SightgeiSt

N E W S S t o r i E SE v E N t S No. 7

t h e S a x o n y M a g a z i n e

Chrome and Curves

The PeaCeful revoluTion

ouT of The frame

www.leipziger-messe.com

Welcome

Benefit from our first-class location: Leipziger Messe in the heart

of Europe offers a persuasive choice with trade fair expertise that

has evolved over the centuries, ideal infrastructure and transport

links as well as perfect logistics. This dynamic economic region is

shaped by prestigious companies. And the cosmopolitan city of

Leipzig welcomes its guests with a magnificent range of hotels,

gastronomy and culture on offer.

Bringing together all of the adventages of Leipzig

as a location for you - this is what Leipziger Messe does.

3SIGHTGEIST

Making History

Hans-Jürgen Goller

Editorial Director

Remember when the Berlin Wall came down? It was perhaps the most joyful moment in German history. But by this time, the East Germans’ fight for freedom had already been won. The real battlegrounds were in Leipzig, where peace prayers in St. Nicholas’ Church turned into demonstrations against the oppressive regime of the former German Democratic Republic. On 9 October 1989, 70,000 peaceful demonstrators took to the streets of Leip-zig, expecting a violent reaction from the Communist leaders. Miraculously, the amassed security forces were told to retreat and the government’s power crumbled. One month later, the Berlin Wall also fell. Twenty-five years after, it is time to look back at this chain of events that started in Saxony and created a new Germany.

While Dresden also had its share in this so-called “Peaceful Revolution”, another revolution took place here in the early 20th century. A group of mostly Saxon-born artists founded a group called “Die Brücke”, meaning “The Bridge”, referring to Nietzsche, who claimed that a man should be a bridge, not an end. With the aim of freeing themselves from the conven-tions dictated by the art academies and the rest of the establishment, these artists aspired to a simple way of life, making frequent excursions to the picturesque countryside around Mo-ritzburg. Their two-dimensional compositions with strong contours and bright colours were considered “degenerate” art by the Nazi regime. Today, however, their legacy is treasured around the world and it is most rewarding to walk in the footsteps of “Die Brücke” in Saxony.

Just a few years ago, Meissen was only known for its tableware as the oldest porcelain manufactory in Europe. But today, Meissen has spread its wings and its famous trademark, the blue crossed swords, can be found on many other luxury goods that make the home a special place.

Saxony’s cuisine used to be among the best in Europe. A group of high-class chefs has now revived Saxony’s culinary traditions and added a new twist. Another more recent tradition is the annual “Saxony Classic” car rally that takes vintage cars to the places where fine automo-biles are created today by Volkswagen and Porsche in Dresden, Leipzig and Zwickau. With deep respect for the past, but his eyes fixed firmly on the future, master builder Hans Erlwein, who died much too young in a car accident 100 years ago, created buildings in Dresden that were both modern and traditional. And this is what Saxony still is today.

Enjoy the read!

Contents

14 United nations

24 New directions

03 Editorial

06 Kaleidoscope News and events

14 The Peaceful Revolution Birth of a reunited German nation

24 Luxury @ Home Meissen multiplies its DNA

36 Chrome and Curves A nostalgic tour through “Autoland Saxony”

52 Passion for Fashion Shirts that suit you

60 A Royal Feast Rediscovering Saxony`s culinary tradition

74 Looking Back to the Future Dresden´s master builder Hans Erlwein

84 These Boots Are Made for Flying Rass is the brand of champions

92 The Illuminators Exclusive hand-made lamps from Saxony

100 Out of the Frame “Die Brücke” revolutionised art

112 Cultural Highlights Festival Calendar 2014/2015

122 Imprint

06 Kaleidoscope

“Modern

and traditional”

36 Beautiful parade 92 In a different light

52 Unbuttoned

84 Magic boots

74 Upholding tradition

60 Traditiolicious

100 Bridge to utopia

112 Saxony on stage

Birth of a reunited German nation

The Peaceful RevoluTion

Those present will probably never forget the insistent, tumultuous

but by no means ominous noise that engulfed the city of Leipzig on

the evening of 9 October 1989. It was the sound of 70,000 people

demonstrating peacefully. First tentatively, then more determined-

ly, until finally they linked arms and marched along Leipzig’s in-

ner city ring road past several of the main government buildings,

blocking the entire road. With their courage and commitment,

the people of Leipzig paved the way for democratic change.

Now, a quarter of a century after the event, demonstrations have

become something we take for granted and accept as an expres-

sion of the people’s will. But what is today considered a normal

occurrence was an unheard of act of courage in 1989 in former

East Germany. The people of Leipzig, who had long been sup-

pressed by an overbearing and arrogant regime, and who now

collectively recognised their rights as citizens, vented their dissat-

isfaction spontaneously in a wave of protests. They demonstrated

their free will for all the world to see. In doing so, they were well

aware of the risks they were taking. They marched against an

armed power that had indicated in the preceding days with cryp-

tic statements in the local press that they were prepared to use

force against their own people if necessary. How courageous and

how desperate the protesters must have been to take to the streets

in the face of such intimidation!

17SIGHTGEIST

It would fill a minute-by-minute report of the events of 9 October

1989 to fully capture the explosive atmosphere, the risks taken by

the protagonists and the hasty efforts of cool-headed peacemakers to

deescalate the situation. An appeal drawn up jointly by six promi-

nent figures from Leipzig on the afternoon of that day and read over

local radio by Kurt Masur, the widely respected conductor of the Ge-

wandhaus Orchestra, urging the people to keep the peace, brought

some relief. It sent the right signals, but it was not yet clear what turn

events would take. There was some hope of resolving the deadlock

and a noncommittal offer of talks with the discontented demonstra-

tors, but nothing more.

The situation was highly volatile, with events transpiring in the

space of just a few minutes. The armed forces had already fired up

the engines of their personnel carriers when the vast crowds tak-

ing part in the regular Monday prayers surged out of St. Nicholas’

Church in Leipzig, holding candles in their hands, to form a spon-

taneous protest march. The people were prepared for the worst,

but at the decisive moment, the engines of the armoured vehicles

fell silent. Not a single shot was fired, not one windowpane bro-

ken. There was no stopping or holding back the crowds of protest-

ers. Leipzig was experiencing the dawn of a peaceful revolution.

The Central Committee of the governing Socialist Unity Party

in Berlin, which just hours before had been bombarded with calls

for advice on how to restore order from local officials who did

not know what to do, remained silent in cowering confusion. In-

stead, Leipzig acted. Power changed hands and was taken up by

the peaceful demonstrators on the city’s streets.

18 SIGHTGEIST

At this point the clamour became audible, an electrifying sound,

not of chanted slogans at first, but of the calm determination of

protesters who were no longer prepared to tolerate the circum-

stances under which they were forced live. They demanded

change. And then, for the first time, a cry rang out that was both

an expression of self-assurance by the allegedly powerless people

and a warning to the apparently powerful rulers, encapsulated in

the briefest, proudest and most insistent conviction: “Wir sind

das Volk!” – We are the people.

That evening in Leipzig went down in history. It triggered an

avalanche of events, culminating in the reunification of Ger-

many and the end of the confrontation between the hostile

blocs at the heart of Europe. What was happening in the city

in Saxony took the strictly centralistic command of the East

German regime in Berlin by surprise. Just two days before, the

Central Committee had celebrated the 40th anniversary of the

German Democratic Republic with much pomp and ceremony.

