But first, a brief look back: what a year! 2024 was the most successful year for the Chemnitz Museum of Industry since 2009. 61,875 visitors found their way to us – proof of how exciting and vibrant industrial culture is. Together, we created a museum experience that captivated: 524 guided tours, 127 project days, and 119 holiday programs attracted visitors of all ages. Our impressive steam engine ran 35 times, four special exhibitions were opened, and at 24 events we celebrated culture and industrial heritage in all its facets. None of this would have been possible without our cooperation partners, supporters, museum visitors, and our dedicated team. We owe them all our thanks!
With this momentum, we are heading into an exciting 2025 – full of new ideas, projects, and experiences.
The year begins with a special look at the cultural capital region: from January 31 to May 18, 2025, the exhibition John Cage. Museumcircle will bring together randomly selected and combined objects from 50 museums and institutions in the region.
With fit. A Saxon Success Story, we are keeping it regional. The cabinet exhibition, running from February 15 to July 27, 2025, traces the development of the fit brand, showcases advertising graphics, and provides insights into its production.
Textile?Future! also focuses on Saxony. From March 7, 2025, to January 18, 2026, the exhibition looks at the present and future of the Saxon textile industry – still one of the most innovative textile regions in Europe.
The European special exhibition Tales of Transformation is the Chemnitz Museum of Industry’s contribution to Chemnitz2025. From April 25 to November 16, 2025, it shows how Chemnitz became an industrial hotspot in the 19th century and how the city has reinvented itself in recent decades. A look at other so-called “European Manchesters” shows that Chemnitz is not alone in facing the challenges of deindustrialization. The exhibition presents numerous examples of repurposing former industrial buildings and the further development of industry in Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere – and also offers a glimpse into the future.
From June 6, 2025, to February 22, 2026, the cabinet exhibition Telephone Stories will feature telephones from the 19th and 20th centuries on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Chemnitz telephone exchange.
The most popular kitchen chair of the GDR, The Unseen Design Classic EW 1192, will be the focus from September 5, 2025, to February 1, 2026. Many know and appreciate it, but who knows who designed it and which models existed?
Inspired by Tales of Transformation, the project Metamorphosis of Workwear explores what work clothing can tell us. Eighteen artists from Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere turn the work overall into a canvas for industrial culture. Already on January 31, three artists can be observed at work in Chemnitz. Performances will take place on September 20 and November 15, and an exhibition will run from September 23 to November 14, 2025.
In addition to exhibitions, the Chemnitz Museum of Industry, in cooperation with numerous partners, invites visitors to events and festivals: the 5th Steampunk Festival, the EuroBean Chocolate Festival, the Velocipediade, concerts, family weekends, and much more. With the Chemnitz Museum of Industry Open Air in July and August, the museum not only extends its activities to the outdoor area but also opens itself to events beyond industrial culture.
Regular guided tours, special exhibition tours, depot tours, and the combined tours Socks, Casting, and Gasworks will take place again. Individual tours can be requested at any time.
Machines are in action daily, such as in the historic transmission workshop or the machines of the textile street. As a special highlight, the historic steam engine from 1896, still operated with live steam, runs on the last Sunday of every month and the following Tuesday.
In addition to project days and guided tours, there will be numerous educational programs in 2025 related to the special exhibitions. With the game City Balance, students engage with the transformation of Chemnitz, and a new museum rally invites visitors to explore the permanent exhibition from mid-February. In the Robot Revolution workshop, tinkering takes place every two weeks, producing small robots. During the winter, Easter, summer, and autumn holidays, children can enjoy a program of creative workshops and tours. Children’s birthday parties can also be celebrated at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry, and there are tailored offers for school and travel groups.
Together with partners, the Chemnitz Museum of Industry hosts the annual conferences of the German Museum Association, the German Society for Technical Education, the European Route of Industrial Heritage, and the Free German Authors’ Association.
The Chemnitz Museum of Industry is part of the Saxon Industrial Museum Association, whose locations in Ehrenfriedersdorf and Crimmitschau will also offer special programs in 2025.
