SIGHTGEIST No. 7 (Auszug)

SightGeist The Saxony Magazine Chrome and Curves The Peaceful Revolution Out of the Frame

NEWS

E v en t s

S t o r i es

No. 7

Welcome

Benefit from our first-class location: Leipziger Messe in the heart of Europe offers a persuasive choice with trade fair expertise that has evolved over the centuries, ideal infrastructure and transport links as well as perfect logistics. This dynamic economic region is shaped by prestigious companies. And the cosmopolitan city of Leipzig welcomes its guests with a magnificent range of hotels, gastronomy and culture on offer.

Bringing together all of the adventages of Leipzig as a location for you - this is what Leipziger Messe does.

www.leipziger-messe.com

Making History Remember when the Berlin Wall came down? It was perhaps the most joyful moment in German history. But by this time, the East Germans’ fight for freedom had already been won. The real battlegrounds were in Leipzig, where peace prayers in St. Nicholas’ Church turned into demonstrations against the oppressive regime of the former German Democratic Republic. On 9 October 1989, 70,000 peaceful demonstrators took to the streets of Leipzig, expecting a violent reaction from the Communist leaders. Miraculously, the amassed security forces were told to retreat and the government’s power crumbled. One month later, the Berlin Wall also fell. Twenty-five years after, it is time to look back at this chain of events that started in Saxony and created a new Germany.

While Dresden also had its share in this so-called “Peaceful Revolution”, another revolution took place here in the early 20th century. A group of mostly Saxon-born artists founded a group called “Die Brücke”, meaning “The Bridge”, referring to Nietzsche, who claimed that a man should be a bridge, not an end. With the aim of freeing themselves from the conventions dictated by the art academies and the rest of the establishment, these artists aspired to a simple way of life, making frequent excursions to the picturesque countryside around Moritzburg. Their two-dimensional compositions with strong contours and bright colours were considered “degenerate” art by the Nazi regime. Today, however, their legacy is treasured around the world and it is most rewarding to walk in the footsteps of “Die Brücke” in Saxony.

Just a few years ago, Meissen was only known for its tableware as the oldest porcelain manufactory in Europe. But today, Meissen has spread its wings and its famous trademark, the blue crossed swords, can be found on many other luxury goods that make the home a special place.

Saxony’s cuisine used to be among the best in Europe. A group of high-class chefs has now revived Saxony’s culinary traditions and added a new twist. Another more recent tradition is the annual “Saxony Classic” car rally that takes vintage cars to the places where fine automobiles are created today by Volkswagen and Porsche in Dresden, Leipzig and Zwickau. With deep respect for the past, but his eyes fixed firmly on the future, master builder Hans Erlwein, who died much too young in a car accident 100 years ago, created buildings in Dresden that were both modern and traditional. And this is what Saxony still is today.

Enjoy the read!

Hans-Jürgen Goller Editorial Director SIGHTGEIST 3

06

Kaleidoscope

Contents 03

Editorial

06 Kaleidoscope News and events

14

The Peaceful Revolution Birth of a reunited German nation

24

Luxury @ Home Meissen multiplies its DNA

36

Chrome and Curves A nostalgic tour through “Autoland Saxony”

52

Passion for Fashion Shirts that suit you

14

60 United nations

A Royal Feast Rediscovering Saxony`s culinary tradition

74

Looking Back to the Future Dresden´s master builder Hans Erlwein

84

These Boots Are Made for Flying Rass is the brand of champions

92

The Illuminators Exclusive hand-made lamps from Saxony

100

Out of the Frame “Die Brücke” revolutionised art

112

Cultural Highlights Festival Calendar 2014/2015

122

24

New directions

Imprint

36

52

Beautiful parade

74

Upholding tradition

92

In a different light

Unbuttoned

“Modern and traditional�

100 60

Traditiolicious

84

Bridge to utopia

Magic boots

112

Saxony on stage

The Peaceful

Revolution Birth of a reunited German nation

Those present will probably never forget the insistent, tumultuous

occurrence was an unheard of act of courage in 1989 in former

but by no means ominous noise that engulfed the city of Leipzig on

East Germany. The people of Leipzig, who had long been sup-

the evening of 9 October 1989. It was the sound of 70,000 people

pressed by an overbearing and arrogant regime, and who now

demonstrating peacefully. First tentatively, then more determined-

collectively recognised their rights as citizens, vented their dissat-

ly, until finally they linked arms and marched along Leipzig’s in-

isfaction spontaneously in a wave of protests. They demonstrated

ner city ring road past several of the main government buildings,

their free will for all the world to see. In doing so, they were well

blocking the entire road. With their courage and commitment,

aware of the risks they were taking. They marched against an

the people of Leipzig paved the way for democratic change.

armed power that had indicated in the preceding days with cryptic statements in the local press that they were prepared to use

Now, a quarter of a century after the event, demonstrations have

force against their own people if necessary. How courageous and

become something we take for granted and accept as an expres-

how desperate the protesters must have been to take to the streets

sion of the people’s will. But what is today considered a normal

in the face of such intimidation!

It would fill a minute-by-minute report of the events of 9 October 1989 to fully capture the explosive atmosphere, the risks taken by the protagonists and the hasty efforts of cool-headed peacemakers to deescalate the situation. An appeal drawn up jointly by six prominent figures from Leipzig on the afternoon of that day and read over local radio by Kurt Masur, the widely respected conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, urging the people to keep the peace, brought some relief. It sent the right signals, but it was not yet clear what turn events would take. There was some hope of resolving the deadlock and a noncommittal offer of talks with the discontented demonstrators, but nothing more.

The situation was highly volatile, with events transpiring in the space of just a few minutes. The armed forces had already fired up the engines of their personnel carriers when the vast crowds taking part in the regular Monday prayers surged out of St. Nicholas’ Church in Leipzig, holding candles in their hands, to form a spontaneous protest march. The people were prepared for the worst, but at the decisive moment, the engines of the armoured vehicles fell silent. Not a single shot was fired, not one windowpane broken. There was no stopping or holding back the crowds of protesters. Leipzig was experiencing the dawn of a peaceful revolution.

The Central Committee of the governing Socialist Unity Party in Berlin, which just hours before had been bombarded with calls for advice on how to restore order from local officials who did not know what to do, remained silent in cowering confusion. Instead, Leipzig acted. Power changed hands and was taken up by the peaceful demonstrators on the city’s streets.

SIGHTGEIST 17

German President Joachim Gauck was a special guest at the Festival of Lights in 2013.

At this point the clamour became audible, an electrifying sound,

Now, 48 hours later, 70,000 citizens of Leipzig were revolting

not of chanted slogans at first, but of the calm determination of

and hurling accusations at the leaders of the oppressive state

protesters who were no longer prepared to tolerate the circum-

party: “You and your handpicked cronies can celebrate your-

stances under which they were forced live. They demanded

selves as much as you like, but never forget one thing: We are

change. And then, for the first time, a cry rang out that was both

the people!” To the power-hungry bureaucrats in Berlin, this

an expression of self-assurance by the allegedly powerless people

behaviour was so outrageous that in their surprise, they actually

and a warning to the apparently powerful rulers, encapsulated in

hoped the discontent would finally erupt. Although they took

the briefest, proudest and most insistent conviction: “Wir sind

an interest in the authentic accounts of events from Leipzig,

das Volk!” – We are the people.

because official accounts initially were sparse, the members of the power elite believed themselves to be firmly in charge. They

That evening in Leipzig went down in history. It triggered an

underestimated the force that could be unleashed by the wrath

avalanche of events, culminating in the reunification of Ger-

of the people. With their accustomed arrogance, they intended

many and the end of the confrontation between the hostile

to simply ignore their demands. They could not know that just

blocs at the heart of Europe. What was happening in the city

four weeks later in Berlin, at the centre of their rapidly crum-

in Saxony took the strictly centralistic command of the East

bling power, the Wall itself would come down. In their hubris,

German regime in Berlin by surprise. Just two days before, the

they did not want to see that the events in Leipzig, East Ger-

Central Committee had celebrated the 40th anniversary of the

many’s second-largest city, would be the proverbial straw that

German Democratic Republic with much pomp and ceremony.

broke the camel’s back.