Now, 48 hours later, 70,000 citizens of Leipzig were revolting

and hurling accusations at the leaders of the oppressive state

party: “You and your handpicked cronies can celebrate your-

selves as much as you like, but never forget one thing: We are

the people!” To the power-hungry bureaucrats in Berlin, this

behaviour was so outrageous that in their surprise, they actually

hoped the discontent would finally erupt. Although they took

an interest in the authentic accounts of events from Leipzig,

because official accounts initially were sparse, the members of

the power elite believed themselves to be firmly in charge. They

underestimated the force that could be unleashed by the wrath

of the people. With their accustomed arrogance, they intended

to simply ignore their demands. They could not know that just

four weeks later in Berlin, at the centre of their rapidly crum-

bling power, the Wall itself would come down. In their hubris,

they did not want to see that the events in Leipzig, East Ger-

many’s second-largest city, would be the proverbial straw that

broke the camel’s back.

German President Joachim Gauck was a special guest at the Festival of Lights in 2013.

19SIGHTGEIST

Leipzig at the time was an important economic hub that struggled

to maintain its position on the world market by producing goods

for export. But Leipzig was also a globally renowned trade fair city.

Twice a year, local citizens and international guests converged

at these eagerly anticipated events, swelling Leipzig’s population

temporarily to the size of a megacity. Leipzig’s trade fairs brought

the spirit and aura of the wider world to Saxony, or the “prov-

inces”, as it was often disparagingly referred to by the bureaucrats

in Berlin. The trade fairs posed a seemingly unresolvable conflict

that the regime deeply mistrusted and found hard to endure: They

were a useful and urgently needed link between East and West

on one hand, but encouraged free-spirited discussion and brought

in highly coveted goods on the other. At the trade fairs, major

Western brands presented their latest automotive designs, which

increasingly highlighted the gap to the GDR’s home-grown Tra-

bant from year to year. In addition, East German visitors were

exposed to a wide array of highly sought-after goods, either those

produced by the humble East German economy for export only,

or products demonstrating the international standing of Western

firms, behind which the East trailed hopelessly. During the trade

fairs, Air France’s Concorde regularly appeared in the skies over

Leipzig, further kindling people’s desire to travel to faraway plac-

es. It was the same with the Book Fair. Western publishers pre-

sented coveted publications at the event which were well-known

in the East but not published there for ideological reasons. How

often did Western staff reluctantly turn a blind eye when the odd

copy disappeared illicitly into Eastern pockets at great risk, never

to see the Book Fair again? Intellectual theft was not pretty, but

it was pretty subversive.

These wonderfully exhilarating days during the trade fairs of-

fered the people of Leipzig the opportunity to glimpse for a

short period of time a world that was otherwise closed to them.

This put the city in a privileged position. Nowhere else could

Easterners and Westerners fraternize and get to know each oth-

er better in such an intense and relaxed atmosphere.

St. Nicholas’ Church – A place of prayer then as now

20 SIGHTGEIST

For one week during the spring fair and one week during the

autumn fair, the door was opened and then slammed shut again.

Over time, the endless repetition of liberty followed by restraint

provoked feelings of resentment. Surely it must be possible to live

a life as unconstrained as during the trade fair, or even freer, all

the time? This unbearable back and forth between being cut off

from the world and then warily, suspiciously, being given a taste of

freedom, stoked the fires of discontentment. It was further aggra-

vated by the pride the people of Leipzig felt for their history and

their love of the city, which was falling more and more into de-

cline because the government was unwilling or unable financially

to preserve what was worth protecting. Ultimately, the trade fairs

were nothing more than a facade. They seemed doomed to col-

lapse and this drove the people to desperation.

So began the oppressively hot summer of 1989. Hungary was

already in the process of dismantling its border fortifications to

Austria. That year, a growing number of East Germans had gone

to Lake Balaton on their annual holiday and never returned to

their small, increasingly grim home country. Those who stayed

began to put their heads together and consider alternatives. But

anything that even smelled of reform was denounced by the

stony-faced, coldly silent “politburocrats” who claimed leader-

ship of the country and yet were unable to act. In the midst

of this paralysing inaction, in early August 1989, a succinct

notice appeared in the daily newspaper "Neues Deutschland"

announcing that in due course, the city of Leipzig was consider-

ing applying to host the summer Olympic Games. Originally in-

tended as a propagandistic tactic to avoid the delicate question

for the GDR of holding joint Olympic Games in the divided

city of Berlin, the announcement did not nourish the civic pride

of Leipzig’s citizens as hoped, but rather intensified the feeling

that state leaders had finally lost their sense of reality. After

that, things came to a head. The desperate cries of “We want

to get out” were drowned out by the more defiant chant “We

are staying here” from people who were fiercely determined to

change the situation. It was still unclear how they were going to

manage it, but as dissatisfaction grew, concepts were drawn up

in secret to find a solution to the problem.

Left: Typical images towards the end of the German Democratic Republic – long queues in front of shops, houses left to ruin and the special appeal of exotic fruits

Right: An impression of the Festival of Lights 2009 on Augustusplatz square in front of the Opera House

22 SIGHTGEIST

It was trade fair time again in Leipzig. On the second day, as every

Monday, a service was held in St. Nicholas’ Church to pray for

peace, drawing supporters with the simple invitation of being

“Open to all”. This time, Western correspondents who had come

to Leipzig for the trade fair were waiting in front of the church.

The mindless, brutal plain-clothed security personnel promptly

gave them the pictures they wanted and then broadcast around

the world: Aggressive action against a few demonstrators who felt

the full physical blow just as they were about to unroll their home-

made banners. It was humiliating and depressing. On the Mondays

that followed, the number of peaceful demonstrators converging

at St. Nicholas’ Church swelled from a few at first to an increas-

ingly sizable number. Powerless to act, the regime responded with

anger as well as aggression, but it refused to enter into talks. The

autumn trade fair was over and the Western correspondents had

returned home. This was the state of affairs on 9 October 1989.

The events of that day are engrained above all in the memories

of the 70,000 who had the courage to take to the streets before

the number of participants in the Monday protest marches began

growing, first to 100,000 and then to 300,000 from all over the

region in the following weeks. By then, the world had already

changed. Photographs exist of what took place on 9 October,

1989 in Leipzig, as do plenty of film recordings, but overall the

number of images of these unprecedented events does not com-

pare with the abundance of material on the fall of the Berlin Wall

one month later, when scores of journalists became witnesses and

chroniclers of an emotional and historical moment. However,

it was the demonstrations in Plauen, where dissatisfaction first

flared up in Saxony, the trains with refugees from the Prague Em-

bassy which were routed via Dresden in an act of complete igno-

rance at the behest of Politburo officials, and finally the Monday

demonstrations in Leipzig, which irrevocably heralded the end

of the GDR. The stones that caused the Berlin Wall to fall were

pulled from its foundations in Saxony.

In the quarter of a century that has since passed, the Free State of

Saxony has gained new acclaim. The memory of autumn 1989 is

an important part of the state’s identity and was decisive in trig-

gering many subsequent changes. Germany has not seen many

successful revolutions in its long history, but the Peaceful Revo-

lution of 1989, when the people demonstrated their uncompro-

mising will, was one of its moments of glory. And it all began in

Leipzig, in Saxony!

