map

Chemnitz, the capital city of the governmental district Chemnitz of the state of Saxony, is situated at an altitude of309 m on the river Chemnitz. The first mention of Chemnitz (locus Kameniz dictus) dates from 1143. The Benedictine monastery Sankt Marien already had been founded in 1136. The town itself was founded by Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa around 1165/70. Already around 1200 it seemed to have the status of a town. The town fortifications were first mentioned in 1264. Clothmaking became an important factor during the 14th century, followed by mining in the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), Chemnitz was almost completely destroyed and it took more than 5 decades to rebuilt the town. The opening of the first cotton mills in 1799 and 1800 revolutionized the clothmaking industry in the town. During the 19th century, manufacturing systems engineering and industrial production became so important, that Chemnitz was nicknamed the 'Saxon Manchester'. In 1883, Chemnitz already had 100,000 inhabitants. A bomb raid on 5 March 1945 destroyed almost two thirds of the town. Aftert the war, only few parts of the historic town were rebuilt, most parts of the town were rebuilt in 'modern' architecture conforming to the guidelines of the rulers of the German Democratic Republic. In 1953, Chemnitz was renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt. After the reunification of Germany in 1989, the population decided in referendum in 1990 to use the old name Chemnitz again.

The Schlosskirche [top] was built in 1499–1525 in place of the odler Romanesque church of the Benedictine monastery. After the dissolution of the monastery in 1540/41, the monastery was transformed into a castle for Elector Moritz of Saxony in 1548/49. The castle itself deteriorated after the 17th century. The growing population during the late 19th century was the reason for an extensive remodelling of the church which started in 1870 and ended with the completion of the tall spire (86.5 m) in 1898. After the destructions of World War II and the neglection during the post-War era, the renovation of the church was finished in 1994. The Neo-Gothic spire of 1898 (which is depicted on th glass), however, was not rebuilt. Only the lower part (50 m) was renovated and received a new, simple roof. One of the treasures of the church is the Hostage Column of Hans Witten dating from around 1515. The magnificent north portal of 1504–1525 of Hans Witten and Franz Maidburg has been transferred to the interior of the church for its protection in 1973.

The König-Albert-Museum [bottom left] was built in 1906–1909. It was named for King Albert of Saxony (1828–1902; King 1873).

The Opera House [bottom right] was built in Neo-Baroque style in 1906–1909. Its original name was 'Neues Theater' (new theater) or 'Neues Stadttheater' (new municipal theatre). The famous tenor Richard Tauber was director of the theatre from 1912 until 1930. In 1925 the theatre was renamed 'Opernhaus'. The building was almost completely destroyed in 1945. The opera house was then rebuilt in 1949–1951 as a modern theatre using the remains of the original exterior walls. In 1988–1992 the exterior was restored to the original designs, and the theatre was extended by a functional building.

The Petrikirche (parish church of St. Peter) [near left, no.1547: right] was built in 1883–1888 in Neo-Gothic style. The tall spire has a height of 82 m. During the bomb raids 1945, which had destroyed the neighboring opera house, the church remained almost unharmed. In 1987 the structure had deteriorated so much that the church had to be closed. After renovation works, which started in 1992, the church could be reopened in 1998.

The Old Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) [near left, no.2399: backgrouind left] was built between 1496 and 1498 in place of older, wooden constructions which before that time had burnt to the ground several times 1379, 1389 and 1395). The old town hall was rebuilt several times, notably in the Baroque period in 1746. On the 5th of May 1945 the old town hall was destroyed during the bomb raid of Chemnitz; only the vaultings of the vaultings of the first upper floor withstood the ensuing fire. Between 1947 and 1951 the old town hall was reconstructed with the addition of a further upper floor. At the same occasion, the so-called Judith-Lukretia-Portal of 1559, which originally was part of a patrician's house on the market square, was incorpoarted into the side of the old town hall after 1921. During the reconstruction of the old town hall after World War II the porch was moved to the front of the building.

The High Tower (Hoher Turm) [near left, no.2399: second tower from the left] was probably built already around 1200 when it formed a part of the town's fortifications. In March 1946 the tower collapsed and its ruins were demolished. The lower parts of the tower were reconstructed together with the old town hall in the late 1940s. It took until 1986 that the upper part with the baroque roof were reconstructed. Since 1990 the High Tower is again the domain of a tower keeper.

The New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) [near left, no.2399: right] is the third town hall of Chemnitz. It was built in 1907–1911 to a design of the architect Richard Möbius. The complex was built in place of a number of historic buildings, notably a Latin school of the 14th century, of which one porch was conservde and was incorporated into the new building. In 1945 both the new town hall also was destroyed together with about 90% of the historic city of Chemnitz. After the war, the new town hall was reconstructed. New wall and ceiling paintings according to historic examples were added in 1990.

The famous painter Karl SCHMIDT-ROTTLUFF (1884–1976) was born in Rottluff near Chemnitz. In 1905, he founded the artists' group 'die Brücke' ('the Bridge') in Dresden together with Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Erich Heckel. Schmidt-Rottluff is one of the most important painters of the expressionist period. During the Nazi era, his paintings were confiscated and he was banned from painting. In 1946, he received the honorary citizenship of Chemnitz.

Further sons of Chemnitz are the well-known German writers Stefan HEYM, Peter HÄRTLING and Stephan HERMLIN.