STUMBLING UPON THE CITY OF CHEMNITZ IN GERMANY
As soon as we entered Chemnitz, I knew that the city had a story to tell. Its decrepit buildings mingled with modernist structures immediately reminded me of Łódź, a former industrial city in central Poland.
It was thus electrifying to find the number of similarities between these cities. During its manufacturing heydays, Chemnitz was known as the Saxon Manchester. Łódź also earned a similar nickname, the Polish Manchester, thanks to its flourishing textile industry.
Unfortunately, both cities suffered a major economic and population decline in the twentieth century. Their factories collapsed and many young people left for greener pastures.
Today, efforts to revive these places and attract new business ventures are visible to the naked eye. Łódź boasts of a vibrant film school that is internationally recognised and lauded. Most importantly, it is a UNESCO City of Film and is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Other places of great interest in Łódź are the famous Piotrkowska Street and Manufaktura.
As for Chemnitz, it is proudly going to be a European Capital of Culture in 2025 along with Nova Gorica in Slovenia. One of the major tourist atrractions of this east German city is an impressive 7-metre Karl Marx Monument. The bust is reminiscent of the former Communist name of Chemnitz: Karl-Marx-Stadt. The city’s petrified forest and the industrial museum are also worth a detour.
Well, you must be wondering how we ended up there in the first place. For your own information, Chmenitz does not have a good reputation as far as its treatment of foreigners or refugees is concerned. In 2018, ferocious riots erupted after the homicide of a 35-year-old German. Far-right protesters were seen chasing people of foreign origin in the street. These horrendous images made headlines around the world.
Would I have stopped by Chmenitz if I had previously known this? Probably not. The truth is that we discovered this city by chance. We were driving to France from Poland and we needed to sleep somewhere before proceeding to our final destination. The first hotel did not accept pets, therefore we ended up in Chmenitz.
Upon entering the city, we were greeted by a colourful chimney that draws one’s gaze to its spectacular structure. To be honest, I did not find this chimney charming at first sight. My immediate thought went to the inhabitants of Chemnitz. Did they think it was an eyesore or did they prefer the colours to the usual drabness?
It was actually impossible not to notice the run-down buildings along the road and the atmosphere of general poverty in certain areas of the city. I saw ailing old and homeless people. The image of a heavily-wrinkled man pushing a trolley across the street, with his wife trailing behind him, is still engraved in my mind.
What I saw made me shiver in broad daylight. Had we made the right choice in booking that hotel? All businesses seemed to be closed and the area looked deserted. Mind you it was only eight in the evening. I could not help thinking about the life that we usually witnessed during such an hour in most European cities.. Was our neighbourhood going to be safe?
My mind was cluttered with unanswered questions and luckily enough, as we advanced into the heart of the city, I started noticing snippets of modernity and social well-being. The presence of crowded restaurants with seemingly happy patrons removed the malaise that had settled in the deep recesses of my heart.
What a joyful moment it was when my eyes captured the hotel building. Here it was, with a well-tarmacked , private parking space and brand-new amenities. Our receptionist was very friendly and welcoming. I managed to throw in a few German words, which she perfectly understood. Additionally, she encouraged me to continue learning German.
The hotel room was full of pleasant surprises as well. It was spacious and overlooked a large avenue. Its large bay windows invited one to take a break from the hustle and bustle of modern life and just enjoy the sights with a glass of wine, which I did!
Besides, strolling around the hotel proved to be a rewarding experience. There was a small park with a fountain and some shops. A lot of people were seated there to take delight in the cold summer breeze. We noticed a few Asians and a couple of black people. We felt reassured by their presence and did not hesitate to partake in this short-lived pleasure.
What about the food? We went to an Italian restaurant though we would have loved to to dine in a German one to take advantage of our stay. I chose to eat lasagna and drowned it with an Aperol spritz and sparkling water. The waiters were nice and were patient with my frantic attempts to converse in their native language.
Overall, I was pleased with our short stint and would like to go back to Chemnitz for a longer stay. There are a lot of cultural beauties I would love to visit and explore.
Perhaps next year will make the cut. Who knows?
Further Exploration: Spotlight on Chemnitz—A German City Stamped by Rich History!
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Blog Article: Spotlight on Chemnitz—A German City Stamped by Rich History! A Must-Visit Tourist Destination! (Level B1-B2)© Learn English With Africa, July 2023