TRAveLINFO

HOw TO GeT THeReBy air: Leipzig-Halle AirportNon-stop flights every day from Istanbul, Paris, Zurich and Vienna, four days a week from London Stansted, as well as a wide choice of international flights via Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and MunichBy rail: direct ICE connections from almost all German citiesBy car and coach: via motorways A9, A14

wHeRe TO STAy AND eATHotel Marriott LeipzigSituated between one of Europe’s largest railway stations and the wonderful historic shopping arcade, Hotel Marriott welcomes visitors of all nations. The hotel offers first-class service and modern amenities.www.marriott.com

Steigenberger Grandhotel HandelshofBehind the historic facade of a former trade fair building is now a modern luxury hotel. It boasts elegant rooms and suites as well as a spacious lobby bar, wine store and the brasserie “Le Grand”.www.steigenberger.com

wHAT TO DOSt. Nicholas’ Church, LeipzigSt. Nicholas’ Church is Leipzig’s largest church. This is where the Peaceful Revolu-tion started in autumn 1989, heralding the end of the former German Democratic Re-public and leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, and the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990. www.nikolaikirche-leipzig.de

Museum in the “Round Corner”, LeipzigThe former district headquarters of the “Sta-si”, the secret service of the former East Ger-man regime, in Leipzig now houses a me-morial museum on the history, structure and methods of the Stasi. Since August 1990, the museum has housed a permanent exhi-bition entitled “Stasi – Power and Banality”.www.runde-ecke-leipzig.de

Zeitgeschichtliches Forum LeipzigA permanent exhibition in this museum is dedicated to the history of dictatorship, re-sistance and moral courage in the Soviet occupied zone and the German Democratic Republic. It also covers the Peaceful Revolu-tion and the unification process. On 2,000 m² of space divided into twelve sections, the exhibition presents 3,200 exhibits including photos, documents, objects and media.www.hdg.de/leipzig

Leipzig Festival of LightsThe Festival of Lights has been held every year in Leipzig on 9 October since 2009 at original historic locations such as Augus-tusplatz square or the inner city ring. This project bringing together art and the peo-ple of Leizpig often attracts over a hundred thousand visitors. As an event to commem-orate the Peaceful Revolution, it combines active participation with dignified remem-brance, giving visitors a shared experience and reviving the concept of freedom and a sense of community. www.leipziger-freiheit.de/en/festival-of-lights

GondwanalandGondwanaland

www.gewandhaus.de www.zoo-leipzig.dewww.leipziger-freiheit.de

www.leipzig.travel

25 Years Peaceful Revolution and

Leipzig Festival of Lights, 09/10/2014

Richard Strauss – the Cycle

03/04 – 04/07/2014

www.gewandhaus.de www.leipziger-freiheit.de www.zoo-leipzig.de

Meissen multiplies its DNA

HomeLuxury@

Meissen has influenced German dining culture more than any other company in the past three centuries with its porcelain tableware and patterns. Now, its traditional designs are making an impact in the world of interiors.

29SIGHTGEIST

The scaly shimmering golden body twists and turns, snake-like,

seeming to glide upwards. Feet with eagle-sharp claws, a mane

like tongues of fire. The long tail is coiled like a lizard’s, a long,

thin tongue slithers from the sharp-toothed jaws, and devilish

eyes follow a pearl encircled by fire. The customer runs her fingers

tentatively over the elaborately woven, fine black fabric, tracing

the writhing body of the mythical creature. On another rail, she

caresses an iridescent white fabric covered with fine, golden, in-

tersecting curved lines: Two intertwined swords, with facing hilts

and cross-guards, the curved blades touching, crossing and meet-

ing again at the weapon’s most lethal point, the tip of the blade.

They are Meissen swords, unmistakable, woven into the fabric in

continuous arabesques.

The crossed swords have long been the trademark of Meissen,

the prestigious and internationally famous porcelain manufac-

turer founded in 1710. They originated from the coat of arms

worn by the electors of Saxony and were chosen as the com-

pany’s signet as early as the 18th century to set it apart from

other European manufacturers. Ever since, these two feudal

weapons have gracefully joined crossed blades as the company’s

hallmark and as decoration on all pieces of Meissen porcelain:

on coffee and tea sets, on plates, bowls, vases and ashtrays, su-

shi plates and more. For some years now, they have also graced

other Meissen products.

MEISSEN’S prEcIouS DNA

Three hundred years of Meissen porcelain are a commitment

– to tradition, to superior artistic competence, to true beauty,

style, timeless design, fine materials and, above all, to high-

quality craftsmanship. After two world wars and the political

upheavals of the 20th century, the company that has been

managed under the name Staatliche Porzellan Manufaktur

Meissen GmbH since 1991 is facing a new challenge in the

21st century. Demand for traditional porcelain tableware has

dropped dramatically, and many porcelain manufacturers have

gone bankrupt. Traditional handcrafts are laborious and costly,

and many brands today rely on industrial production or have

moved their production operations to low-wage countries.

Meissen, too, is striking out in new directions, but it is doing

so without betraying its name, which has earned a reputation

as a premium brand of world renown thanks to 300 years of

traditional craftsmanship. The company intends to live up to

the high standards of the legend it embodies in the future, too.

Meissen has always been an expensive luxury brand, and it

plans to continue as such in future.

What more impressive and distinct setting

for luxury interiors than an Italian renaissance palazzo

in Milan? In VILLA MEISSEN®, visitors can experience

and sense the special aura of Meissen porcelain.

31SIGHTGEIST

Beauty, rarity and utility – three qualities that an object must

possess to awaken human desire, according to the alchemist Jo-

hann Friedrich Böttger, who produced the first European por-

celain in 1708 for Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony. In

recent years, Meissen GmbH has begun setting a new course by

adding new product lines to its collection. Its MEISSEN Fine

Art®, MEISSEN Joaillerie® and MEISSEN HOME® brands have

captured the markets for jewellery and fashion, architecture

and interior design. True to Böttger’s principle and loyal to its

tradition of craftsmanship, Meissen has transformed itself into

an international lifestyle brand. In revamping its image and

expanding into other markets, the company aims to win new

clientele. It also wants to persuade the next, younger generation

to buy the Meissen brand, in particular the products outside its

traditional product segment of tableware.

Under the MEISSEN HOME® brand, Meissen has been pro-

ducing furniture, accessories and fabric collections for superior

living, dining and bedroom interiors as well as classical porce-

lain tableware since spring 2012. Every object made by Meissen

continues to carry the company’s “DNA”, as Creative Director

Markus Hilzinger calls it. After all, they are part of Meissen’s

cultural history. Of course, in expanding its product range to in-

clude interior design, the company was able to fall back on the

exceptional wealth of experience gained with Meissen porce-

lain, including 10,000 formulations for colours, 700,000 moulds

and 6,000 decorative designs. The intention was not to throw

traditional values overboard in favour of new trends, but rather

to extend the company’s horizons and take traditional Meissen

craftsmanship not only into the living room, but also into a new

era with classic and timeless designs.

Meissen designs, moulds and handmade and painted porcelain

elements can be found in the new, elaborately crafted furniture

and accessories, but in different forms. The company’s history,

traditions and origins are evident everywhere, but subtly: The

cushions, rugs, lamp shades, chairs and sofas, paravents and

fabrics embellished with variations of Meissen’s famous crossed

swords or Ming dragon link the past to the present by incorpo-

rating the designs as graphic motifs.

The designs blend timeless European and Asian style.

32 SIGHTGEIST

Similarly, the “Geometric” ornamental pattern symbolically in-

corporated into many of the new fabrics and rugs is based on the

mosaics on the floors of Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen as a

reference to the manufactory’s historic origins. Porcelain inlays

in tables and chairs or the “Cascade” chandelier comprising long,

delicate porcelain tiles with the crossed swords subtly embossed

across them make the transition through the use of the original

material. Meissen’s historic designs and materials can be found in

many details throughout the collection.

The sweeping, curved form of the Meissen swords can also be

seen in chair legs and table frames. A round table is set on a

base comprising a mesh of solid bronze swords with porcelain

inlays. Many of the pieces of furniture feature crackle lacquer

that produces extremely fine cracks and fissures in the surface

and was originally used in China as a porcelain finish. “The

leather cushions are hand-painted in-house by porcelain artists

who are specialised in leather and silk painting,” explains Mau-

rice Lange, Product Manager for MEISSEN HOME® DECO.

The products owe their unique quality to the company’s long

tradition of craftsmanship and the designs from its archives

dating back to the 18th century. MEISSEN HOME® collecti-

bles blend tradition with innovation. Meissen has managed to

successfully transfer its hand-made porcelain, its highly valued

art of hand painting and its surface finishing and design exper-

tise from tableware to interior design, all with great attention

to detail and an appreciation for subtle hues.

