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ERIH Annual Conference 2025 | 22 - 24 October 2025 in Chemnitz, Germany

"C THE UNSEEN" – INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE

The Saxon industrial metropolis of Chemnitz, venue of this year’s ERIH Annual Conference, holds the title of European Capital of Culture 2025 and has placed all its programmes under the banner “C the Unseen.” In keeping with this heading, the ERIH conference deliberately turns away from the visible material heritage, often spectacular industrial architecture and machinery, and focuses on the frequently overlooked intangible facets of industrial culture. This heritage embraces a wide range of social and cultural everyday practices, rituals and traditions relating to music, food, sport and festive culture that shaped – and still shape – life in industrial districts. All of these help to foster a sense of ownership and identification among the local population with industrial sites and their history. Local networks, associations and volunteers often keep this knowledge alive. The conference will highlight the potential this intangible heritage offers to our industrial‑heritage sites, present strategies and formats needed to care for it. It will discuss ways to reach new audiences with these aspects of ”industrial culture” and to activate networks and partnerships in neighbourhoods, cities and regions that can foster – and emerge from – this work.

WEDNESDAY, 22 October 2025: Members' Day

On Wednesday we will start with a “Members' Day”, a new format for all ERIH members, where there will be an opportunity for exchange and networking.

Venue: Industrial Museum Chemnitz, https://www.industriemuseum-chemnitz.de/

13:00 CET    Short guided tour through Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture 2025 

14:30 CET    Arrival and refreshment in the Industrial museum Chemnitz / Registration

15:00 CET    Opening of the ERIH Members' Day

• Welcome
• News from ERIH
• Introduction of new ERIH members
• Report of the National Coordinators
• Search and find: Open stage for exchange and networking
• Space for meetings of ERIH multipliers and theme groups
  • National Coordinators
  • Regional Route/Network Coordinators
  • ERIH YP's
  • Further groups as required and upon request

18:30 CET    Short guided tour of the museum (tbc)

19:30 CET    Welcome reception and get-together
Venue: Schauplatz Eisenbahn, www.schauplatz-eisenbahn.de 

THURSDAY, 23 October 2025: Conference Day 

09:00 CET   Registration

09:30 CET   Welcome | ERIH President Dr. Walter Hauser

                    "What lace-making, the Steigerlied and a visitor mine in the Ore Mountains have in common"
                    Dr. Susanne RICHTER, Industriemuseum Chemnitz, Germany (Host) 

10:00 CET   Panel1 | PRESENTATIONS  

                    "INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE SALZKAMMERGUT REGION"
                    Andreas MURRAY, Traunsee-Almtal Tourist Board, Austria

                    "Remembering Sweat and Tears"
                    Kalle KALLIO, Finish Labour Museum, Finland

                    "Industrial Museums Scotland and twilight ICH"           
                    Rosie SHAKLETON, Jakob O´SULLIVAN, Industrial Museums Scotland Scottish Maritime Museum, Scotland         

      Coffee Break                

                    Panel 2 | PRESENTATIONS 

                    "Weaving the Unseen: the future Centre of Industrial Memories of São João da Madeira"
                    Alexandra ALVES, Tourism Unit, São João da Madeira Municipality, Portugal |
                    National Representative of ERIH in Portugal

                    "Industrial Gas Museum/Athens: Intangible heritage and how to use it"
                    Maria Florou, Argyro Batsi, Georgia Lazarou, Industrial Gas Museum & Maria Callas Museum,
                    Technopolis City of Athens, Greece

                    "The Language of Coal Miners as Intangible Cultural Heritage"
                    Sandra Badelt, Dörthe Schmidt, University of Münster, Germany  diff.             

13:00 CET   Lunch and Group Photo

14:15 CET   Panel 3 I Discussion 

                    Added value of European Cultural Capitals - Effects on Industrial Heritage 
                    tbc: Thomas LEIN (Mayor Oelsnitz), Nicole TRITTSCHACK, Ruhr Tourim Organisation (RUHR2010),
                           Tomas RABOCH (Pilsen 2015), Andreas MURRAY (Almtal Traunsee 2024) 

14:45 CET    Workshops

1. Is future (in)visible? Imagining the possible future(s) of Chemnitz’s industrial heritage, run by ERIH Young Professionals 
2. Knowledge Transfer (hands-on workshop), LWL Industriemuseum (Westphalian Industrial Museum)
3. Intangible Heritage: how can it be made more visible in ERIH?

