As Chemnitz embarks on its year as European Capital of Culture 2025, the city is set to showcase its rich cultural heritage and artistic talents. The title is being shared with Nova Gorica/Gorizia, a region with a complex history that has been marked by division and separation.
Chemnitz Kicks Off as European Capital of Culture 2025
A New Era of Togetherness for Chemnitz and Nova Gorica/Gorizia
Around 80,000 people attended the opening event on January 18 that launched Chemnitz’s year as European Capital of Culture 2025. The eastern German city is sharing this title with Nova Gorica/Gorizia, which will officially kick off its year on February 8.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized the importance of togetherness during his speech at the opening ceremony. “This year, Chemnitz can send out a signal of a new sense of togetherness,” he said. The Capital of Culture year brings people together who would otherwise have little contact with one another, according to Steinmeier.
The day’s celebratory events concluded with a show held next to a giant monument to Karl Marx, a German philosopher and famous advocate of communism. Since 1971, downtown Chemnitz has been home to one of the largest portrait busts of Karl Marx in the world.
A Symbolic Figure: Karl Marx in Chemnitz
The bust of the philosopher and social theorist has become an iconic symbol of Chemnitz. It has even given rise to the eastern German city’s nickname: “Schädelstätte,” roughly “cranium city.” However, what does Karl Marx have to do with Chemnitz? On a personal level, not very much.
Marx was born in Trier and died in London; he never even visited Chemnitz. Following World War II, the city became part of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), often known as Eastern Germany. The GDR’s communist regime didn’t see the need for a biographical connection to rename the city Karl-Marx-Stadt or Karl Marx City.
A Divided Past: Nova Gorica/Gorizia
Nova Gorica/Gorizia, on the other hand, has a complex history. This year, for the first time, cities in two countries are being presented together as one capital of culture while also presenting themselves individually: Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy, which together once made up a single city.
The border between the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica and the Italian city of Gorizia ran through Transalpina Square. Founded around 1000 AD, the city was the home of the Count of Görz, a royal house that was one of the most important ruling dynasties in the southern Alps. The Habsburg Empire later took over the city, which was still called Görz.
From Division to Unity
Following World War I and the fall of the Habsburg monarchy, Görz became Italian and was renamed Gorizia. The Slovenian inhabitants were forced to assimilate, ending the city’s cultural diversity. Things changed once again after the end of World War II. Most of the city remained Italian, but Josip Broz Tito, the prime minister of Yugoslavia, of which Slovenia was a part, didn’t want to relinquish the historical location.
He founded the city of Nova Gorica, or “new Gorizia,” in the neighboring meadows. It was a planned city, modern and functional. This cemented the border between Slovenian Nova Gorica and Italian Gorizia. Families were separated, land was redistributed, and mistrust grew on both sides.
A New Era of Unity
The region around Nova Gorica offers a breathtaking view of the Vipava Valley. The border persisted for 16 years after Slovenia’s independence from Yugoslavia. It was only after Slovenia joined the European Union in 2004 and the Schengen zone of free movement in 2007 that the two municipalities could work together to create a shared history.
In 2025, the cities will serve as a joint European Capital of Culture. The motto of Nova Gorica/Gorizia’s program, “Borderless,” needs no explanation. A place of division has now become one of unity. Though architectural differences remain visible, with decorated facades in the old Italian city center and blocky socialist buildings in the Slovenian part, the area’s stunning nature is and has always been shared.
Fostering European Unity
The European Capitals of Culture program will celebrate places that have overcome division and tumultuous times of transition. The cities are unique, innovative, diverse — worth a visit, in other words. And that is precisely the aim of the European Capitals of Culture program: supporting diversity but also the unity shared by cultures, thereby fostering a sense of European belonging.
A Year to Remember
Chemnitz and Nova Gorica/Gorizia have embarked on an exciting journey as joint European Capital of Culture 2025. With its motto “C the Unseen,” Chemnitz’s program will highlight themes such as “Eastern State of Mind,” “Generous Neighbors” and “European Makers of Democracy.” One project highlight is #3000Garagen, or 3,000 garages.
During the GDR time, garages were built all over the city. They served not only as places to park cars but also communal meeting spaces or places of private retreat. A portrait exhibition of the same name tells the stories of the garage owners’ lives in Karl Marx City, as well as during the years before and after reunification.
This article was originally written in German. First published on January 6, it was updated on January 20 after the opening ceremony in Chemnitz.