A look back on Meissen’s history reveals that this new path is

not so new after all. Back in the days of Augustus the Strong,

the company also produced jewellery from porcelain, interior

design in the form of vases and large animal sculptures. It

even made furniture that was presented at the World’s Fair in

Chicago in 1893.

By reviving old virtues and capturing new business segments,

Meissen hopes not only to attract new clientele, but also to

introduce them to the company’s traditional products by way

of the new brands: A customer who buys a ring today might

purchase a table top sculpture tomorrow, and someone who ac-

quires a dining table from MEISSEN HOME® could soon place

a Meissen dinner set on it.

34 SIGHTGEIST

Individual touches with loving attention to detail

VILLA MEISSEN® IN MILAN

According to an Italian proverb, “Tutte le strade conducono a

Roma” or “All roads lead to Rome”. Or to Milan, in the case

of Meissen. And what could provide a more impressive and

distinct setting for luxury interiors than an Italian renaissance

palazzo in the heart of Milan? To position itself in new and

international markets, Meissen GmbH considered its profile in

countries outside Germany and how to present itself on the

international stage in the 21st century. The company decided

in favour of sophisticated Milan, a city known for fashion, de-

sign and trade fairs, and home to the world’s foremost furniture

exhibition, the annual “Salone Internazionale del Mobile”,

as the venue for launching the new MEISSEN Joaillerie® and

HOME® brands.

In April 2012, MEISSEN® Italia, the Italian subsidiary of Meissen

GmbH, opened VILLA MEISSEN® in Milan to coincide with the

launch of the MEISSEN HOME® brand. VILLA MEISSEN® is

set in Palazzo Casa Carcassola, an historical renaissance building

in Via Montenapoleone, Milan’s famous luxury shopping mile. It

has been extensively converted and restored and now showcases

the exclusive MEISSEN HOME® collection in various rooms.

VILLA MEISSEN® is a point of sale and a meeting point, as

well as a location for presentations and events. Here, custom-

ers can experience MEISSEN HOME® and the Meissen aura:

Against the backdrop of the palazzo’s remarkable architecture,

they can stroll through the bright rooms furnished entirely with

MEISSEN HOME® interior design, look up at the ceilings high

above their heads, adorned with elaborate frescos painted by

students of Raphael during the Italian rinascimento, and dis-

cover what makes the traditional Meissen brand so unique, styl-

ish and valuable. “The inauguration of VILLA MEISSEN® is a

seminal event in our long history, one that reinforces our ambi-

tion to be a German luxury brand of international standing, and

one that can be seen as paving the way for the further global

expansion of MEISSEN®,” says Dr. Christian Kurtzke, Chief Ex-

ecutive Officer of Meissen.

Indeed, looking back today, the opening of VILLA MEISSEN

can be considered a milestone in the expansion of the Meissen

brand. In 2013, MEISSEN® UK, the company’s British subsidi-

ary, opened its first MEISSEN HOME® boutique in Great Brit-

ain in Harrods, a luxury store in London. The company also

launched a showroom in Dresden in 2013. New boutiques were

opened in Beirut, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and in Riad

in Saudi Arabia.

And so, Meissen is multiplying its DNA in every respect, and we

can only agree when Meissen claims that Elector Augustus the

Strong, the often cited founder of Meissen porcelain, would have

been overjoyed.

Chrome and CurvesA nostAlgic tour through “AutolAnd sAxony”

Horch 853 built in 1937 and driven by Prof. Dr. Hans Naumann, owner of Niles-Simmons-Hegenscheidt

Stopover in Chemnitz Museum of Industry: from right to left – a BMW 501 from 1953, an EMW 327/2 from 1952, a Skoda 1101 Tudor from 1948, an Austin A 40 from 1952 and a Porsche 911 Targa from 1969

On the road in the Ore Mountains, in the foreground an Alfa Romeo 6 C 1750 Gran Sport from 1930

43SIGHTGEIST

Zwickau in West Saxony on a perfect summer day in August

2013. A stroll through the town’s main square is like paging

through the history of the automobile: Over 180 hand-picked

classic cars, each representing an individual chapter from the

book, have been on display at the annual Saxony Classic car rally

for eleven years. The chugging and firing of the engines echoes

off the historic facades. For the automotive enthusiasts gathered

here, the sound is more than just a noise made by old machines:

It is music to their ears, rich in traditional tones and strongly

influenced by modern accents.

The rally is a museum on wheels with exhibits that are not fusty

and outmoded, but full of colour and life. The convoy of mobile

artefacts travels over 600 km through Saxony, along roads lined

with people cheering. The long, elegantly curved fenders of the

vehicles mirror the idyllic, rolling hills of the Ore Mountains.

Most Saxons go into raptures on the subject of cars. The angular,

chunky engine hoods are a tell-tale sign of the power underneath

them. Some of the oldest vehicles are like fortresses on wheels,

encasing their drivers in tons of sheet steel. They command re-

spect, just like the castles and fortresses found throughout this

region. Each car is unique. The beauty of the technology and

scenery is what matters over these three, glorious days in August

at the Saxony Classic.

s a x o n s h a v e C a r s i n t h e i r g e n e s

Is it all just a big show? Not for Saxons. They don’t see it as a

spectacle in the superficial sense. These people in the heart of Eu-

rope have petrol in their blood! Saxons have cars in their genes,

as many say, just like the Swabians in southwest Germany, where

the history of the automobile began with the Mercedes Benz. In

Saxony, automotive pioneer August Horch established a second,

independent line. But tradition here in Saxony does not mean

exhibits in a museum, although of course there are some of those

too, such as at the Horch Museum in Zwickau. For Saxons today,

tradition means keeping the best of the past alive and recreating

it in a new form in the present. This German state that was virtu-

ally hidden from the world behind the Iron Curtain until 1989 is

today a production location for global market leaders like BMW,

Porsche and Volkswagen. And that is no coincidence.

Ever since industrialization in the 18th and 19th centuries, Sax-

ons have had a burning interest in everything that moves, and

above all in things that roll, are powerful and embody the zeit-

geist. Machines, engines, and motor vehicles on two, four or more

wheels: Saxons build motorcycles, cars and steam locomotives

with passion and enthusiasm. Ingenuity, diligence and engineer-

ing skill are typically Saxon. Of course the people here love to

hear themselves described in this way too. Not only because it is

flattering, but because it is true.

This is why the long retinue of cars in the Saxony Classic is

so eagerly anticipated and welcomed every year. In 2014, it is

being held for the 12th time. While the spectators are duly im-

pressed by the Italian curves of a red Ferrari or the nobility of

a Bentley, an elegant Horch or a sporty pre-war Audi elicits

that sense of pride that makes Saxons so Saxon. It is pride that

comes from being part of automotive history. These days, no one

is ashamed any more of the Trabant, the flimsy “cardboard car”

produced for 40 years in the East German planned economy.

Saxons drive their VW Golfs or Passats today with the same

enthusiasm as they did their Trabant back then. “They are built

here by us,” Saxons like to say.

The rally starts in Zwickau: On the left a Ford A Speedster from 1930, on the right a Horch 853 built in 1937.

s a x o n y , h o m e o f t h e a u t o m o b i l e

Saxony today is one of the largest automotive hubs in Europe.

Following German Unification, Volkswagen was the first to in-

vest in this new location, followed closely by BMW and Porsche.

VW has been building engines in Zwickau and Chemnitz since

1990, and the luxury VW Phaeton has been rolling off the line

in the company’s Transparent Factory in Dresden since 2002.