16:15 CET     Refreshment Break

                      Summary Workshops 

17:00 CET    A Sensory Farewell: Discovering the Flavors of Industrial Heritage (tbc)

17:30 CET    End of the Conference

_____________________________

19:30 CET    Evening Program and Dinner

FRIDAY, 24 October 2025: Excursions

Three excursions are available to choose from.

Excursion 1: Ore Mountains: World Heritage and Transformation
Departure: 9:30 AM from the Congress Hotel | Return around 1:30 PM

Experience a unique blend of vibrant industrial heritage, innovation, and contemporary art. The focus lies on two prominent locations of the Purple Path—the central art project of Chemnitz 2025 European Capital of Culture – that exemplify the region’s past and future.

Stop 1: Visitor Mine Zinngrube Ehrenfriedersdorf & Mineralogical Museum

• Historic mining up close: Explore 800 years of tin and silver mining history—with a descent up to 100 meters underground via the original winding shaft.
• Authentic insights: Visit original mining sites, a historic machinery park, and a reconstructed medieval changing house (Kaue).
• Diverse museum collections: Discover fascinating mineralogical exhibits and mining-related art.
• Art on site: A highlight includes three bronze sculptures by Carl Emanuel Wolff, inspired by the legend of wild boars discovering tin ore—symbolizing the link between nature and industrial heritage. 
• www.zinngrube.de

Stop 2: Buntspeicher Zwönitz – Maker Space and Light Art

• Innovative maker space: A public creative hub featuring workshops for metal, wood, electronics, 3D printing, and more — combining inventiveness and traditional craftsmanship.
• Inspiring light art: Along the Purple Path in Zwönitz, colorful light installations by artist Nevin Aladağ gently float above the water at dusk — a poetic, minimalist homage to the transformation of the industrial city.
• https://buntspeicher.com/makerspace.html

Highlights at a Glance

• Tangible transformation: Historic industry and modern technology merge here with artistic expression and regional identity.
• Purple Path as narrative framework: This project artistically makes mining history and societal change in Chemnitz vividly accessible.
• https://chemnitz2025.de/purple-path/nevin-aladag-color-floating/

Excursion 2: New museums concepts for industrial heritage
Departure: 9:30 AM from the Congress Hotel | Return around 1:30 PM

Stop 1: KohleWelt (World of Coal), Oelsnitz 

• The Coal World – a place where history is not only displayed, but felt. Authentic. Emotional. Unforgettable.
• Exhibition: The permanent exhibition underwent extensive renovation and reopened in January 2025.
• ERIH Anchor Point: The Coal World is one of the more than 100 Anchor Points of ERIH 
• https://www.kohlewelt.de/de/ 

Stop 2: "Textile World. Crimmitschau" at the Pfau Brothers Cloth Factory

• Authenticity: A former full cloth factory with its original buildings and machinery, of which a last proportion is still in working order. 
• Exhibition: The permanent exhibition underwent extensive renovation and reopened in 2024.
• www.tuchfabrik-crimmitschau.de

Excursion 3: Transformation of industrial sites 
Departure: 9:30 AM from the Congress Hotel | Return around 1:30 PM

Stop 1: Alte Baumwolle (Old Cotton Mill), Flöha 

• The site: An area of 65,000 m² and  40,000 m² of floor space in nine buildings that can be transformed
• Identity: A strong emotional connection with the local population due to generations of employment in the cotton mill.
• Potential: Transforming a vacant industrial wasteland into a new town centre
• https://baumwolle-floeha.de/

Stop 2: Maker-Space Lehngericht

• The site: The Lehngericht is one of the oldest buildings in Augustburg
• The concept: Analogue and digital workshop where young and old creators invent exciting things and work together on projects using traditional craft techniques and forward-looking technologies. Garden- and food lab, venue for cultural and creative performances. 
• Identity: The market hall brings together regional producers and local customers. Projects and performances by the shop experiment are created in the city centre, providing stimulation and interaction. The approach in Augustusburg can already count on the active involvement of local citizens.
• https://www.aufweiterflur.org/festspielhaus

    Stop 3: Purple Path in Flöha (train station, opposite Alte Baumwolle)

• Art work: Glance is the title of an artistic installation in a pedestrian tunnel approximately 100 metres long at Flöha railway station. The work was created by artist Tanja Rochelmeyer, who was born in Essen in 1975 and now lives in Berlin.
• https://chemnitz2025.de/purple-path/tanja-rochelmeyer-glance/

We look forward to welcoming you in Chemnitz the European Capital of Culture 2025! https://chemnitz2025.de/en/

TO REGISTRATION »

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.