The Zinngrube Ehrenfriedersdorf is not only a location on the Purple Path with the Wild Boars by Carl Emmanuel Wolff but also one of the few visitor mines in Saxony still equipped with a fully functional hoisting system, allowing visitors to descend into the mine. The tin mine, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Montanregion Erzgebirge, will celebrate its 30th anniversary on July 6, 2025. www.zinngrube.de
The Tuchfabrik Gebr. Pfau in Crimmitschau, the largest preserved full-cloth factory complex with original equipment in Central Europe, will host a textile experience market on October 4 and 5, 2025. It is also a venue for the exhibition Textile?Future! and brings together creatives, entrepreneurs, and technology enthusiasts. www.tuchfabrik-crimmitschau.de
Download the Press releases in pdf Format
Exhibitons 2025
Special exhibition: John Cage. Museum circle
January 31–May 18, 2025
In 1991, the American composer and visual artist John Cage (1912–1992) created the Museumcircle, the score for an extraordinary exhibition. The museums of a city jointly display collection objects, which are randomly selected and assigned to randomly determined locations within the exhibition space. Around 50 museums from the cultural capital region are participating – and the results remain exciting: Will the Erzgebirge Angel meet the exhaust of an MZ motorcycle? How does an expressionist painting relate to a stuffed parrot?
A collaborative project with Alexander Ochs, curator of the flagship project PURPLE PATH.
Cabinet exhibition: fit. A Saxon Success Story
February 15–July 27, 2025
Almost everyone knows it: the dishwashing detergent bottle in the shape of the Red Tower of the city of Chemnitz.
The cabinet exhibition tells the success story of the fit brand, which began in Chemnitz in 1954. Through numerous objects and advertising graphics, the development of the brand is traced: from VEB Fettchemie Karl-Marx-Stadt, through the uncertain post-reunification period, to a successful medium-sized company. The visual identity was primarily shaped by the Chemnitz commercial graphic designer Horst Geil, to whom the exhibition dedicates a special section. In addition, visitors gain insights into laboratory work, product development, and the variety of products.
The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive educational program, and during the free opening weekend (February 15–16), there will be experiments, craft activities, and, of course, soap bubbles in all variations.
With kind support from fit GmbH.
Cabinet exhibition: Textile?Future!
March 7, 2025–January 18, 2026
The exhibition looks at the present and future of the Saxon textile industry. Even today, the region is one of the most efficient and innovative textile areas in Europe, and visitors can experience this firsthand. Numerous products from Chemnitz invite visitors to touch and explore. The exhibition features examples from traditional companies with over 100 years of experience as well as from experimental start-ups. It is complemented by satellite presentations across the region, from Crimmitschau to Oederan.
A cooperation with the Association of the North-East German Textile and Clothing Industry (vti).
Special exhibition: Tales of Transformation
Chemnitz – Gabrovo – Łódź – Manchester – Mulhouse – Tampere
April 25–November 16, 2025
Rapid growth and lavish wealth paired with precarious living conditions. Later, a radical collapse and the necessary reinvention. Experience the dynamic development of the city of Chemnitz up to the current transformation processes.
Chemnitz was the starting point for industrialization in Saxony and became the “Saxon Manchester.” Yet such “Manchesters” can be found across Europe, showing that Chemnitz is not alone in facing its challenges: French Manchester Mulhouse, Finnish Tampere, Bulgarian Gabrovo, Polish Łódź, and, of course, the original Manchester in Northern England. How do these cities deal with their industrial heritage? What strategies have they developed for the future, and what can we learn from one another?
Immerse yourself in the development processes of these cities from the 19th century to the present, experiencing history, the present, and future visions through digital enhancements. Discover stories of people who breathe new life into 19th-century industrial buildings. Here, foundries become universities, spinning mills transform into luxury lofts, and factory halls turn into studio spaces.
During the exhibition, there will be an extensive accompanying program – at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry as well as throughout the city. In addition to guided tours, project days, walks, and workshops, readings, film screenings, concerts, lectures, and much more are planned.