BMW makes its 1 and 2 series coupés in Leipzig. In September

2013 it added the i3, a production-ready premium electric car

with a carbon fibre body, which currently sets the standard in

the global automotive market for electric drives. Production of

the Porsche Macan started in Leipzig in February, the company’s

third model series after the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sta-

tion wagon. Over half of all Porsche vehicles are now produced

in Leipzig. But Saxony not only sets standards when it comes to

new vehicle models and types, but also in modern production

methods: Efficiency in resource and energy consumption, intel-

ligent logistics and high-tech manufacturing are milestones on

the road to the sustainable factory of the future.

But regardless of technical progress, one thing has not changed:

Every day, some 75,000 employees stream into the production fa-

cilities of the three big manufacturers and the several hundred

suppliers in Saxony. Saxony always was an industrial state, and

still is today. Investors and Saxons themselves are doing every-

thing they can to make sure it continues to be one in the future.

In planning the route every year, the organizers of the Saxony

Classic always include traditional locations as well as new produc-

tion sites. “Classic car drivers typically prefer picturesque, varied

routes,” says head organizer Harald Koepke. “And Saxony has

plenty of those. There is so much to discover here, and that is why

we plan a new route every year that blends automobile history with

45SIGHTGEIST

culture and countryside in a new way.” And what countryside! The

vehicles travel rural roads that do not dissect nature reserves, like

the major highways do, but rather fit seamlessly into the idyllic

landscape. Perhaps this paints too harmonious a picture of this

modern industrial region. But then again, maybe Saxony is just

a good example of how compatible industry and infrastructure,

social development and environmental protection can be.

e x p l o r i n g 1 , 0 0 0 y e a r s o f h i s t o r y

There are plenty of things to see on a summer tour of this kind

through Saxony. Drivers of convertibles get to enjoy them most.

They are rewarded with deep greens in the mountain forests of

the Vogtland, Ore Mountains and Upper Lusatia, or bizarre sand-

stone formations in Saxon Switzerland. The tour through the

cool, shady valleys of the Mulde and Zschopau rivers gives relief

from the summer heat, while the cultural metropolis of Dresden

and the sun-drenched Saxon wine region along the Elbe River

have an almost Mediterranean flair.

In between, drivers in the Saxony Classic get to experience all

kinds of fascinating and informative aspects of Saxony’s more

than 1,000 years of history and culture: Innumerable castles and

fortresses, baroque palaces, picturesque towns, vast structures and

monuments to technology. Spectacular Saxon highlights await

the participants along almost every mile of the route. For example

the Göltzsch Viaduct. More than 150 years ago, the Saxons erect-

ed the world’s largest brick-built bridge. Trains crossing Göltzsch

valley in the Vogtland region pass over 26 million bricks. No one

had tried that before, nor have they done since. Saxons are not

necessarily crazy about breaking records, just a little obsessed with

putting their ideas into action.

Saxony’s industry, its products and architecture attest to the aspira-

tions and skills of the people in the region’s cities and towns over

centuries. They are all expressions of successful, forward thinking

and constant, tireless work. Saxony today still has the highest con-

centration of technical professionals and managers in Germany with

54 engineers for every 1,000 residents. The people here work 1,474

hours per year on average, 86 hours above the national average.

A rest at midday in the courtyard of Augustusburg Castle near Chemnitz

p a r t i C i p a n t s a n d s p e C t a t o r s e n j o y t h e b e a u t y o f t e C h n o l o g y a n d l a n d s C a p e i n t h e s a x o n y C l a s s i C e v e r y y e a r i n a u g u s t .

49SIGHTGEIST

a l o v e o f p r e C i s i o n

Work creates prosperity. Today, 25 years after the fall of com-

munism, after years of steadfastly rebuilding the East German

economy, Saxons as well as their guests from Germany and

around the world recognize how unique the changes taking place

here really are. Diligence breeds success, success brings recogni-

tion. And Saxons know exactly what they owe this to: the auto-

mobile. Saxons love their cars. They drive everywhere, no matter

how far. Before a Saxon boards a plane, he checks twice to make

sure he cannot get there by car. Perhaps this is why a classic car

rally like the Saxony Classic, with its precise time controls and

above all its special stages, is perfectly suited to the region: Preci-

sion and persistence, two traits that Saxons love as technicians

and engineers – and that describe the cars in the Saxony Classic.

But what would the history of the automobile be without the

people behind the wheel? Many fans of the Saxony Classic are

themselves part of Saxony’s automotive past and present. In

2013, Prof. Carl H. Hahn took part again for the umpteenth time

in a 1974 VW Porsche. As CEO of VW, he founded Volkswagen

Sachsen GmbH in 1990. He is highly esteemed in Saxony, and

even has schools named after him. As an initiator and motivator,

he is a role model for children, the professionals of the future.

Starting positions in the Saxony Classic are highly sought-after

among top managers at carmakers from Saxony and elsewhere in

Germany. What better way to demonstrate their commitment to

tradition and affiliation to this special industry. The combina-

tion of driver and vehicle often has a symbolic significance, and

even expresses a symbiosis between tradition and contemporary

technical progress. At the 2013 rally, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg and

his wife Theresia drove a Wanderer Stromlinie built in Saxony in

1938. Hackenberg is currently head of development at Audi AG

in Ingolstadt in Bavaria; the Wanderer vehicle from Saxony is an

early example of modern aerodynamics.

g e t t i n g t h e r e i s h a l f t h e f u n

All of the cars eventually cross the finishing line sometime dur-

ing the third day. For some classic cars, the exertion is too much

and they thankfully accept the offer of a ride on the service vehi-

cle. Some stages of the journey, like the 340-meter-long “Steile

Wand”, or “Sheer Face”, a road in Meerane with a 12% gradient,

demand all the 80 to 90-year-old cars have to give. This steep cob-

blestone incline is a fascinating classic element and a competitive

gauge for uphill classification in international cycling events. It

has become a legend for spectators and cyclists alike, and is a land-

mark in the region. As a major attraction for visitors, the “Sheer

Face” is therefore a mandatory leg of the classic car rally.

It is hard to imagine a more stylish way to explore Saxony, the

home of the automobile, than rolling along elegantly in a beauti-

ful classic car in the Saxony Classic. From the Sachsenring race-

track and the spa town of Bad Elster in the Vogtland to the ma-

jestic Augustus Lodge in the Ore Mountains with its Motorcycle

Museum, on to the old MZ plant in Zschopau and the Museum

of Industry in Chemnitz, participants in the 2013 event tell of

breathtaking views and unusual perspectives, happy adventures

and new experiences. And they can do it again every year, but a

little bit different each time.

Left: A Wanderer Stromlinie Spezial from 1938,driven by Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, head of R&D at Audi

50 SIGHTGEIST

TRAvELINFO

ZwickauWith 100,000 inhabitants, Zwickau is the fourth largest city in the Free State of Saxony and the starting point for the Saxony Classic vintage car rally that takes place every year in August. www.zwickau.de

HOW TO GET THEREBy air: via airports in Dresden and Leipzig-HalleBy rail: regional trains from Dresden, Leipzig and Nuremberg (Bavaria)By car and coach: via motorways A4 and A72

WHERE TO STAy AND EATHotel Holiday Inn ZwickauThis four-star hotel set at the heart of the old town has been used by participants in the Saxony Classic for many years.www.holidayinn.de

Zwickau BreweryThis is where the Saxony Classic kicks off every year on the first evening of the rally. The historic tavern serves home-brewed beer and simple food in a rustic atmosphere.www.brauhaus-zwickau.de(only in German)

WHAT TO DOAugust Horch Museum ZwickauThe August Horch Museum is set on the original premises of Audi’s former factory in Zwickau. The museum presents the develop-ment of the automobile, not only for visitors with an interest in technology. More than 100 years of car history are brought to life here with loving attention to detail.www.horch-museum.de

Porsche LeipzigThe customer centre at Porsche’s factory in Leipzig is an exciting event location set right next door to the production site for the new Macan. Visitors can find out all about Porsche here. There is also an on-road and an off-road track, where visitors can experi-ence what it is like to drive a Porsche. www.porsche-leipzig.de

Transparent Factory in DresdenSince 2001, Volkswagen’s luxury limousine, the Phaeton, has been produced in this fac-tory in the centre of Dresden. Visitors can form their own impression on a guided tour. Outstanding cultural events and concerts are also held regularly. www.glaesernemanufaktur.de

A Fiat 520 Competizione from 1928

Dresden• 150th anniversary of Richard Strauss, Semperoper Dresden

• „ dance! Moves that move us“, exhibition at the German Hygiene Museum Dresden until 20th July

• 250 years of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts, a year of events

• 175 years of the romance of the railway, 8th April to 28th September at the Transport Museum Dresden

• more highlights at www.dresden.de/highlights

Highlights 2014

Passionately romantic.

