chemnitz v. 1892 e.V. (swimming)
- TSV Einheit Süd Chemnitz (swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, skittles)
- ERC Chemnitz e.V. (ice hockey, skater hockey)
- CTC-Küchwald (tennis)
- Floor Fighters Chemnitz (floorball)
- ESV LOK Chemnitz (luge)
- Chemnitzer EC (figure skating, ice dancing, curling)
- Chemnitz Crusaders (American football)
- Tower Rugby Chemnitz (rugby)
- SV Eiche Reichenbrand (football)
- USG Chemnitz e.V. abt Cricket Club (cricket)
Notable People
[1] Many interesting people have come from Chemnitz, including:
- Paul Oswald Ahnert (1897–1989), an astronomer
- Michael Ballack (born 1976), a famous German footballer who used to be captain of the German national team
- Marianne Brandt (1893–1983), an artist and designer
- Valery Bykovsky (1934–2019), a Soviet cosmonaut
- C418 (real name Daniel Rosenfeld, born 1989), a music producer known for Minecraft music
- Carl Hahn (1926–2023), a businessman who led the Volkswagen Group
- Richard Hartmann (1809-1878), an important business owner
- Sigmund Jähn (1937–2019), the first German astronaut
- John Kluge (1921–2010), a German-American billionaire
- Anja Mittag (born 1985), a footballer who won the World Cup in 2007
- Frei Otto (1925–2015), an architect who designed the Munich Olympic Park
- Katarina Witt (born 1965), a famous figure skater
- Matthias Schweighöfer (born 1981), an actor and film director
- Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884–1976), a painter and graphic artist
- Matthias Steiner (born 1982), an Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting
- Luise Emilie Tschersich (born 1998) an actress
Twin Towns – Sister Cities
Chemnitz has "twin city" relationships with many cities around the world. This means they share culture and ideas.
Tampere, Finland (1961)
Ljubljana, Slovenia (1966)
Arras, France (1967)
Timbuktu, Mali (1968)
Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic (1970)
Łódź, Poland (1972)- Mulhouse, France (1981)
Manchester, England, UK (1983)
Volgograd, Russia (1988)
Düsseldorf, Germany (1988)
Akron, United States (1997)
Taiyuan, China (1999)
Kiryat Bialik, Israel (2022)
|
See also
In Spanish: Chemnitz para niños