18 SIGHTGEIST

St. Nicholas’ Church – A place of prayer then as now

Leipzig at the time was an important economic hub that struggled

or products demonstrating the international standing of Western

to maintain its position on the world market by producing goods

firms, behind which the East trailed hopelessly. During the trade

for export. But Leipzig was also a globally renowned trade fair city.

fairs, Air France’s Concorde regularly appeared in the skies over

Twice a year, local citizens and international guests converged

Leipzig, further kindling people’s desire to travel to faraway plac-

at these eagerly anticipated events, swelling Leipzig’s population

es. It was the same with the Book Fair. Western publishers pre-

temporarily to the size of a megacity. Leipzig’s trade fairs brought

sented coveted publications at the event which were well-known

the spirit and aura of the wider world to Saxony, or the “prov-

in the East but not published there for ideological reasons. How

inces”, as it was often disparagingly referred to by the bureaucrats

often did Western staff reluctantly turn a blind eye when the odd

in Berlin. The trade fairs posed a seemingly unresolvable conflict

copy disappeared illicitly into Eastern pockets at great risk, never

that the regime deeply mistrusted and found hard to endure: They

to see the Book Fair again? Intellectual theft was not pretty, but

were a useful and urgently needed link between East and West

it was pretty subversive.

on one hand, but encouraged free-spirited discussion and brought in highly coveted goods on the other. At the trade fairs, major

These wonderfully exhilarating days during the trade fairs of-

Western brands presented their latest automotive designs, which

fered the people of Leipzig the opportunity to glimpse for a

increasingly highlighted the gap to the GDR’s home-grown Tra-

short period of time a world that was otherwise closed to them.

bant from year to year. In addition, East German visitors were

This put the city in a privileged position. Nowhere else could

exposed to a wide array of highly sought-after goods, either those

Easterners and Westerners fraternize and get to know each oth-

produced by the humble East German economy for export only,

er better in such an intense and relaxed atmosphere.

SIGHTGEIST 19

Left: Typical images towards the end of the German Democratic Republic – long queues in front of shops, houses left to ruin and the special appeal of exotic fruits Right: An impression of the Festival of Lights 2009 on Augustusplatz square in front of the Opera House

For one week during the spring fair and one week during the

autumn fair, the door was opened and then slammed shut again.

Over time, the endless repetition of liberty followed by restraint provoked feelings of resentment. Surely it must be possible to live a life as unconstrained as during the trade fair, or even freer, all the time? This unbearable back and forth between being cut off from the world and then warily, suspiciously, being given a taste of freedom, stoked the fires of discontentment. It was further aggravated by the pride the people of Leipzig felt for their history and their love of the city, which was falling more and more into decline because the government was unwilling or unable financially to preserve what was worth protecting. Ultimately, the trade fairs were nothing more than a facade. They seemed doomed to collapse and this drove the people to desperation.

So began the oppressively hot summer of 1989. Hungary was already in the process of dismantling its border fortifications to Austria. That year, a growing number of East Germans had gone to Lake Balaton on their annual holiday and never returned to their small, increasingly grim home country. Those who stayed began to put their heads together and consider alternatives. But anything that even smelled of reform was denounced by the stony-faced, coldly silent “politburocrats” who claimed leadership of the country and yet were unable to act. In the midst of this paralysing inaction, in early August 1989, a succinct notice appeared in the daily newspaper "Neues Deutschland" announcing that in due course, the city of Leipzig was considering applying to host the summer Olympic Games. Originally intended as a propagandistic tactic to avoid the delicate question for the GDR of holding joint Olympic Games in the divided city of Berlin, the announcement did not nourish the civic pride of Leipzig’s citizens as hoped, but rather intensified the feeling that state leaders had finally lost their sense of reality. After that, things came to a head. The desperate cries of “We want to get out” were drowned out by the more defiant chant “We are staying here” from people who were fiercely determined to change the situation. It was still unclear how they were going to manage it, but as dissatisfaction grew, concepts were drawn up in secret to find a solution to the problem.

20 SIGHTGEIST

It was trade fair time again in Leipzig. On the second day, as every

changed. Photographs exist of what took place on 9 October,

Monday, a service was held in St. Nicholas’ Church to pray for

1989 in Leipzig, as do plenty of film recordings, but overall the

peace, drawing supporters with the simple invitation of being

number of images of these unprecedented events does not com-

“Open to all”. This time, Western correspondents who had come

pare with the abundance of material on the fall of the Berlin Wall

to Leipzig for the trade fair were waiting in front of the church.

one month later, when scores of journalists became witnesses and

The mindless, brutal plain-clothed security personnel promptly

chroniclers of an emotional and historical moment. However,

gave them the pictures they wanted and then broadcast around

it was the demonstrations in Plauen, where dissatisfaction first

the world: Aggressive action against a few demonstrators who felt

flared up in Saxony, the trains with refugees from the Prague Em-

the full physical blow just as they were about to unroll their home-

bassy which were routed via Dresden in an act of complete igno-

made banners. It was humiliating and depressing. On the Mondays

rance at the behest of Politburo officials, and finally the Monday

that followed, the number of peaceful demonstrators converging

demonstrations in Leipzig, which irrevocably heralded the end

at St. Nicholas’ Church swelled from a few at first to an increas-

of the GDR. The stones that caused the Berlin Wall to fall were

ingly sizable number. Powerless to act, the regime responded with

pulled from its foundations in Saxony.

anger as well as aggression, but it refused to enter into talks. The autumn trade fair was over and the Western correspondents had

In the quarter of a century that has since passed, the Free State of

returned home. This was the state of affairs on 9 October 1989.

Saxony has gained new acclaim. The memory of autumn 1989 is an important part of the state’s identity and was decisive in trig-

The events of that day are engrained above all in the memories

gering many subsequent changes. Germany has not seen many

of the 70,000 who had the courage to take to the streets before

successful revolutions in its long history, but the Peaceful Revo-

the number of participants in the Monday protest marches began

lution of 1989, when the people demonstrated their uncompro-

growing, first to 100,000 and then to 300,000 from all over the

mising will, was one of its moments of glory. And it all began in

region in the following weeks. By then, the world had already

Leipzig, in Saxony!

TravelInfo How to get there By air: Leipzig-Halle Airport Non-stop flights every day from Istanbul, Paris, Zurich and Vienna, four days a week from London Stansted, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Munich By rail: direct ICE connections from almost all German cities By car and coach: via motorways A9, A14 Where to stay and eat Hotel Marriott Leipzig Situated between one of Europe’s largest railway stations and the wonderful historic shopping arcade, Hotel Marriott welcomes visitors of all nations. The hotel offers firstclass service and modern amenities. www.marriott.com

22 SIGHTGEIST

Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof Behind the historic facade of a former trade fair building is now a modern luxury hotel.