Dresden @DD_MarketingDresden.Marketing

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2014/15

CulturalHighlights

113SIGHTGEIST

Saxony is Germany’s no. 1 cultural destination.

The margraves, dukes, electors and kings of the

Wettin dynasty who ruled Saxony for 832 years

promoted the arts and music, built impressive

palaces and even complete cities, and inspired in

their people the joie de vivre visitors can still wit-

ness today. Saxony’s capital, Dresden, has risen

again in all its Baroque splendour, its incredible art

collections shining like the jewels in a crown. A

journey through the musical history of Saxony is an

encounter with great names and a rich musical

legacy. It is possible to walk in the footsteps of

famous musical instrument manufacturers, com-

posers and musicians, not only in Leipzig, Saxony’s

largest city, that has contributed to music history

like no other place in Germany. Smaller romantic

towns also impress with their historic architecture

from Gothic to Art Nouveau, and with unexpected

cultural highlights. By creating innovative art and

music and presenting it in established or new loca-

tions, contemporary artists and musicians are busy

building a tradition for the future.

Through 8 June The Bauhaus artist Marianne Brandt Exhibition in Villa Esche in Chemnitz. www.villaesche.de

Through 3 August To Egypt! The Travels of Max Slevogt and Paul Klee Exhibition in the Albertinum, part of the Dresden State Art Collections. www.skd.museum

Through 28 September Germany Becomes MobileAnniversary exhibition on the inauguration of the Leipzig-Dresden railway 175 years ago.www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de

Through 28 September Sit – Lie – Rock. Furniture by Thonet Special exhibition in Grassi Museum for Applied Art. www.grassimuseum.de

Through 31 October A Story of STRONG WOMEN – 500 Years of Reformation Special exhibition at Rochlitz Castle all about Elisabeth of Rochlitz and women’s lives in the 16th century.www.schloss-rochlitz.de

Through 30 November 22nd Festival of Sandstone and MusicAt this music festival, culture, music and breathtaking nature blend harmoniously. The concerts are held at various venues in Saxon Switzerland – in churches, castles, palaces and quarries. www.sandstein-musik.de (in German only)

Through December Organ Jubilee – High Class – High ClassicConcerts performed on the world-famous instruments made by the great Saxon organ builder Johann Gottfried Silbermann at the most important organ and music festival in Central Germany. www.silbermann.org

Through 31 December Leipzig 1813 – The Turmoil of the Battle of the Nations The largest 360° panorama picture in the world at Asisi Panometer presents a panorama of Leipzig during the Battle of the Nations. www.asisipanometer.de

M a y 2 0 1 4

14 May Inauguration of the State Museum for Archaeology in Chemnitz Discovering culture – understanding history. A journey through 300,000 years of archaeology.www.smac.de

17 May – 14 SeptemberSeasonal concerts on the open-air stage in Saxon Switzerland national park Musicals and theatre performances.www.felsenbuehne-rathen.de

17 May – 31 October The WORD in IMAGES Biblical illustrations of ceremonial weapons and objects of art owned by the Electors of Saxony in the age of the Reformation at Hartenfels Castle, Torgau.www.skd.museum

until 18 Mai 44th International Dixieland Festival Every year in May, more than 500,000 Dixie- land fans turn Dresden into the European capital of Dixieland. It is the longest-running old-time jazz festival in Europe.www.dixieland.de

until 25 May Saxon Mozart FestivalA Mozart festival with international partners.www.mozart-sachsen.de (in German only)

21 – 25 May Richard Wagner Festival LeipzigThe festival culminates in the award cer-emony for the Richard Wagner Prize and a performance of Wagner’s opera “Die Feen” (The Fairies) at Leipzig Opera House. www.richard-wagner-leipzig.de

21 – 25 May Görlitz Jazz FestivalThis festival combines live concerts pre- senting various jazz styles set against the exceptional urban space and architecture of a nearly 1000-year-old town.www.jazztage-goerlitz.de (in German only)

22 – 25 May 100 years of King Albert Theatre in Bad ElsterFestivities to celebrate this major anniversary.www.koenig-albert-theater.de

23 – 25 May 23rd Weesensteiner Medieval FestivalMedieval market with authentic handicrafts and trades.www.schloesserland-sachsen.de

23 May – 10 June Dresden Music Festival“Golden 20s” is the theme of this year’s international classical music festival with outstanding artists in atmospheric venues in and around Dresden.www.musikfestspiele.com

J u n e 2 0 1 4

6 – 9 June Wave Gothic FestivalThis festival in Leipzig is one of the biggest events in the neo-romantic black metal scene. www.wave-gothic-treffen.de

13 – 22 JuneBach Festival LeipzigIn 2014 the festival takes as its theme the most important textbook and treatise by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, “Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments”, published in 1753.www.bach-leipzig.de

15 June – 3 August 23rd Centre of Europe Festival For several years now, this festival with its attractive programme has been dedicated to crossing borders in Central Europe. www.festival-mitte-europa.com

20 – 22 June 55th Plauen Lace FestivalThe town of Plauen in the heart of the Vogtland region is famous for its lace – delicate embroidery that attests to outstanding craftsmanship. www.plauen.de

21 and 22 June VII International Bagpipe FestivalBagpipe players, singers and dancers present a varied programme.www.folklorefestival-lausitz.de

26 – 29 June Freiberg Town Festival Central Saxony’s largest public festival with a traditional miners’ parade.www.freiberg-service.de

26 June – 24 August Film Nights on the Banks of the ElbeDirectly on the river Elbe facing the impres-sive skyline of the Terrassenufer with its his-toric buildings, Dresden presents two months of open-air cinema with classic films as well as rock and pop concerts.www.filmnaechte-am-elbufer.de (in German only)

27 – 29 June Saxony State Church Congress and German Protestant Choir FestivalThe Protestant Lutheran state church celebrates the 475th anniversary of the start of the Reformation, among others with a church music festival and a choir festival.www.kirche-leipzig.de (in German only)

28 Jun – 30 August MDR Summer Music FestivalThe festival welcomes the best artists from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as stars of classical music from all over the world.www.mdr-musiksommer.de (in German only)

29 June – 5 July 32nd Torgau Festival of Protestant Church MusicThis festival week is characterized by diverse and original performances. First-rate inter-national artists play church music from the Reformation to the present day. www.tic-torgau.de

115SIGHTGEIST

J u l y 2 0 1 4

July – August Monday Concerts at the Bach MonumentEvery Monday, a summer concert is held in Thomaskirchhof with music from Bach to blues performed by soloists, ensembles and orchestras. www.bachkonzerte.eu (in German only)

3 July – 10 August 19th Bautzen Theatre Festival Against an impressive backdrop in the courtyard of Ortenburg Castle in Bautzen, the German and Sorbian Volkstheater ensemble presents unique open-air shows.www.theater-bautzen.de

