Tango fever in Chemnitz: Cultural capital 2025 celebrates South America!

Tango fever in Chemnitz: Cultural capital 2025 celebrates South America!

Hartmannfabrik, Fabrikstraße 11, 09111 Chemnitz, Deutschland - Chemnitz will be appointed Cultural Capital of Europe in 2025, and the city program focuses on the tango. Under the title "Moving sounds", events such as Milongas-traditional tango dance events-as well as concerts and thematic guided tours are on the program throughout the year. On July 8, 2025, the composition "Pure!" Listed and on August 8, the MDR begins its music summer, which will be shaped by South American sounds and compositions by the famous Tango composer Astor Piazzolla.

The roots of the bandonon, a key instrument of the tango, are in Chemnitz. In the 19th century, Carl Friedrich Uhlig invented the Concertina, which was developed in Carlsfeld in the Ore Mountains into the folklore of the bandonon. The Saxon city was once a center of instrument production, and tens of thousands of bandonons were exported from there to South America. Even today, Saxon instrument builders Bandoneons, which illustrates the close connection between Chemnitz and the South American music tradition.

Bandoneon exhibition and concert

As part of the festival program, an exhibition will open on May 29, 2025 in the Hartmannfabrik, Fabrikstraße 11, 09111 Chemnitz, which shows over 40 historical concertinas and bandoneóns. These instruments come from different regions, including Chemnitz, Carlsfeld, Bohemia, Saxony, Krefeld and Buenos Aires. Heiko Guten from the Naunhof Kranwerk is recognized for his initiatives to provide instruments and information. The exhibition is opened with a concert by the Naunhof plant chapel and is open from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The exhibition also celebrates Carl Friedrich Uhlig, whose innovations significantly influenced the development of concertina. A book with the Audio CD entitled "From Concertina to Bandoneón / Chemnitz-The Cradle of Bandoneóns" is offered by Jürgen Karthe, which offers further insights into the history of the instruments.

a cultural exchange

The Cultural City City project "Moving sounds - Concertina & Bandoneon to Chemnitz" testifies to a lively exchange between cultures. The tango, which originally comes from Argentina, has deep roots in Chemnitz and this special connection is brought into focus during the festival. Chemnitz combines tradition and modern artistic performances and offers a stage for national as well as international artists and dance enthusiasts.

The connection between Chemnitz and the Tango shows not only in the events, but also in the workshops of the instrument makers who continue the musical tradition. The cultural capital program aims to honor the legacy of the bandonon and at the same time strengthen the cultural identity of the city.

The festival and the accompanying events are proof of how music and dance build bridges between cultures and emphasize the creative power of a city like Chemnitz in the European cultural landscape.