It boasts elegant rooms and suites as well as a spacious lobby bar, wine store and the brasserie “Le Grand”. www.steigenberger.com What to do St. Nicholas’ Church, Leipzig St. Nicholas’ Church is Leipzig’s largest church. This is where the Peaceful Revolution started in autumn 1989, heralding the end of the former German Democratic Republic and leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, and the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990. www.nikolaikirche-leipzig.de Museum in the “Round Corner”, Leipzig The former district headquarters of the “Stasi”, the secret service of the former East German regime, in Leipzig now houses a memorial museum on the history, structure and methods of the Stasi. Since August 1990, the museum has housed a permanent exhibition entitled “Stasi – Power and Banality”. www.runde-ecke-leipzig.de

Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig A permanent exhibition in this museum is dedicated to the history of dictatorship, resistance and moral courage in the Soviet occupied zone and the German Democratic Republic. It also covers the Peaceful Revolution and the unification process. On 2,000 m² of space divided into twelve sections, the exhibition presents 3,200 exhibits including photos, documents, objects and media. www.hdg.de/leipzig Leipzig Festival of Lights The Festival of Lights has been held every year in Leipzig on 9 October since 2009 at original historic locations such as Augustusplatz square or the inner city ring. This project bringing together art and the people of Leizpig often attracts over a hundred thousand visitors. As an event to commemorate the Peaceful Revolution, it combines active participation with dignified remembrance, giving visitors a shared experience and reviving the concept of freedom and a sense of community. www.leipziger-freiheit.de/en/ festival-of-lights

www.leipzig.travel Richard Strauss – the Cycle 03/04 – 04/07/2014

25 Years Peaceful Revolution and Leipzig Festival of Lights, 09/10/2014

Gondwanaland

www.gewandhaus.de

www.leipziger-freiheit.de

www.zoo-leipzig.de

Luxury@ Home Meissen multiplies its DNA

Meissen has influenced German dining culture more than any other company in the past three centuries with its porcelain tableware and patterns. Now, its traditional designs are making an impact in the world of interiors.

What more impressive and distinct setting for luxury interiors than an Italian renaissance palazzo in Milan? In VILLA MEISSEN®, visitors can experience and sense the special aura of Meissen porcelain.

The scaly shimmering golden body twists and turns, snake-like,

seeming to glide upwards. Feet with eagle-sharp claws, a mane like tongues of fire. The long tail is coiled like a lizard’s, a long, thin tongue slithers from the sharp-toothed jaws, and devilish eyes follow a pearl encircled by fire. The customer runs her fingers tentatively over the elaborately woven, fine black fabric, tracing the writhing body of the mythical creature. On another rail, she caresses an iridescent white fabric covered with fine, golden, intersecting curved lines: Two intertwined swords, with facing hilts and cross-guards, the curved blades touching, crossing and meeting again at the weapon’s most lethal point, the tip of the blade.

They are Meissen swords, unmistakable, woven into the fabric in continuous arabesques.

MEISSEN’s precious DNA

The crossed swords have long been the trademark of Meissen,

Three hundred years of Meissen porcelain are a commitment

the prestigious and internationally famous porcelain manufac-

– to tradition, to superior artistic competence, to true beauty,

turer founded in 1710. They originated from the coat of arms

style, timeless design, fine materials and, above all, to high-

worn by the electors of Saxony and were chosen as the com-

quality craftsmanship. After two world wars and the political

pany’s signet as early as the 18th century to set it apart from

upheavals of the 20th century, the company that has been

other European manufacturers. Ever since, these two feudal

managed under the name Staatliche Porzellan Manufaktur

weapons have gracefully joined crossed blades as the company’s

Meissen GmbH since 1991 is facing a new challenge in the

hallmark and as decoration on all pieces of Meissen porcelain:

21st century. Demand for traditional porcelain tableware has

on coffee and tea sets, on plates, bowls, vases and ashtrays, su-

dropped dramatically, and many porcelain manufacturers have

shi plates and more. For some years now, they have also graced

gone bankrupt. Traditional handcrafts are laborious and costly,

other Meissen products.

and many brands today rely on industrial production or have moved their production operations to low-wage countries.

Meissen, too, is striking out in new directions, but it is doing so without betraying its name, which has earned a reputation as a premium brand of world renown thanks to 300 years of traditional craftsmanship. The company intends to live up to the high standards of the legend it embodies in the future, too.

Meissen has always been an expensive luxury brand, and it plans to continue as such in future.

SIGHTGEIST 29

The designs blend timeless European and Asian style.

Beauty, rarity and utility – three qualities that an object must

and 6,000 decorative designs. The intention was not to throw

possess to awaken human desire, according to the alchemist Jo-

traditional values overboard in favour of new trends, but rather

hann Friedrich Böttger, who produced the first European por-

to extend the company’s horizons and take traditional Meissen

celain in 1708 for Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony. In

craftsmanship not only into the living room, but also into a new

recent years, Meissen GmbH has begun setting a new course by

era with classic and timeless designs.

adding new product lines to its collection. Its MEISSEN Fine Art®, MEISSEN Joaillerie® and MEISSEN HOME® brands have

Meissen designs, moulds and handmade and painted porcelain

captured the markets for jewellery and fashion, architecture

elements can be found in the new, elaborately crafted furniture

and interior design. True to Böttger’s principle and loyal to its

and accessories, but in different forms. The company’s history,

tradition of craftsmanship, Meissen has transformed itself into

traditions and origins are evident everywhere, but subtly: The

an international lifestyle brand. In revamping its image and

cushions, rugs, lamp shades, chairs and sofas, paravents and

expanding into other markets, the company aims to win new

fabrics embellished with variations of Meissen’s famous crossed

clientele. It also wants to persuade the next, younger generation

swords or Ming dragon link the past to the present by incorpo-

to buy the Meissen brand, in particular the products outside its

rating the designs as graphic motifs.

traditional product segment of tableware.

Under the MEISSEN HOME® brand, Meissen has been producing furniture, accessories and fabric collections for superior living, dining and bedroom interiors as well as classical porcelain tableware since spring 2012. Every object made by Meissen continues to carry the company’s “DNA”, as Creative Director Markus Hilzinger calls it. After all, they are part of Meissen’s cultural history. Of course, in expanding its product range to include interior design, the company was able to fall back on the exceptional wealth of experience gained with Meissen porcelain, including 10,000 formulations for colours, 700,000 moulds

SIGHTGEIST 31

Similarly, the “Geometric” ornamental pattern symbolically in-

corporated into many of the new fabrics and rugs is based on the mosaics on the floors of Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen as a reference to the manufactory’s historic origins. Porcelain inlays in tables and chairs or the “Cascade” chandelier comprising long, delicate porcelain tiles with the crossed swords subtly embossed across them make the transition through the use of the original material. Meissen’s historic designs and materials can be found in many details throughout the collection.

The sweeping, curved form of the Meissen swords can also be seen in chair legs and table frames. A round table is set on a base comprising a mesh of solid bronze swords with porcelain inlays. Many of the pieces of furniture feature crackle lacquer that produces extremely fine cracks and fissures in the surface and was originally used in China as a porcelain finish. “The leather cushions are hand-painted in-house by porcelain artists who are specialised in leather and silk painting,” explains Maurice Lange, Product Manager for MEISSEN HOME® DECO. The products owe their unique quality to the company’s long tradition of craftsmanship and the designs from its archives dating back to the 18th century. MEISSEN HOME® collectibles blend tradition with innovation. Meissen has managed to successfully transfer its hand-made porcelain, its highly valued art of hand painting and its surface finishing and design expertise from tableware to interior design, all with great attention to detail and an appreciation for subtle hues.

A look back on Meissen’s history reveals that this new path is not so new after all. Back in the days of Augustus the Strong, the company also produced jewellery from porcelain, interior design in the form of vases and large animal sculptures. It even made furniture that was presented at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893.

By reviving old virtues and capturing new business segments, Meissen hopes not only to attract new clientele, but also to introduce them to the company’s traditional products by way of the new brands: A customer who buys a ring today might purchase a table top sculpture tomorrow, and someone who acquires a dining table from MEISSEN HOME® could soon place a Meissen dinner set on it.