11 July – 19 October Elegant sheen. Silver from Art Nouveau to the Present DayTemporary exhibition in Grassi Museum for Applied Art www.grassimuseum.de

18 July – 4 August Lausitz Music Festival “Four Elements”Concerts in Bautzen and other venues in Upper Lusatiawww.bautzen.de

18 July – 28 September OstraleThe theme of this year’s exhibition, “Around You”, is all about the artist’s vision of his or her social environment, of the many ways in which society is changing and of the questions that this entails.www.ostrale.de

31 July – 3 August 20th Saxonia International Balloon FiestaEurope’s most fascinating and popular balloon event.www.balloonfiesta.de

A u g u s t 2 0 1 4

7 – 9 August Via Thea Görlitz/ZgorzelecInternational Street Theatre Festival: Re-nowned theatre groups from all over Europe and the world come here to perform. www.viathea.de (in German only)

9 – 24 August Moritzburg FestivalEvery year, around 25 renowned soloists and talented young musicians meet in Moritzburg and Proschwitz to work together on new interpretations of chamber music pieces and musical rarities.www.moritzburgfestival.de

15 – 17 August 14th Leipzig Water FestivalEvents are held in, on and around the rivers, lakes and canals in Leipzig’s town centre and surroundings.www.wasserfest-leipzig.de (in German only)

15 – 17 August Canaletto. Dresden City FestivalMore than 550,000 visitors come to celebrate “Dresden – Cosmopolitan City of Romance and Modernism”. www.Dresdner-Stadtfest.com

15 – 17 August 11th International Bad Elster Jazz FestivalThree days of “jazzy feelings” in Saxony’s oldest spa town in the Vogtland regionwww.chursaechsische.de

23 and 24 August TransnaturaleContemporary light and sound art at Lake Bärwalder. www.transnaturale.com (in German only)

29 – 31 August 21st Folklorum EinsiedelAt this cultural festival for world and folk music, the stages and venues dotted around the Cultural Island are filled with music, drums, dance and juggling.www.kulturinsel.com (in German only)

30 and 31 August Open house in Saxony’s winegrowing estatesMore than 25 wineries in and around Dresden open their doors to visitors.www.elbland.de

30 and 31 August International Linen FestivalBaroque Rammenau Castle welcomes lovers of fine linen and traditional crafts.www.schloesserland-sachsen.de

S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4

6 – 14 September Schumann Festival Week LeipzigThe festival celebrates the life and work of the musical couple Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck.www.schumann-verein.de (in German only)

6 September – 5 October 14th Festival of Electoral SaxonyTheatre in the Heart of Europe – celebrating 100 years of King Albert Theater in Bad Elster.www.chursaechsische.de

7, 13 and 21 September Stallion Parades in MoritzburgThe most beautiful horses of Saxony’s State Stud can be seen in Moritzburg.www.saechsische- gestuetsverwaltung.de

11 – 20 September 38th Leipzig Jazz Festival Most important festival for contemporary jazz in Eastern Germany.www.jazzclub-leipzig.de

12 – 14 September Chemnitz Industrial Culture FestivalThe festival is dedicated to industrial development in Chemnitz and the surrounding region.www.cwe-chemnitz.de

12 – 21 September Music Festival in the Ore MountainsThis music festival held in various venues in the Ore Mountains sets its musical sights on its European neighbours, presenting many works in a new light.www.musikfest-erzgebirge.de (in German only)

12 – 21 September 12th German Miners’ Day and 12th Pobershau Miners’ Festival Some 150 miners’ associations from all over Germany and Europe showcase their love of tradition and the history of mining at these events.www.marienberg.de

12 – 21 September Mendelssohn Festival The Gewandhaus concert hall in Leipzig presents the 2014 festival under the motto “Mendelssohn in the Rhineland”.www.gewandhaus.de (in German only)

16 – 21 September 14th International “Harmonica Live” FestivalArtists and fans of harmonicas meet in Klingenthal in the Vogtland region.www.mundharmonika-live.de (in German only)

19 – 21 September International Brass Music FestivalFrom swing and big-band sounds to folk music, rock and pop.www.bergmannsblasorchester.de

24 September – 4 January 2015 Freedom! Unity! Monument!Special exhibition to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de

27 September – 1 March 2015 Dig, Dag, Digedag. This exhibition is dedicated to the legendary comics from the former GDR.www.verkehrsmuseum-dresden.de

116 SIGHTGEIST

28 September – 4 October 300 Years of the Silbermann Organ in Freiberg CathedralThe most famous baroque organ in the world is celebrated with a varied programme.www.silbermann.org

O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

1 October – 22 February 2015 Fantastic WorldsPainting on Meissen porcelain and German faience by Adam Friedrich von Löwenfinck, 1714-1754, presented by the Dresden State Art Collectionswww.skd.museum

9 October Leipzig Festival of Lights – 25 Years of the Peaceful RevolutionArtistic light installations at historic venues in the town centre examine the topics of freedom, democracy and revolution.www.leipziger-freiheit.de

17 – 19 October 201 Years of the Battle of the Nations The celebrations culminate in re-enactments at original sites where the battle took place in 1813.www.leipzig1813.com (in German only)

17 – 19 October 21st International Bandoneon FestivalInternational soloists and groups perform music on the bandoneon.www.carlsfeld.com (in German only)

18 October Open day at Meissen Porcelain ManufactoryExperience perfect craftsmanship in the production of “white gold”.www.meissen.com

24 – 26 October Grassi Fair A trade fair for applied arts and design in Leipzig’s Museum of Applied Artswww.grassimuseum.de

24 – 26 October Designers’ OpenAt this Leipzig design festival, national and international exhibitors show their latest works in the fields of interior, industry, fashion and communication design. www.designersopen.de

27 October – 2 November Dok LeipzigInternational festival for artistic documentation and animation film.www.dok-leipzig.de

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4

4 – 9 Novembereuro-scene LeipzigThe 24th festival of contemporary European theatre is one of Europe’s most important festivals for experimental theatre and innovative dance. www.euro-scene.de

7 – 16 November Dresden Jazz FestivalInternational jazz festival at various venues in Dresdenwww.jazztage-dresden.de

13 – 19 November Cynetart FestivalFestival for computer-based art in Hellerau Festival Hall.www.cynetart.de

25 November – 23 December Leipzig Christmas MarketThis traditional Christmas market dates back to 1458.www.leipzig.de

27 November – 24 December580th Striezelmarkt The oldest and one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany.www.dresden.de/striezelmarkt

118 SIGHTGEIST

28 November – 25 January 2015 14th Winter Cultural Festival of Electoral SaxonyThe Saxon state spas of Bad Elster and Bad Brambach invite you to enjoy culture and relax in winter.www.chursaechsische.de

29 November – 26 December Staatsoperette Dresden Christmas Show A magical fast-paced show with well-known Christmas songs, numerous hits from musicals and films and a fantastic ballet ensemble.www.staatsoperette-dresden.de

PREVIEW 2015

January – December 1,000 Years of LeipzigUnder the motto “We are Leipzig”, the city invites its guests to a year-long celebration of the anniversary of its first official mention.www.leipzig.de

March – December Festival of Sandstone and Musicwww.sandstein-musik.de

12 – 15 March Leipzig Book Fairwww.leipziger-buchmesse.de

13 – 22 March11th Electoral Saxony Mozart Festivalwww.chursaechsische.de

May A Capella Festivalwww.a-capella-festival.de

May – October 1st National Exhibition on Luther’s Anni-versary in TorgauLuther and the Princes. How the rulers pre-sented themselves and their self-image in the days of the Reformation. Exhibition by the Dresden State Art Collections in Hartenfels Castle, Torgau.www.skd.museum

1 May – 4 October 20th Summer in Electoral SaxonySaxon/Bohemian cultural festival.www.chursaechsische.de

7 – 16 May 50th International Instrumental Competi-tion Markneukirchenwww.markneukirchen.de

8 – 25 May Saxon Mozart Festivalwww.mozart-sachsen.de (in German only)

22 – 25 May Wave Gothic Festivalwww.wave-gothic-treffen.de

30 May – 7 June Festival week celebrating 1,000 years of Leipzigwww.leipzig.de

June – September MDR Summer Music Festivalwww.mdr-musiksommer.de

12 – 21 June Bach Festival Leipzigwww.bach-leipzig.de

28 – 30 August 13th Festival of the Reformationwww.grimma.de

September Mendelssohn Festival Leipzigwww.gewandhaus.de

September Chemnitz Industrial Culture Festivalwww.industriekultur-chemnitz.de

2 – 13 September 21st Silbermann Festivalwww.silbermann.org

Subject to change!