Cabinet exhibition: Telephone Stories – 100 Years of Switchboard Operations in Chemnitz
June 6, 2025 – February 22, 2026
Who still remembers her: the “siwtchboard girl”? In the early telephone exchanges, a caller’s connection to the desired recipient had to be manually established – “switched” – by operators. In the public telephone network, this was usually done by female telephone operators. In 1883, the telephone made its debut in Chemnitz. Initially, telephone communication was only possible within the city. The first 68 subscribers were exclusively companies, such as Hartmann, Union, or Germania. Over the course of the 20th century, manual switching was replaced almost everywhere by direct dialing. In Chemnitz, the first automatic exchange went into operation on May 17, 1925, at Reichsstraße/Stephansplatz.
The exhibition presents telephones from the 19th and 20th centuries: city telephones, early dial telephones, and classic models. A special highlight: visitors can make calls from one of the last telephone booths in the city of Chemnitz.
A cooperation with the Telecommunications Working Group of the Chemnitz Museum of Industry.
Cabinet exhibition: The unseen design classic
September 5, 2025 – February 1, 2026
Many know and appreciate it, but no one can give detailed information about arguably the most popular – and certainly the most widespread – kitchen chair of the GDR… until now. The exhibition The Unseen Design Classic aims to convey knowledge and generate new insights. In addition to questions about designers, manufacturers, model variety, economy, and ecology, the focus is on the users themselves: people who owned, found, repaired, or modified the chairs. Their stories lead to a potential future perspective for this beloved classic.
After an initial presentation at the German Chair Museum in Rabenau, the Unseen Design Classic, curated by Martha and Jacob Strobel, can be discovered at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry from September 2025.
Special exhibition: Metamorphosis of Workwear
September 23–November 14, 2025
Performance: September 20 and November 15
The work overall is a versatile garment, serving as practical workwear or an extraordinary designer piece. In Metamorphosis of Workwear, it becomes a canvas for industrial culture. Eighteen designers from six European cities explore the industrial past, present, and future of Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere. Together with artistic director Wiete Sommer, the artists translate this information into the visual design of the garment.
On January 31, visitors can watch three Chemnitz-based artists at work during an open afternoon and are invited to discuss workwear and working life, past and present. These conversations will be incorporated into the exhibition running from September 23 to November 14, 2025.
The project is funded by the European Union. The exhibition will also be shown in Łódź and Gabrovo in 2026.
Events 2025 (Selection)
As of January 6, 2025. Subject to change.
4.2.2025 7:30 PM | Concert: Schütz & Cage & Röbel in a Metamodern Dialogue Works by Heinrich Schütz, John Cage, and Richard Röbel (world premiere) As part of the Museumcircle accompanying program, AuditivVokal Dresden presents a specially curated concert for Chemnitz, placing the works of three extraordinary composers – Heinrich Schütz, John Cage, and Richard Röbel – in a fascinating metamodern dialogue. This concert transcends boundaries – across eras, religions, and cultures. It is an evening that combines spirituality and artistic innovation while reflecting universal values and community. As European Capital of Culture, Chemnitz thus becomes the stage for a unique musical bridge.
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15. and 16.2.2025 10 AM – 5 PM | Family weekend This free weekend is dedicated entirely to fit. A Saxon Success Story, as we open our cabinet exhibition of the same name. The mascot Fitikus and Radio Teddy will entertain our guests. Look forward to bubble artists, collaborative activities such as creating bubble art, experiment stations, a giant fit cube puzzle, and game stations. Admission is free.
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21.2.2025 8 PM | Concert: John Cage’s Song Books – Music for Nervous Systems The four musicians of Micro Oper Munich have selected pieces from John Cage’s famous collection of experimental concept works, positioned between music and theater, and follow four individual paths through this large building. The singer Cornelia Melián, pianist Masako Ohta, noise and video artist Anton Kaun, and composer and electronic musician Ernst Bechert each bring very different approaches to interpretation. Yet their paths continually intersect. What rules apply? What role does chance play? Cage effortlessly combines complex experimentation with surprise and humor.
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19.3.2025 6 PM | Stories Between Grey and Glimmer Reading and discussion with Lenka Elbe and Tina Pruschmann In the Ore Mountains, in the towns of Tann and St. Joachimsthal/Jáchymov – whose history has been shaped by uranium mining as well as the operation of spa resorts – two extraordinary novels are set, in which the authors blend real events with fairy-tale and fantastical elements. |
28. and 29.3.2025 6 – 10 Uhr | Night at the Museum Participants embark on an exclusive and exciting tour through the dark museum. What surprises await them? We shed light on the darkness and find out. |
4.4.2025 6 – 10 Uhr | Night of the Libraries Under the motto Knowledge.Share.Discover, small and large libraries, specialized libraries, public and academic libraries open their doors and invite visitors to explore the diverse offerings in libraries. At the museum library of the Chemnitz Museum of Industry, guided tours will take place on the hour at 6, 7, 8, and 9 PM.