32 SIGHTGEIST

Individual touches with loving attention to detail

VILLA MEISSEN ® in Milan According to an Italian proverb, “Tutte le strade conducono a

set in Palazzo Casa Carcassola, an historical renaissance building

Roma” or “All roads lead to Rome”. Or to Milan, in the case

in Via Montenapoleone, Milan’s famous luxury shopping mile. It

of Meissen. And what could provide a more impressive and

has been extensively converted and restored and now showcases

distinct setting for luxury interiors than an Italian renaissance

the exclusive MEISSEN HOME® collection in various rooms.

palazzo in the heart of Milan? To position itself in new and international markets, Meissen GmbH considered its profile in

VILLA MEISSEN® is a point of sale and a meeting point, as

countries outside Germany and how to present itself on the

well as a location for presentations and events. Here, custom-

international stage in the 21st century. The company decided

ers can experience MEISSEN HOME® and the Meissen aura:

in favour of sophisticated Milan, a city known for fashion, de-

Against the backdrop of the palazzo’s remarkable architecture,

sign and trade fairs, and home to the world’s foremost furniture

they can stroll through the bright rooms furnished entirely with

exhibition, the annual “Salone Internazionale del Mobile”,

MEISSEN HOME® interior design, look up at the ceilings high

as the venue for launching the new MEISSEN Joaillerie® and

above their heads, adorned with elaborate frescos painted by

HOME brands.

students of Raphael during the Italian rinascimento, and dis-

®

cover what makes the traditional Meissen brand so unique, stylIn April 2012, MEISSEN® Italia, the Italian subsidiary of Meissen

ish and valuable. “The inauguration of VILLA MEISSEN® is a

GmbH, opened VILLA MEISSEN in Milan to coincide with the

seminal event in our long history, one that reinforces our ambi-

launch of the MEISSEN HOME® brand. VILLA MEISSEN® is

tion to be a German luxury brand of international standing, and

®

34 SIGHTGEIST

one that can be seen as paving the way for the further global expansion of MEISSEN®,” says Dr. Christian Kurtzke, Chief Executive Officer of Meissen.

Indeed, looking back today, the opening of VILLA MEISSEN can be considered a milestone in the expansion of the Meissen brand. In 2013, MEISSEN® UK, the company’s British subsidiary, opened its first MEISSEN HOME® boutique in Great Britain in Harrods, a luxury store in London. The company also launched a showroom in Dresden in 2013. New boutiques were opened in Beirut, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and in Riad in Saudi Arabia.

And so, Meissen is multiplying its DNA in every respect, and we can only agree when Meissen claims that Elector Augustus the Strong, the often cited founder of Meissen porcelain, would have been overjoyed.

Chrome and Curves A nosta lgic tour through “Autol an d Sa xony ”

Horch 853 built in 1937 and driven by Prof. Dr. Hans Naumann, owner of Niles-Simmons-Hegenscheidt

Stopover in Chemnitz Museum of Industry: from right to left – a BMW 501 from 1953, an EMW 327/2 from 1952, a Skoda 1101 Tudor from 1948, an Austin A 40 from 1952 and a Porsche 911 Targa from 1969

On the road in the Ore Mountains, in the foreground an Alfa Romeo 6 C 1750 Gran Sport from 1930

The rally starts in Zwickau: On the left a Ford A Speedster from 1930, on the right a Horch 853 built in 1937.

Zwickau in West Saxony on a perfect summer day in August

2013. A stroll through the town’s main square is like paging through the history of the automobile: Over 180 hand-picked classic cars, each representing an individual chapter from the book, have been on display at the annual Saxony Classic car rally for eleven years. The chugging and firing of the engines echoes off the historic facades. For the automotive enthusiasts gathered here, the sound is more than just a noise made by old machines: It is music to their ears, rich in traditional tones and strongly influenced by modern accents.

The rally is a museum on wheels with exhibits that are not fusty

it in a new form in the present. This German state that was virtu-

and outmoded, but full of colour and life. The convoy of mobile

ally hidden from the world behind the Iron Curtain until 1989 is

artefacts travels over 600 km through Saxony, along roads lined

today a production location for global market leaders like BMW,

with people cheering. The long, elegantly curved fenders of the

Porsche and Volkswagen. And that is no coincidence.

vehicles mirror the idyllic, rolling hills of the Ore Mountains.

Most Saxons go into raptures on the subject of cars. The angular,

Ever since industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries, Sax-

chunky engine hoods are a tell-tale sign of the power underneath

ons have had a burning interest in everything that moves, and

them. Some of the oldest vehicles are like fortresses on wheels,

above all in things that roll, are powerful and embody the zeit-

encasing their drivers in tons of sheet steel. They command re-

geist. Machines, engines, and motor vehicles on two, four or more

spect, just like the castles and fortresses found throughout this

wheels: Saxons build motorcycles, cars and steam locomotives

region. Each car is unique. The beauty of the technology and

with passion and enthusiasm. Ingenuity, diligence and engineer-

scenery is what matters over these three, glorious days in August

ing skill are typically Saxon. Of course the people here love to

at the Saxony Classic.

hear themselves described in this way too. Not only because it is flattering, but because it is true.

Saxons have cars in their genes

This is why the long retinue of cars in the Saxony Classic is so eagerly anticipated and welcomed every year. In 2014, it is

Is it all just a big show? Not for Saxons. They don’t see it as a

being held for the 12th time. While the spectators are duly im-

spectacle in the superficial sense. These people in the heart of Eu-

pressed by the Italian curves of a red Ferrari or the nobility of

rope have petrol in their blood! Saxons have cars in their genes,

a Bentley, an elegant Horch or a sporty pre-war Audi elicits

as many say, just like the Swabians in southwest Germany, where

that sense of pride that makes Saxons so Saxon. It is pride that

the history of the automobile began with the Mercedes Benz. In

comes from being part of automotive history. These days, no one

Saxony, automotive pioneer August Horch established a second,

is ashamed any more of the Trabant, the flimsy “cardboard car”

independent line. But tradition here in Saxony does not mean

produced for 40 years in the East German planned economy.

exhibits in a museum, although of course there are some of those

Saxons drive their VW Golfs or Passats today with the same

too, such as at the Horch Museum in Zwickau. For Saxons today,

enthusiasm as they did their Trabant back then. “They are built

tradition means keeping the best of the past alive and recreating

here by us,” Saxons like to say.

SIGHTGEIST 43

Saxony, home of the automobile Saxony today is one of the largest automotive hubs in Europe.

ligent logistics and high-tech manufacturing are milestones on

Following German Unification, Volkswagen was the first to in-

the road to the sustainable factory of the future.

vest in this new location, followed closely by BMW and Porsche.

VW has been building engines in Zwickau and Chemnitz since

But regardless of technical progress, one thing has not changed:

1990, and the luxury VW Phaeton has been rolling off the line

Every day, some 75,000 employees stream into the production fa-

in the company’s Transparent Factory in Dresden since 2002.

cilities of the three big manufacturers and the several hundred

BMW makes its 1 and 2 series coupés in Leipzig. In September

suppliers in Saxony. Saxony always was an industrial state, and

2013 it added the i3, a production-ready premium electric car

still is today. Investors and Saxons themselves are doing every-

with a carbon fibre body, which currently sets the standard in

thing they can to make sure it continues to be one in the future.

the global automotive market for electric drives. Production of the Porsche Macan started in Leipzig in February, the company’s

In planning the route every year, the organizers of the Saxony

third model series after the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sta-

Classic always include traditional locations as well as new produc-

tion wagon. Over half of all Porsche vehicles are now produced

tion sites. “Classic car drivers typically prefer picturesque, varied

in Leipzig. But Saxony not only sets standards when it comes to

routes,” says head organizer Harald Koepke. “And Saxony has

new vehicle models and types, but also in modern production

plenty of those. There is so much to discover here, and that is why

methods: Efficiency in resource and energy consumption, intel-

we plan a new route every year that blends automobile history with

culture and countryside in a new way.” And what countryside! The

In between, drivers in the Saxony Classic get to experience all

vehicles travel rural roads that do not dissect nature reserves, like

kinds of fascinating and informative aspects of Saxony’s more

the major highways do, but rather fit seamlessly into the idyllic

than 1,000 years of history and culture: Innumerable castles and

landscape. Perhaps this paints too harmonious a picture of this

fortresses, baroque palaces, picturesque towns, vast structures and

modern industrial region. But then again, maybe Saxony is just

monuments to technology. Spectacular Saxon highlights await

a good example of how compatible industry and infrastructure,

the participants along almost every mile of the route. For example

social development and environmental protection can be.

the Göltzsch Viaduct. More than 150 years ago, the Saxons erected the world’s largest brick-built bridge. Trains crossing Göltzsch

Exploring 1,000 years of history

valley in the Vogtland region pass over 26 million bricks. No one had tried that before, nor have they done since. Saxons are not necessarily crazy about breaking records, just a little obsessed with

There are plenty of things to see on a summer tour of this kind

putting their ideas into action.

through Saxony. Drivers of convertibles get to enjoy them most.

