About the risks and side effects of a Capital of Culture. And why everything (usually) turns out well in the end.

From the parade of apple trees to the “Zenti”: How the Capital of Culture works

Yippee, Chemnitz is European Capital of Culture 2025! And yet, questions remain. What does a night mayor actually do during the day? Is it worth visiting the Saxon city without a car? Will two million people manage to push their way through the Bacteria Tube? Is the clockwise ring bus faster than counter-clockwise ring bus? How does a “Maker” get from the “Flagship” to the “Purple Path” without an ICE train? And will the new tree on the central square provide enough shade for all guests?

If you’re looking for answers, you won’t find them in this book. However, “What? Chemnitz?!” is a practical guide for the Capital of Culture. With his signature wry humour, Stefan Tschök reveals how 2025 could become a year of success for the entire region. And what you would be well advised to avoid ...

Translated by Nancy Gibson

The author

Stefan Tschök, born in 1957, is a true born-and-bred Saxon and devoted to the city of Chemnitz. The qualified transport economist worked for more than 20 years as Head of Marketing at the Chemnitz public transport company. As an author, he chiefly devotes himself to aphorisms, but he has also written auto-fictional novels as well as articles for a variety of newspapers and magazines. Stefan accompanied the application process of Chemnitz as Capital of Culture from the initial ideas to the preparation of the bid books as a “cultural ambassador” and member of the programme council. Today he is devoting himself to the development of the intervention area “Garage Campus”, a former tram depot in the Chemnitz Kappel neighbourhood. Stefan is married and the father of three grown-up children. He lives in Chemnitz.

The translator

Nancy Gibson was born in Toronto, Canada in 1961. She performed in the Chemnitz Theater as an opera singer for many years before becoming the principal of the Chemnitz municipal music school. Nancy is active in the cultural life of Chemnitz and has been involved in Chemnitz’s Cultural Capital process in a variety of functions.

From A to Z: an instruction manual for Capital of Culture:

• A is for Apple
• B is for Bacteria Tube
• C is for CWE
• D is for Digitalisation
• E is for English
• F is for Flitting Around By Train
• G is for Garages
• H is for Hartmann Factory
• I is for Intervention Areas
• J is for Junior
• K is for Karl
• L is for Logo
• M is for Market Tree
• N is for Night Mayor
• O is for Omnibus Train Station
• P is for Programme
• Q is for Quarrelling
• R is for Ring Bus Line
• S is for Spoken Word Theatre
• T is for Technical University
• U is for Unpleasant Detours
• V is for Vexing Traffic Concepts
• W is for We Need Advertising
• X is for Xenophobia
• Y is for Yak
• Z is for “Zenti”