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26.4.2025 7 PM | Concert: Singing Across Borders Two choirs perform songs of resistance. Yesterday as today, song has been a means of affirming solidarity in the struggle against dictatorship. Songs against oppression are international. The HEART CHOR from Annaberg-Buchholz and Septem Cantet from Klášterec nad Ohří, Czech Republic, explore these thematic connections within the repertoire of resistance songs. They search for songs from their regions, reflect together on historical contexts, and discover the musical and cultural heritage of European border regions. The 28 singers present the results of their work in a joint concert within the permanent exhibition of the Chemnitz Museum of Industry. A cooperation with HEART CHOR.
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10.5.2025 6 PM – 1 AM | Chemnitz Museum Night Under the motto Europe, visitors at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry can enjoy a diverse program featuring guided tours, machine demonstrations, hands-on activities, and much more.
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18.5.2025 10 AM – 5 PM | International Museum Day Guided tours and hands-on activities with free admission. |
18.5.2025 3 PM - 4 AM | Depot Concert: John Cage A thirteen-hour concert experience behind the scenes at the Chemnitz Museum of Industry on the occasion of International Museum Day and as the finale of the exhibition John Cage. Museumcircle.
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29. – 31.5.2025 | Festival Tango Argentino Chemnitz 2025 The festival honors the inventor of the concertina, Carl Friedrich Uhlig, who first presented this instrument in Chemnitz in 1834. Its creation can be traced back to the workshop/manufactory located about 40 meters from today’s Karl Marx Monument. A cooperation with the Saxon Mozart Society (Sächsische Mozart-Gesellschaft e.V.).
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6.–8.6.2025
| From Work Overall to Pajamas The open workshop for adults and children explores the transformation of our working world from industrialization to New Work. Cooking activities, readings, and other offerings invite participants to engage and exchange ideas. A weekend for the whole family.
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10.6.2025 6 PM | Irony and Reality in the English Industrial Novel by Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell Lecture by Cecile Sandten (TU Chemnitz) Manchester, the bustling industrial metropolis of 19th-century England, also serves as the setting in the works of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell for exploring social injustices. In Hard Times (1854), the city is depicted as “Coketown,” providing the backdrop for Dickens’ ironic social critique. Gaskell names her version of the city “Milton” in North and South (1855), offering realistic insights into the social tensions between the working class and entrepreneurs. In addition to discussing these two aspects, the lecture also examines the socio-political transformation processes triggered by these novels. |
29.6. – 30.8.2025 | Industriemuseum Open Air For the second time, the meadow behind the Chemnitz Museum of Industry is transformed into an open-air space. Between impressive large exhibits and shade-providing trees, concerts and events take place. Made possible with the support of Niles-Simmons-Hegenscheidt GmbH.
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29.6.2025 10 AM – 6 PM | 5th Steampunk Festival For the fifth time, the Chemnitz Museum of Industry transforms into a unique themed world that brings the visions of the industrial age to life. Artists and fans of retrofuturism present a program of music, theater, dance, juggling, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for the whole family. A cooperation with Zahnrad & Zylinder e.V. and Comedia Concept GmbH. Made possible with the support of Siemens AG.
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4.7.2025 7.30 PM
| Concert: Tenderness with Friends As a duo, Ines Fleiwa and Cordula Zwischen have little to offer beyond bad music and stolen jokes. They proudly display over 20 cabaret and comedy awards on their shelf. This is delightful and particularly appeals to women. The two coarse musicians from the well-known band Tenderness with Friends have performed at numerous silver weddings, sports festivals, and CB radio gatherings. They are seasoned veterans in the entertainment industry. The two-hour program flies by. Tenderness with Friends, to repeat the name, play hits – but that’s not enough for them; they also tell jokes. And that’s essentially all you need to know. A cooperation with Zeitklang Event. |
1.8. – 3.8.2025 | EuroBean Chocolate Festival Celebrate with us the art and diversity of handcrafted chocolate. The museum transforms into a lively chocolate market, featuring chocolatiers from around the world, with a focus on Europe. Visitors can explore chocolate from bean to bar and learn more about the origin, cultivation, and processing of cocoa beans. In addition to tastings, guests can enjoy exciting workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and a marketplace with carefully selected offerings. The festival is accompanied by concerts, a children’s program, and first-class catering – a celebration for the whole family. A cooperation with EuroBean UG.
