Mittweida in 2024, to which around 40 artists, activists and intellectuals will be invited. A podcast tells listeners about Jewish life in the region, not only as it was in the past, but also as it is today.
EPR European Peace Ride
The International Peace Ride was an amateur cycling race through the former Eastern bloc countries, mostly between Berlin, Warsaw and Prague. It was established in 1948 to counter the tensions of the post-war years. In 2025 the Ride will be revived to mark two anniversaries: 80 years since the end of World War II and 40 years since the launch of the European Capital of Culture programme. At the same time, the Peace Ride 2025 will celebrate the bicycle culture that is historically rooted in the region, while also looking ahead to the mobility of the future. The race starts in Pilsen, which was liberated by American troops on 6 May 1945, and runs for two days and 170 kilometres through the Saxon-Bohemian border region to Chemnitz. Cyclists will travel through the corridor where American and Soviet troops first met in the spring of 1945. Along the route, they will encounter a diverse programme offered by makers, associations, administrations and local artists. Municipalities and cities will take on partnerships with teams from former and future cultural capitals and create places to host the cyclists in the spirit of mutual exchange. Using an app that matches guests with hosts, private individuals in the region can provide free beds for international guests and, by so doing, get to know people from all over Europe.
Local Partners: State Association of Saxony of the Jewish Communities, Days of Jewish Culture (Chemnitz), Jewish community Chemnitz, city administrations and museums participating cities in the cultural region Location: Museum "Alte Pfarrhäuser“, Mittweida; museums and spaces at the participating cities in the cultural region Timing: 1.Q 2025 - 1.Q 2026
Lead: Chemnitz Sports Federation, Chemnitz2025 International Partners: DEPO2015 (CZ), Liberation Festival, City of Pilsen (CZ), Czech cycling association CSC (CZ) Local Partners: Cyklistika/velongerie e.V. (DE), UNESCO Montanregion World Heritage Site (DE), Ore Mountains Tourism Association (DE), Saxonian Cycling Federation (Chemnitz), Chemnitz Police Sports Club (Chemnitz), Cycling Club Chemnitz (Chemnitz), German Bicycle Club Chemnitz (Chemnitz) Location: DEPOT2015 Pilsen (CZ), Sports Forum Chemnitz (DE) Timing: 3.Q 2024 - Call for bikers in the former ECoC cities / Start in Pilsen May, 7 2025 / Big celebration on May 9, 2025
2.3 How will the events and activities that will constitute the cultural program for the year be chosen? Our strategy has two components: All our events and activities address and activate our key target group, the ‘silent middle’ in Europe. Simultaneously, they rethink Chemnitz’ unique history, experiences and traditions in a contemporary context. Every project, event and activity has been evaluated according to seven criteria. Some met all of them at first sight. Others did not, but were clearly very strong. They were given immediate priority and asked to develop the concepts further within an agreed timeframe.
1. Do makers feel addressed by the project? 2. Does the project have a holistic approach with strong digital and analog activities? 3. Is a detached space part of or altered by the project? 4. Does the event or activity take place in an area frequented by the ‘silent middle’.? 5. Are there at least one local and one European initiative each, institutions or associations collaborating on eye level for the project? 6. Can the project get integrated in or connected with any European networks? 7. Does the project have a lasting impact on the city and region?
A new team takes over in 2021 and deepens the development of all project outlines along the line of this bid book. By the summer of 2023, they will publish a new call for proposals, also internationally, and pilots with key partners will be done. We reserve resources for surprising additions, artistically excellent ideas that need to happen and the stunning concept that arrives last minute. We built in 20 percent flexibility, in case of changes to the cultural programme on the way towards 2025. 2.4 How will the cultural programme combine local cultural heritage and traditional art forms with new, innovative and experimental cultural expressions? To create new cultural expressions and innovative artworks, makers use our local or regional traditional craft heritage as the basis for their contemporary hybrid works. Currently, this happens under the radar; for example, traditional wood carvers create puppets for Walt Disney. Often the work is open-ended. It is set up within a participatory framework, which expand the space for unexpected results and surprising outcomes, while still being bound to the traditions through the involvement of local makers. Chemnitz2025 European Capital of Culture / Candidate City
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