They are rewarded with deep greens in the mountain forests of

Saxony’s industry, its products and architecture attest to the aspira-

the Vogtland, Ore Mountains and Upper Lusatia, or bizarre sand-

tions and skills of the people in the region’s cities and towns over

stone formations in Saxon Switzerland. The tour through the

centuries. They are all expressions of successful, forward thinking

cool, shady valleys of the Mulde and Zschopau rivers gives relief

and constant, tireless work. Saxony today still has the highest con-

from the summer heat, while the cultural metropolis of Dresden

centration of technical professionals and managers in Germany with

and the sun-drenched Saxon wine region along the Elbe River

54 engineers for every 1,000 residents. The people here work 1,474

have an almost Mediterranean flair.

hours per year on average, 86 hours above the national average.

SIGHTGEIST 45

A rest at midday in the courtyard of Augustusburg Castle near Chemnitz

Participants and spectators enjoy the beauty of technology and landscape in the Saxony Classic every year in August.

Left: A Wanderer Stromlinie Spezial from 1938, driven by Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, head of R&D at Audi

A love of precision Work creates prosperity. Today, 25 years after the fall of com-

munism, after years of steadfastly rebuilding the East German economy, Saxons as well as their guests from Germany and around the world recognize how unique the changes taking place here really are. Diligence breeds success, success brings recognition. And Saxons know exactly what they owe this to: the automobile. Saxons love their cars. They drive everywhere, no matter how far. Before a Saxon boards a plane, he checks twice to make sure he cannot get there by car. Perhaps this is why a classic car rally like the Saxony Classic, with its precise time controls and

Getting there is half the fun

above all its special stages, is perfectly suited to the region: Precision and persistence, two traits that Saxons love as technicians

All of the cars eventually cross the finishing line sometime dur-

and engineers – and that describe the cars in the Saxony Classic.

ing the third day. For some classic cars, the exertion is too much

But what would the history of the automobile be without the

and they thankfully accept the offer of a ride on the service vehi-

people behind the wheel? Many fans of the Saxony Classic are

cle. Some stages of the journey, like the 340-meter-long “Steile

themselves part of Saxony’s automotive past and present. In

Wand”, or “Sheer Face”, a road in Meerane with a 12% gradient,

2013, Prof. Carl H. Hahn took part again for the umpteenth time

demand all the 80 to 90-year-old cars have to give. This steep cob-

in a 1974 VW Porsche. As CEO of VW, he founded Volkswagen

blestone incline is a fascinating classic element and a competitive

Sachsen GmbH in 1990. He is highly esteemed in Saxony, and

gauge for uphill classification in international cycling events. It

even has schools named after him. As an initiator and motivator,

has become a legend for spectators and cyclists alike, and is a land-

he is a role model for children, the professionals of the future.

mark in the region. As a major attraction for visitors, the “Sheer Face” is therefore a mandatory leg of the classic car rally.

Starting positions in the Saxony Classic are highly sought-after among top managers at carmakers from Saxony and elsewhere in

It is hard to imagine a more stylish way to explore Saxony, the

Germany. What better way to demonstrate their commitment to

home of the automobile, than rolling along elegantly in a beauti-

tradition and affiliation to this special industry. The combina-

ful classic car in the Saxony Classic. From the Sachsenring race-

tion of driver and vehicle often has a symbolic significance, and

track and the spa town of Bad Elster in the Vogtland to the ma-

even expresses a symbiosis between tradition and contemporary

jestic Augustus Lodge in the Ore Mountains with its Motorcycle

technical progress. At the 2013 rally, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg and

Museum, on to the old MZ plant in Zschopau and the Museum

his wife Theresia drove a Wanderer Stromlinie built in Saxony in

of Industry in Chemnitz, participants in the 2013 event tell of

1938. Hackenberg is currently head of development at Audi AG

breathtaking views and unusual perspectives, happy adventures

in Ingolstadt in Bavaria; the Wanderer vehicle from Saxony is an

and new experiences. And they can do it again every year, but a

early example of modern aerodynamics.

little bit different each time.

SIGHTGEIST 49

A Fiat 520 Competizione from 1928

TravelInfo Zwickau With 100,000 inhabitants, Zwickau is the fourth largest city in the Free State of Saxony and the starting point for the Saxony Classic vintage car rally that takes place every year in August. www.zwickau.de How to get there By air: via airports in Dresden and Leipzig-Halle By rail: regional trains from Dresden, Leipzig and Nuremberg (Bavaria) By car and coach: via motorways A4 and A72

Where to stay and eat Hotel Holiday Inn Zwickau This four-star hotel set at the heart of the old town has been used by participants in the Saxony Classic for many years. www.holidayinn.de Zwickau Brewery This is where the Saxony Classic kicks off every year on the first evening of the rally.

The historic tavern serves home-brewed beer and simple food in a rustic atmosphere. www.brauhaus-zwickau.de (only in German) What to do August Horch Museum Zwickau The August Horch Museum is set on the original premises of Audi’s former factory in Zwickau. The museum presents the development of the automobile, not only for visitors with an interest in technology. More than 100 years of car history are brought to life here with loving attention to detail. www.horch-museum.de

50 SIGHTGEIST

Porsche Leipzig The customer centre at Porsche’s factory in Leipzig is an exciting event location set right next door to the production site for the new Macan. Visitors can find out all about Porsche here. There is also an on-road and an off-road track, where visitors can experience what it is like to drive a Porsche. www.porsche-leipzig.de Transparent Factory in Dresden Since 2001, Volkswagen’s luxury limousine, the Phaeton, has been produced in this factory in the centre of Dresden. Visitors can form their own impression on a guided tour.

Outstanding cultural events and concerts are also held regularly. www.glaesernemanufaktur.de

Dresden

Passionately romantic.

Highlights 2014 • 150th anniversary of Richard Strauss, Semperoper Dresden • „dance! Moves that move us“, exhibition at the German Hygiene Museum Dresden until 20th July • 250 years of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, a year of events • 175 years of the romance of the railway, 8th April to 28th September at the Transport Museum Dresden

· Photography © Sven Döring / Agentur Focus

• more highlights at www.dresden.de/highlights

Dresden.Marketing

Dresden

@DD_Marketing

Cultural Highlights 2014/15 Saxony is Germany’s no. 1 cultural destination.

The margraves, dukes, electors and kings of the Wettin dynasty who ruled Saxony for 832 years promoted the arts and music, built impressive palaces and even complete cities, and inspired in their people the joie de vivre visitors can still witness today. Saxony’s capital, Dresden, has risen again in all its Baroque splendour, its incredible art collections shining like the jewels in a crown. A journey through the musical history of Saxony is an encounter with great names and a rich musical legacy. It is possible to walk in the footsteps of famous musical instrument manufacturers, composers and musicians, not only in Leipzig, Saxony’s largest city, that has contributed to music history like no other place in Germany. Smaller romantic towns also impress with their historic architecture from Gothic to Art Nouveau, and with unexpected cultural highlights. By creating innovative art and music and presenting it in established or new locations, contemporary artists and musicians are busy building a tradition for the future.

