Ground-breaking inventions in automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, and the textile industry have allowed Chemnitz to become one of Germany’s strongest growing economies. Today the city is a competitive technological centre specialising in the automotive and supplier industries, information technology, mechanical engineering, and microsystems technology. Chemnitz produces high-quality machinery and production systems which are used by manufacturers around the world.

Chemnitz is also home to large research institutions and universities, such as Chemnitz University of Technology and the Fraunhofer Institutes. This dynamic landscape of higher education in combination with technological innovation has made Chemnitz one of the most favourable environments in East Germany for new businesses.

Young, urban, and modern, Chemnitz is a daring city which embraces change and innovation. However, the city’s rich history is still in plain sight. The architecture in Chemnitz reflects both tradition and modernity: the city centre, destroyed during the second world war, has been redesigned over the past 20 years by internationally renowned architects such as Helmut Jahn, Hans Kollhoff and Christoph Ingenhoven. Meanwhile the Kassberg districts is one of the largest areas in Europe still composed of mostly late 19th century Altbaus.

Chemnitz is also home to many museums and theatres, such as the Chemnitz Art Collection and the Gunzenhauser Museum, which contains an impressive collection of classical modernism. The Saxon Museum of Industry and the 100-year-old town hall are also interesting visits. The City Theatre hosts the Robert-Schumann-Philharmonie, drawing large audiences from across the country.

With its location in the Ore Mountain Basin, Chemnitz boasts scenic mountainous surroundings with the Central Saxon Hill Country to the north and the Ore Mountains to the south. The river Chemnitz, from which the city gets its name, runs through the middle of the Saxon metropolis.

Situated along the river is the historic City Park, and other green retreats such as the Castle Pond and the Küchwald Forest are enjoyed year-round by Chemnitz locals. The large Botanical Gardens in the north of the city as well as the multiple animal parks and reserves will also fascinate visitors and residents alike.