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10.8.2025 6 PM | Concert: Ray Wilson – Genesis Classics Ray Wilson, the former lead singer of Genesis, presents the greatest hits from the band’s history as well as his solo career. His international music career began in 1994 with the grunge sensation Stiltskin, topping the charts with the number-one hit Inside. In 1997, the Scottish singer joined the British rock legend Genesis, replacing Phil Collins as lead vocalist for several years. A cooperation with Zeitklang Event.
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15. – 17.8.2025 | Velocipediade Annual Meeting for Historic Bicycle Enthusiasts. Featuring an auction, night ride, historic bike tour, parts market, and more. A cooperation with Historische Fahrräder e.V.
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23.8.2025 7.30 PM
| Concert: Die Seilschaft – Balsam & Balladen The current album of the band, Dein Paket (Your Package), continues the powerful sound that, back in the ’90s, provided the perfect backdrop for Gundermann’s poetry and clear messages to unfold. “Everyone has their own bundle to carry,” says Christian Haase. “Sometimes we are given one, sometimes it is imposed on us. Sometimes we give one to bring joy, sometimes we burden others to relieve ourselves. Perhaps we are forgetting to look at how others manage their bundles.” The songs are ready to be opened – or heard – exploring themes somewhere between a cursed Pandora’s box and a longed-for Christmas package. A cooperation with Zeitklang Event.
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24.8.2025 11 AM – 2 PM
| Picnic Concert with the Robert Schumann Philharmonic |
30.8.2025 7.30 PM | Concert: Weitersagen: The Westernhagen-Show For over 15 years, Andreas Weitersagen has been touring successfully across Europe with his Weitersagen Show. His fans know him not only as an energetic, independent interpreter of Westernhagen songs but especially appreciate his own compositions, which have become an increasingly important part of the show over the years. A cooperation with Zeitklang Event.
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20.9.2025 6 PM | Performance „Metamorphosis of Workwear“ 18 designers explore the industrial past and future of Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere. The performance stages the artistic results.
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18.10.2025 1 PM – 4 PM | Textile workshop with Nevena Ekimova (Englisch) Discarded garments are reinterpreted using various textile techniques, resulting in unique textile sculptures.
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8. und 9.11.2025 10 AM – 6 PM | Wenn‘s Rachermannel nabelt In a 90-minute workshop, incense cones are shaped and individual incense figures are created.
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15.11.2025 6 PM | Performance „Metamorphosis of Workwear“ 18 designers engage with the industrial past and future of Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse, and Tampere. The performance brings their artistic results to life.
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11.12.2025 6 PM | Concert: Klasse Klassik meets Klasse Jazz Frank Dupree Trio A cooperation with the Robert Schumann Philharmonic of Theater Chemnitz.
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12.12.2025 7.30 PM
| Martin Sonneborn – Noise and Satire An evening with Martin Sonneborn is a calm multimedia spectacle featuring humorous films and fierce political agitation in favor of Die PARTEI, which continues to quietly pursue power in Germany. A cooperation with Zeitklang Event.
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13. und 14.12.2025 10 AM – 5 PM
| Family weekend „Make your own…“ Lauf der historischen Dampfmaschine, Bastelangebote und Erlebnisführung.
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13.12.2025 7.30 Uhr | Wladimir Kaminer: „Schöne Bescherung“ “The most wonderful time of the year” is once again suddenly upon us. Haven’t bought any gifts yet! The invitations to the celebration are stuck in the printer! And are there even any beautiful Christmas trees left? Pure stress is in the air! However, Wladimir Kaminer is, as always, perfectly prepared with his stories about Christmas. |
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