SIGHTGEIST 113

Through 8 June The Bauhaus artist Marianne Brandt Exhibition in Villa Esche in Chemnitz. www.villaesche.de Through 3 August To Egypt! The Travels of Max Slevogt and Paul Klee Exhibition in the Albertinum, part of the Dresden State Art Collections. www.skd.museum Through 28 September Germany Becomes Mobile Anniversary exhibition on the inauguration of the Leipzig-Dresden railway 175 years ago. www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de Through 28 September Sit – Lie – Rock. Furniture by Thonet Special exhibition in Grassi Museum for Applied Art. www.grassimuseum.de Through 31 October A Story of STRONG WOMEN – 500 Years of Reformation Special exhibition at Rochlitz Castle all about Elisabeth of Rochlitz and women’s lives in the 16th century. www.schloss-rochlitz.de Through 30 November 22nd Festival of Sandstone and Music At this music festival, culture, music and breathtaking nature blend harmoniously.

The concerts are held at various venues in Saxon Switzerland – in churches, castles, palaces and quarries. www.sandstein-musik.de (in German only) Through December Organ Jubilee – High Class – High Classic Concerts performed on the world-famous instruments made by the great Saxon organ builder Johann Gottfried Silbermann at the most important organ and music festival in Central Germany. www.silbermann.org Through 31 December Leipzig 1813 – The Turmoil of the Battle of the Nations The largest 360° panorama picture in the world at Asisi Panometer presents a panorama of Leipzig during the Battle of the Nations. www.asisipanometer.de

17 May – 14 September Seasonal concerts on the open-air stage in Saxon Switzerland national park Musicals and theatre performances. www.felsenbuehne-rathen.de 17 May – 31 October The WORD in IMAGES Biblical illustrations of ceremonial weapons and objects of art owned by the Electors of Saxony in the age of the Reformation at Hartenfels Castle, Torgau. www.skd.museum until 18 Mai 44th International Dixieland Festival Every year in May, more than 500,000 Dixieland fans turn Dresden into the European capital of Dixieland. It is the longest-running old-time jazz festival in Europe. www.dixieland.de until 25 May Saxon Mozart Festival A Mozart festival with international partners. www.mozart-sachsen.de (in German only) 21 – 25 May Richard Wagner Festival Leipzig The festival culminates in the award ceremony for the Richard Wagner Prize and a performance of Wagner’s opera “Die Feen” (The Fairies) at Leipzig Opera House. www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de 21 – 25 May Görlitz Jazz Festival This festival combines live concerts presenting various jazz styles set against the exceptional urban space and architecture of a nearly 1000-year-old town. www.jazztage-goerlitz.de (in German only) 22 – 25 May 100 years of King Albert Theatre in Bad Elster Festivities to celebrate this major anniversary. www.koenig-albert-theater.de 23 – 25 May 23rd Weesensteiner Medieval Festival Medieval market with authentic handicrafts and trades. www.schloesserland-sachsen.de 23 May – 10 June Dresden Music Festival “Golden 20s” is the theme of this year’s international classical music festival with outstanding artists in atmospheric venues in and around Dresden. www.musikfestspiele.com

May 2014 June 2014 14 May Inauguration of the State Museum for Archaeology in Chemnitz Discovering culture – understanding history. A journey through 300,000 years of archaeology. www.smac.de

6 – 9 June Wave Gothic Festival This festival in Leipzig is one of the biggest events in the neo-romantic black metal scene. www.wave-gothic-treffen.de

13 – 22 June Bach Festival Leipzig In 2014 the festival takes as its theme the most important textbook and treatise by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, “Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments”, published in 1753. www.bach-leipzig.de 15 June – 3 August 23rd Centre of Europe Festival For several years now, this festival with its attractive programme has been dedicated to crossing borders in Central Europe. www.festival-mitte-europa.com 20 – 22 June 55th Plauen Lace Festival The town of Plauen in the heart of the Vogtland region is famous for its lace – delicate embroidery that attests to outstanding craftsmanship. www.plauen.de 21 and 22 June VII International Bagpipe Festival Bagpipe players, singers and dancers present a varied programme. www.folklorefestival-lausitz.de 26 – 29 June Freiberg Town Festival Central Saxony’s largest public festival with a traditional miners’ parade. www.freiberg-service.de 26 June – 24 August Film Nights on the Banks of the Elbe Directly on the river Elbe facing the impressive skyline of the Terrassenufer with its historic buildings, Dresden presents two months of open-air cinema with classic films as well as rock and pop concerts. www.filmnaechte-am-elbufer.de (in German only) 27 – 29 June Saxony State Church Congress and German Protestant Choir Festival The Protestant Lutheran state church celebrates the 475th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, among others with a church music festival and a choir festival. www.kirche-leipzig.de (in German only) 28 Jun – 30 August MDR Summer Music Festival The festival welcomes the best artists from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as stars of classical music from all over the world. www.mdr-musiksommer.de (in German only) 29 June – 5 July 32nd Torgau Festival of Protestant Church Music This festival week is characterized by diverse and original performances. First-rate international artists play church music from the Reformation to the present day. www.tic-torgau.de SIGHTGEIST 115

July 2014 July – August Monday Concerts at the Bach Monument Every Monday, a summer concert is held in Thomaskirchhof with music from Bach to blues performed by soloists, ensembles and orchestras. www.bachkonzerte.eu (in German only) 3 July – 10 August 19th Bautzen Theatre Festival Against an impressive backdrop in the courtyard of Ortenburg Castle in Bautzen, the German and Sorbian Volkstheater ensemble presents unique open-air shows. www.theater-bautzen.de 11 July – 19 October Elegant sheen. Silver from Art Nouveau to the Present Day Temporary exhibition in Grassi Museum for Applied Art www.grassimuseum.de 18 July – 4 August Lausitz Music Festival “Four Elements” Concerts in Bautzen and other venues in Upper Lusatia www.bautzen.de 18 July – 28 September Ostrale The theme of this year’s exhibition, “Around You”, is all about the artist’s vision of his or her social environment, of the many ways in which society is changing and of the questions that this entails. www.ostrale.de 31 July – 3 August 20th Saxonia International Balloon Fiesta Europe’s most fascinating and popular balloon event. www.balloonfiesta.de

August 2014 7 – 9 August Via Thea Görlitz/Zgorzelec International Street Theatre Festival: Renowned theatre groups from all over Europe and the world come here to perform. www.viathea.de (in German only) 9 – 24 August Moritzburg Festival Every year, around 25 renowned soloists and talented young musicians meet in Moritzburg and Proschwitz to work together on new interpretations of chamber music pieces and musical rarities. www.moritzburgfestival.de

116 SIGHTGEIST

15 – 17 August 14th Leipzig Water Festival Events are held in, on and around the rivers, lakes and canals in Leipzig’s town centre and surroundings. www.wasserfest-leipzig.de (in German only) 15 – 17 August Canaletto. Dresden City Festival More than 550,000 visitors come to celebrate “Dresden – Cosmopolitan City of Romance and Modernism”. www.Dresdner-Stadtfest.com 15 – 17 August 11th International Bad Elster Jazz Festival Three days of “jazzy feelings” in Saxony’s oldest spa town in the Vogtland region www.chursaechsische.de 23 and 24 August Transnaturale Contemporary light and sound art at Lake Bärwalder. www.transnaturale.com (in German only) 29 – 31 August 21st Folklorum Einsiedel At this cultural festival for world and folk music, the stages and venues dotted around the Cultural Island are filled with music, drums, dance and juggling. www.kulturinsel.com (in German only) 30 and 31 August Open house in Saxony’s winegrowing estates More than 25 wineries in and around Dresden open their doors to visitors. www.elbland.de 30 and 31 August International Linen Festival Baroque Rammenau Castle welcomes lovers of fine linen and traditional crafts. www.schloesserland-sachsen.de

September 2014 6 – 14 September Schumann Festival Week Leipzig The festival celebrates the life and work of the musical couple Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck. www.schumann-verein.de (in German only)

