8 religious landmarks to visit in Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025

The Castle Church is not only the oldest religious building in Chemnitz but also one of the largest Gothic hall churches in Saxony. Its history begins with the Benedictine monastery founded on the site by Emperor Lothar von Süpplingenburg in 1136. After the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved and gradually dismantled or reused. The church survived despite little use and neglect. It was finally restored between the 1970s and 1990s. Today it is a must-see, along with the Schloßberg Museum next door.

Jakobikirche is one of the oldest religious buildings in Chemnitz, together with the Castle Church and the Johanniskirche. Since its foundation in the 13th century, St. Jakobi's has held the title of the city church and has been an important cultural centre. The church underwent several modifications and partial reconstructions until its complete destruction on 5th March 1945. It was rebuilt during the 1960s and 1970s. Work on the interior continued in the 2000s with the reconstruction of the vaults and the Hesse-Breuer high altar that visitors can admire today.

The Johanniskirche was founded in the 13th century under the patronage of the Benedictine Monastery and dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The building has been destroyed several times throughout history. The current appearance of the building dates from the 16th century. After the Reformation, it served as a place of worship with occasional services for the nearby St John’s Cemetery. The building suffered the consequences of the bombings of World War II, with the tower being reduced in size. The church resumed its activity in the 1990s as the Jugendkirche St. Johannis Chemnitz (Youth Church of St Johannis).

St. Peter's Church is one of many churches erected at the end of the 19th century, coinciding with the massive population growth of Chemnitz during the Industrial Revolution. The architect Hans Enger designed a neo-Gothic building of sandstone and brick. The church miraculously survived the bombing of the city in 1945. The fate was different for St Luke's Church, which was completely destroyed. Some element of this church were recovered after the bombing and are now on display in the Petrikirche. Today, the church's most precious artefact is iits Ladegast-Jehmlich organ, built by the master organ builder Ladegast and later modified by the Jehmlich company.

The Markus Kirche is an example of North German Brick Gothic style in the district of Sonnenberg. The church was completed in 1895, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in Chemnitz, and has a unique feature in the city, the turret of its façade has two spires. During the Second World War, the building suffered severe structural damage caused as a consequence of the shelling of the city. It also lost its copper roof sheeting, which was removed and reused for military purposes. Without proper restoration of the roof and masonry, the building became unusable in the following decades and remained closed until the extensive restoration in the 1990s. St. Markus was finally reopened in 2000.

The Jewish community settled in Chemnitz in 1885, following the industrial boom that transformed the city into an important economic centre. The Old Synagogue was a Neo-Romanesque building designed by Wenzel Bürger and inaugurated in 1899 at the Stephanplatz in the Kaßberg district. The building was destroyed during the Night of Broken Glass in November 1938. Today a memorial stele marks the place where the Old Synagogue once stood.

The Kreuzkirche is one of the main religious buildings in Kaßberg, the most populated district of Chemnitz. It was originally built between 1935 and 1936 according to the plans of architect Otto Bartning. The church was reduced to ashes during the air raids of Chemnitz during the Second World War. Its façade was rebuilt in 1954 to its original appearance, thanks to the support of the residents of Kaßberg. The interior was redesigned by Chemnitz architects Laudeley and Kornfeld.

The Neue Synagoge Chemnitz or “New Synagogue of Chemnitz” was completed in 2002. This synagogue replaced the Old Synagogue, built in the 19th century, which stood at Stephanplatz and was destroyed in the violent November pogroms of 1938. A community centre had been functioning in the place of the current Neue Synagogue since 1961, but it was not until the 2000s that the decimated Jewish community of Chemnitz had a place of worship in the city.