119SIGHTGEIST

The region of the Ore Mountains has an excellent outlook.

Breathtaking panoramic views can be enjoyed not only from

Fichtelberg, Saxony’s highest mountain at 1,215 metres, but

also from its many neighbours. Established in 2010, the bian-

nual Ore Mountains Music Festival promises exquisite music

in perfect harmony with this impressively beautiful landscape

and its architecture that has evolved over centuries. The hilly

landscape is reflected in the names of the towns in the region,

whether Freiberg, Schwarzenberg, Annaberg, Marienberg or

Schneeberg (“Berg” is German for “mountain”). And so it is

only logical that the music festival should take as its motto

“Views”. It presents key works by composers from the region and

their European contemporaries, acting as an eye opener for the

citizens of these mountain towns as well as for the many guests

who travel to the festival from near and far.

An enjoyment of art with landscape,

architecture and music in perfect harmony

The artistic director of the festival is Prof Hans-Christoph

Rademann. “The Ore Mountains Music Festival stands for

high art that is deeply rooted in the Ore Mountains, a region

rich in culture,” says Rademann, when asked about his home.

He returns here several times a year from Stuttgart, where he

recently succeeded Helmuth Rilling, the internationally re-

nowned Bach interpreter, as head of the International Bach

Academy. In this day and age, it is no longer enough to think

just as far as the next ridge, according to Rademann. Together

with his team, he thinks up new inspiring combinations of

music for each festival, taking guests on a musical journey. In

“Nachtklang” (Night Sounds), experiments by young ensem-

bles play as much a role as major choir concerts or high-class

song evenings.

How does the night sound?

“Old music doesn’t necessarily have to do with history,” laughs

the artistic director. “It also has a present and future that are just

as exciting. Especially the younger generation of musicians is

driven by new influences, new views and a desire to experiment

across borders.” At the Ore Mountains Music Festival in 2012, a

novel idea for an event caused a stir: In “NachtKlang,” musicians

put a new perspective on old music, taking their audience on a

journey back to the future.

Two festivals – One idea

The aspiration of attracting world-famous musicians and young

talent to the Ore Mountains and enhancing the region’s appeal

as a musical landscape of international renown with high-class

festivals is shared by the Ore Mountain Music Festival and the

Silbermann Festival with its internationally acclaimed organ

competition. The best way to achieve a shared goal is to pursue

it together: And so the two musical driving forces in the Ore

Mountains have teamed up and now offer locals and guests an

exceptional musical experience on an annually rotating basis.

Ore Mountains Musical Festival 2014

12 – 21 September 2014

www.musikfest-erzgebirge.de (in German only)

Silbermann Festival 2015

2 – 13 September 2015

www.silbermann.org

Prof Hans-Christoph Rademann

121SIGHTGEIST

The Ore Mountains Music FestivalPresents Cultural Highlights

ImprInt

122 SIGHTGEIST

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Authors and Photos KaleidoscopeAuthor: Ines Nebelung; Photos: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/David Brandt; Gottfried- Silbermann-Gesellschaft e. V.; Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH/Andreas Schmidt; Swissotel Dresden am Schloss; Stadt Annaberg-Buchholz/Anni Bräuer/chic-clicks; Porsche AG; Staatliches Landesmuseum für Archäologie Chemnitz/Atelier Brückner; Katja Fouad-Vollmer; Michael Hennig; Oper Leipzig/ Andreas Birkigt

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Looking Back to the FutureAuthor: Claudia Trache; Photos: Messe Dresden/Jan Gutzeit; SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/Arno Adam, circa 1912 (Wolfshügelturm); SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/unbekannter Fotograf, circa 1913 (Porträt Erlwein);

Sylvio Dittrich/Dresden; Messe Dresden/Jan Gutzeit; Gastronomie Theaterplatz GmbH/Foto Hahn, Dresden; Wolfgang Gärtner/Dresden; Dresden-Altstadt, SLUB Dresden/Deutsche Fotothek/ Nowak, Max, before 1914 (Löwen-Apotheke)

These Boots Are Made for FlyingAuthor: decorum Kommunikation/Carsten Schulz-Nötzold; Photos: Vogtland Arena/Medienbüro Brand-Aktuell; Dirk Dießel/Agenturbild

The IlluminatorsAuthor: Jahreszeiten Verlag/Stefanie Zecheus; Photos: Leuchten Manu- faktur/ Kunstmann+Kunstmann foto-design/services; Jahreszeiten Verlag/Stefan Floss

Out of the FrameAuthor: Dr. Ingrid Koch; Photos: Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Seated Nude with Fan”, 1911, oil on canvas, 73.7 x 63.6 cm, Chemnitz Art Coll-ections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundati-on, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;

Max Pechstein “Self-Portrait with Pipe”, 1946, oil on canvas; Christiane Koch, Hamburg, © 2014 Pechstein, Hamburg/Tökendorf; Max Pechstein “In the Canoe (Outrigger)”, 1917, oil on canvas; Fo-toatelier Lorenz, Zschorlau, © 2014 Pechstein, Hamburg/Tökendorf; Tourismusverband Sächsisches Elbland e. V./Jochen Knobloch; Tourismusverband Sächsische Elbland e. V.;

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff “Still Life with Covered Vase”, 1921, oil on canvas, 66 x 71 cm, Chemnitz Art Collec-tions – Museum Gunzenhauser,Property of Gunzenhauser Found-ation, Chemnitz, © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2014, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;Albertinum, David Brandt, © Staat- liche Kunstsammlungen Dresden;Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Erich Heckel and Doris in the Studio”, 1910/11, oil on two-sided canvas (front), 120 x 120 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Schiefler Couple”, 1923, oil on two-sided can-vas (back), 120 x 120 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzen- hauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Foundation, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner “Nudes Stan-ding by Stove”, 1908, oil on canvas, 150 x 95 cm, New Masters Gallery, Inv. no. 97/06, © Ingeborg and Dr. Wolfgang Henze-Ketterer, Wichtrach/Berne; Photo: Jürgen Karpinski, New Masters Gallery, Dresden State Art Collections;Detail from “The City Tower”, 1911 by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, oil on canvas, 95.7 x 83.7 cm, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzenhauser Founda-tion, Chemnitz, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections;

Erich Heckel “Suburbs”, 1910, Chemnitz Art Collections – Museum Gunzenhauser, Property of Gunzen-hauser Foundation, Chemnitz, © 2014 Nachlass Erich Heckel, D-78343 Hemmenhofen, Photo: Chemnitz Art Collections

Cultural HighligthsPhotos: Oper Leipzig/Ida Zenna; Dresdner Musikfestspiele/Tim Wehner; Oper Leipzig/Bettina Stöß; Dresden Marketing Gesellschaft/Frank Exß; Jazztage Dresden Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion/Jan Gutzeit; Oper Leipzig/Andreas Birkigt

Editorial Deadline: 9 April 2014

SIGHTGEIST No. 8 will be published in May 2015.

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