11 – 20 September 38th Leipzig Jazz Festival Most important festival for contemporary jazz in Eastern Germany. www.jazzclub-leipzig.de 12 – 14 September Chemnitz Industrial Culture Festival The festival is dedicated to industrial development in Chemnitz and the surrounding region. www.cwe-chemnitz.de 12 – 21 September Music Festival in the Ore Mountains This music festival held in various venues in the Ore Mountains sets its musical sights on its European neighbours, presenting many works in a new light. www.musikfest-erzgebirge.de (in German only) 12 – 21 September 12th German Miners’ Day and 12th Pobershau Miners’ Festival Some 150 miners’ associations from all over Germany and Europe showcase their love of tradition and the history of mining at these events. www.marienberg.de 12 – 21 September Mendelssohn Festival The Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig presents the 2014 festival under the motto “Mendelssohn in the Rhineland”. www.gewandhaus.de (in German only) 16 – 21 September 14th International “Harmonica Live” Festival Artists and fans of harmonicas meet in Klingenthal in the Vogtland region. www.mundharmonika-live.de (in German only) 19 – 21 September International Brass Music Festival From swing and big-band sounds to folk music, rock and pop. www.bergmannsblasorchester.de

6 September – 5 October 14th Festival of Electoral Saxony Theatre in the Heart of Europe – celebrating 100 years of King Albert Theater in Bad Elster. www.chursaechsische.de

24 September – 4 January 2015 Freedom! Unity! Monument!

Special exhibition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution www.stadtgeschichtliches-museumleipzig.de

7, 13 and 21 September Stallion Parades in Moritzburg The most beautiful horses of Saxony’s State Stud can be seen in Moritzburg. www.saechsischegestuetsverwaltung.de

27 September – 1 March 2015 Dig, Dag, Digedag.

This exhibition is dedicated to the legendary comics from the former GDR. www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de

28 September – 4 October 300 Years of the Silbermann Organ in Freiberg Cathedral The most famous baroque organ in the world is celebrated with a varied programme. www.silbermann.org

October 2014 1 October – 22 February 2015 Fantastic Worlds Painting on Meissen porcelain and German faience by Adam Friedrich von Löwenfinck, 1714-1754, presented by the Dresden State Art Collections www.skd.museum 9 October Leipzig Festival of Lights – 25 Years of the Peaceful Revolution Artistic light installations at historic venues in the town centre examine the topics of freedom, democracy and revolution. www.leipziger-freiheit.de 17 – 19 October 201 Years of the Battle of the Nations The celebrations culminate in re-enactments at original sites where the battle took place in 1813. www.leipzig1813.com (in German only)

118 SIGHTGEIST

17 – 19 October 21st International Bandoneon Festival International soloists and groups perform music on the bandoneon. www.carlsfeld.com (in German only) 18 October Open day at Meissen Porcelain Manufactory Experience perfect craftsmanship in the production of “white gold”. www.meissen.com 24 – 26 October Grassi Fair A trade fair for applied arts and design in Leipzig’s Museum of Applied Arts www.grassimuseum.de 24 – 26 October Designers’ Open At this Leipzig design festival, national and international exhibitors show their latest works in the fields of interior, industry, fashion and communication design. www.designersopen.de 27 October – 2 November Dok Leipzig International festival for artistic documentation and animation film. www.dok-leipzig.de

November 2014 4 – 9 November euro-scene Leipzig The 24th festival of contemporary European theatre is one of Europe’s most important festivals for experimental theatre and innovative dance. www.euro-scene.de 7 – 16 November Dresden Jazz Festival International jazz festival at various venues in Dresden www.jazztage-dresden.de 13 – 19 November Cynetart Festival Festival for computer-based art in Hellerau Festival Hall. www.cynetart.de 25 November – 23 December Leipzig Christmas Market This traditional Christmas market dates back to 1458. www.leipzig.de 27 November – 24 December 580th Striezelmarkt The oldest and one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. www.dresden.de/striezelmarkt

28 November – 25 January 2015 14th Winter Cultural Festival of Electoral Saxony The Saxon state spas of Bad Elster and Bad Brambach invite you to enjoy culture and relax in winter. www.chursaechsische.de

13 – 22 March 11th Electoral Saxony Mozart Festival www.chursaechsische.de

22 – 25 May Wave Gothic Festival www.wave-gothic-treffen.de

May A Capella Festival www.a-capella-festival.de

30 May – 7 June Festival week celebrating 1,000 years of Leipzig www.leipzig.de

29 November – 26 December Staatsoperette Dresden Christmas Show A magical fast-paced show with well-known Christmas songs, numerous hits from musicals and films and a fantastic ballet ensemble. www.staatsoperette-dresden.de

May – October 1st National Exhibition on Luther’s Anniversary in Torgau Luther and the Princes. How the rulers presented themselves and their self-image in the days of the Reformation. Exhibition by the Dresden State Art Collections in Hartenfels Castle, Torgau. www.skd.museum

PREVIEW 2015 January – December 1,000 Years of Leipzig Under the motto “We are Leipzig”, the city invites its guests to a year-long celebration of the anniversary of its first official mention. www.leipzig.de March – December Festival of Sandstone and Music www.sandstein-musik.de 12 – 15 March Leipzig Book Fair www.leipziger-buchmesse.de

1 May – 4 October 20th Summer in Electoral Saxony Saxon/Bohemian cultural festival. www.chursaechsische.de 7 – 16 May 50th International Instrumental Competition Markneukirchen www.markneukirchen.de 8 – 25 May Saxon Mozart Festival www.mozart-sachsen.de (in German only)

June – September MDR Summer Music Festival www.mdr-musiksommer.de 12 – 21 June Bach Festival Leipzig www.bach-leipzig.de 28 – 30 August 13th Festival of the Reformation www.grimma.de September Mendelssohn Festival Leipzig www.gewandhaus.de September Chemnitz Industrial Culture Festival www.industriekultur-chemnitz.de 2 – 13 September 21st Silbermann Festival www.silbermann.org Subject to change!

SIGHTGEIST 119

The Ore Mountains Music Festival Presents Cultural Highlights The region of the Ore Mountains has an excellent outlook.

Breathtaking panoramic views can be enjoyed not only from Fichtelberg, Saxony’s highest mountain at 1,215 metres, but also from its many neighbours. Established in 2010, the biannual Ore Mountains Music Festival promises exquisite music in perfect harmony with this impressively beautiful landscape and its architecture that has evolved over centuries. The hilly landscape is reflected in the names of the towns in the region, whether Freiberg, Schwarzenberg, Annaberg, Marienberg or Schneeberg (“Berg” is German for “mountain”). And so it is only logical that the music festival should take as its motto “Views”. It presents key works by composers from the region and their European contemporaries, acting as an eye opener for the citizens of these mountain towns as well as for the many guests who travel to the festival from near and far.

Prof Hans-Christoph Rademann

An enjoyment of art with landscape, architecture and music in perfect harmony

novel idea for an event caused a stir: In “NachtKlang,” musicians

The artistic director of the festival is Prof Hans-Christoph

put a new perspective on old music, taking their audience on a

Rademann. “The Ore Mountains Music Festival stands for

journey back to the future.

high art that is deeply rooted in the Ore Mountains, a region rich in culture,” says Rademann, when asked about his home.

Two festivals – One idea

He returns here several times a year from Stuttgart, where he

The aspiration of attracting world-famous musicians and young

recently succeeded Helmuth Rilling, the internationally re-

talent to the Ore Mountains and enhancing the region’s appeal

nowned Bach interpreter, as head of the International Bach

as a musical landscape of international renown with high-class

Academy. In this day and age, it is no longer enough to think

festivals is shared by the Ore Mountain Music Festival and the

just as far as the next ridge, according to Rademann. Together

Silbermann Festival with its internationally acclaimed organ

with his team, he thinks up new inspiring combinations of

competition. The best way to achieve a shared goal is to pursue

music for each festival, taking guests on a musical journey. In

it together: And so the two musical driving forces in the Ore

“Nachtklang” (Night Sounds), experiments by young ensem-

Mountains have teamed up and now offer locals and guests an

bles play as much a role as major choir concerts or high-class

exceptional musical experience on an annually rotating basis.

song evenings.

Ore Mountains Musical Festival 2014 How does the night sound?

12 – 21 September 2014

“Old music doesn’t necessarily have to do with history,” laughs

www.musikfest-erzgebirge.de (in German only)

the artistic director. “It also has a present and future that are just as exciting. Especially the younger generation of musicians is

Silbermann Festival 2015

driven by new influences, new views and a desire to experiment

2 – 13 September 2015

across borders.” At the Ore Mountains Music Festival in 2012, a

www.silbermann.org

SIGHTGEIST 121

Imprint SIGHTGEIST is a publication of Labhard Medien GmbH Max-Stromeyer-Straße 116 78467 Konstanz, Germany Thomas Willauer, Gabriele Schindler Managing Directors Phone +49 7531 90710 Fax +49 7531 907131 verlag@labhard.de www.labhard.de HRB 380898 Freiburg Copyright: Labhard Medien GmbH Labhard Medien GmbH Branch Office Saxony Saalhausener Straße 51 b 01159 Dresden, Germany Iris Kupferschmied Publishing Manager Saxony Phone +49 351 7958830 Fax +49 351 79588315 sachsen@labhard.de www.labhard.de In cooperation with Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony Bautzner Straße 45–47 01099 Dresden, Germany Phone +49 351 491700 Fax +49 351 4969306 info@sachsen-tour.de www.visitsaxony.com www.saxonytourism.com Editorial Director Hans-Jürgen Goller Editorial Team Thomas Willauer (responsible according to German press law), Wolfgang Gärtner Product Manager Iris Kupferschmied Translations Claire Gordon-Kühl Layout Z&Z Werbeagentur Dresden Printed by westermann druck, Braunschweig, Germany Cover Picture Motor Presse Stuttgart

122 SIGHTGEIST

Authors and Photos Kaleidoscope Author: Ines Nebelung; Photos: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/David Brandt; GottfriedSilbermann-Gesellschaft e. V.; Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH/Andreas Schmidt; Swissotel Dresden am Schloss; Stadt Annaberg-Buchholz/Anni Bräuer/chic-clicks; Porsche AG; Staatliches Landesmuseum für Archäologie Chemnitz/Atelier Brückner; Katja Fouad-Vollmer; Michael Hennig; Oper Leipzig/ Andreas Birkigt The Peaceful Revolution Author: Dr. Helge-Heinz Heinker; Photos: Mahmoud Dabdoud; Punctum/Bertram Kober; Westend-PR/Dieter Grundmann Luxury @ Home Author: Labhard Medien/Lena Lüpke; Photos: MEISSEN® Chrome and Curves Author: decorum Kommunikation/ Carsten Schulz-Nötzold; Photos: Motor Presse Stuttgart Passion for Fashion Author: decorum Kommunikation/ Annet Pischetsrieder; Photos: Mark Frost for Thierfelder; Paddy Patt for BrockmannundKnoedler; Thierfelder Manufaktur A Royal Feast Author: Mandy Weigel; Photos: Jürgen Jeibmann Photographik/ Jürgen Jeibmann; www.fuchsincentive.de/Jürgen Jeibmann (Panometer); Stadtarchiv Dresden, 17.2.1-A.5/VIII (Menükarte); SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/ SLUB/Dresdner Digitalisierungszentrum, 2013.03 (Gemälde Königliche Hofküche); Schloss & Park Pillnitz/ Frank Höhler; SLUB/ Deutsche Fotothek/Donadini, Ermenegildo Antonio, 1914 (Terrasse Hotel Bellevue); Schlösserland Sachsen/Schloss Moritzburg & Fasanenschlösschen Looking Back to the Future Author: Claudia Trache; Photos: Messe Dresden/Jan Gutzeit; SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/Arno Adam, circa 1912 (Wolfshügelturm); SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/ unbekannter Fotograf, circa 1913 (Porträt Erlwein);

Sylvio Dittrich/Dresden; Messe Dresden/Jan Gutzeit; Gastronomie Theaterplatz GmbH/Foto Hahn, Dresden; Wolfgang Gärtner/Dresden; Dresden-Altstadt, SLUB Dresden/ Deutsche Fotothek/ Nowak, Max, before 1914 (Löwen-Apotheke) These Boots Are Made for Flying Author: decorum Kommunikation/ Carsten Schulz-Nötzold; Photos: Vogtland Arena/Medienbüro BrandAktuell; Dirk Dießel/Agenturbild The Illuminators Author: Jahreszeiten Verlag/Stefanie Zecheus; Photos: Leuchten Manufaktur/ Kunstmann+Kunstmann foto-design/services; Jahreszeiten Verlag/Stefan Floss Out of the Frame Author: Dr. Ingrid Koch; Photos: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Seated Nude with Fan”, 1911, oil on canvas, 73.7 x 63.6 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections; Max Pechstein “Self-Portrait with Pipe”, 1946, oil on canvas; Christiane Koch, Hamburg, © 2014 Pechstein, Hamburg/Tökendorf; Max Pechstein “In the Canoe (Outrigger)”, 1917, oil on canvas; Fotoatelier Lorenz, Zschorlau, © 2014 Pechstein, Hamburg/Tökendorf; Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V./Jochen Knobloch; Tourismusverband Sächsische Elbland e. V.; Karl Schmidt-Rottluff “Still Life with Covered Vase”, 1921, oil on canvas, 66 x 71 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2014, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections; Albertinum, David Brandt, © Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden; Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Erich Heckel and Doris in the Studio”, 1910/11, oil on two-sided canvas (front), 120 x 120 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Schiefler Couple”, 1923, oil on two-sided canvas (back), 120 x 120 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections; Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Nudes Standing by Stove”, 1908, oil on canvas, 150 x 95 cm, New Masters Gallery, Inv. no. 97/06, © Ingeborg and Dr. Wolfgang Henze-Ketterer, Wichtrach/ Berne; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski, New Masters Gallery, Dresden State Art Collections; Detail from “The City Tower”, 1911

by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil on canvas, 95.7 x 83.7 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections; Erich Heckel “Suburbs”, 1910, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, © 2014 Nachlass Erich Heckel, D-78343 Hemmenhofen, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections Cultural Highligths Photos: Oper Leipzig/Ida Zenna; Dresdner Musikfestspiele/Tim Wehner; Oper Leipzig/Bettina Stöß; Dresden Marketing Gesellschaft/Frank Exß; Jazztage Dresden Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion/Jan Gutzeit; Oper Leipzig/Andreas Birkigt Editorial Deadline: 9 April 2014 SIGHTGEIST No. 8 will be published in May 2015.

For all information about travelling to and in Saxony, please contact Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony Bautzner Straße 45–47 01099 Dresden, Germany Phone +49 351 491700 Fax +49 351 4969306 info@sachsen-tour.de www.visitsaxony.com

WE SAXONS LIKE TO SURPRISE PEOPLE. the young singers of the st. thomas‘ Choir demonstrated this very impressively with their recent impromptu concert in times square. we enjoy taking our love of music and art all over the world, with the st. thomas‘ Choir of leipzig and dresden Kreuzkirche boys’ choir being two of our most famous ambassadors.

they are both part of saxony’s long musical tradition, which also includes Bach, Mendelssohn and wagner. Culture has been a way of life for us for over 800 years and continues to be actively supported. to find out where else we call the tune, visit: www.simply-saxony.com

Our singers are superstars. nO talent shOws needed.

GRAND OPERA – C R E AT E D B Y A N A R C H I T E C T.

The Semper Opera is truly one of the world’s most beauti-

Wonder” bridge over the River Elbe. But why not take a

ful opera houses – but just one of the many fine build-

look and decide for yourself? For information contact

ings in Saxony. And with around 1,000 palaces, castles and

Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony, Bautzner Str 45-47,

gardens, it’s not easy to be the fairest of them all.

01099 Dresden, Germany, phone +49-351/49 17 00 or click

Competitors for the title include the spectacular “Blue

www .visitsaxony.com and www. saxonytourism. com.