Idea
The Garagen-Campus is a cultural, project, and event venue that offers space for you and your ideas. Here, you can not only rent spaces for your next company party or conference (link to Spaces & Areas), but also organize creative workshops, festivals, exhibitions, or something completely new. If you’d rather be a visitor, you can draw inspiration from these very offerings and events (link to Events), learn, and meet people.
The Path to the Present
Uncovering hidden places, creating space for creativity, supporting makers, and strengthening European identity—this is the guiding principle behind “C the Unseen – European Makers of Democracy,” the thematic focus of the European Capital of Culture 2025.
In the heart of Chemnitz-Kappel, this has already given rise to a vibrant space: the Garagen-Campus. On the grounds of the former CVAG tram depot, historic industrial architecture meets new ideas, art, and culture.
The Garagen-Campus was part of the European Capital of Culture’s intervention areas and sees itself as an open space for cultural creation, exchange, and collaborative development. Here, projects can grow, networks can form, and new perspectives on the city and Europe can emerge.
A place for makers, creatives, neighbors—and for everyone who wants to actively help shape Chemnitz.
VIDEO: DER GARAGEN-CAMPUS ERKLÄRT
The History of the Area
The Kappel Depot is the oldest site of Chemnitz’s public transit system—and a piece of the city’s history. On April 22, 1880, the first horse-drawn tram line departed from here, at a time when the depot consisted of nothing more than a simple wooden carriage shed, four tracks, and a coachmen’s lounge.
With the introduction of electric rail service in 1893, expansion of the site began: new car depots were built, including a large hall with space for 64 streetcars (1908), supplemented by an administrative building and several communal structures. The depot became the logistical heart of the city’s public transit system.
After World War II, the site was initially repaired and modernized. In the 1980s, the introduction of the new Variobahnen heralded the end of the narrow-gauge era. Bus and rail facilities were relocated, and the Kappel site was gradually abandoned.
Some areas were leased or demolished—others remained unused. Yet a part of the history lives on: in 1987, the Straßenbahnfreunde (Tram Enthusiasts) association was founded to preserve vehicles and memories. Today, a new place is emerging on this historic site with the Garagen-Campus—open to the future, rooted in the past
Fotos: Archiv CVAG
Team
The Garage Campus is operated by CVAG, Chemnitz’s public transportation authority. The on-site team is happy to assist you and your ideas. Feel free to reach out to us! (Link to Contact).
In addition to the core team, other stakeholders are actively involved on-site (link to on-site stakeholders), contributing their creativity and dedication to advance the vision (link to About the Campus) of a creative space.
Jenny
has a background in event management and has been the head of the Garagen-Campus department at CVAG since February 2025. She serves as the primary point of contact for all matters related to space requests, creative ideas, and organizational questions. She oversees space leasing and ensures that projects have the right space to thrive.
Dorina
Dorina joined us in April 2025 as a working student in social media and events! If you see her darting around the grounds with a camera, just give her a friendly wave.
Whether on-site or online, she helps us with projects big and small and brings a breath of fresh air to the team.
Facility Manager
Nothing here runs smoothly without them: Our facility managers put their heart and soul into taking care of everything that needs doing on the grounds—they maintain, repair, build, and keep our property in top shape. Rolf and Jens are part of the facility management team.
Local stakeholders
The development of the Garage Campus is coordinated by a small core team (link to Team) – together with many dedicated individuals who contribute their ideas, experiences, and perspectives. Whether through volunteering, creative work, technical expertise, or organizational support: the campus is taking shape as a community project. If you have ideas about how you’d like to help shape this space, or if you’re planning a project, please feel free to reach out to us. (Link to Contact)
We already have other great people on site whom we’d love to introduce to you here. Maybe you’ll find a project that’s a good fit for you to get involved in right away.
Mr. Aufziehvogel
Using old sheet metal parts, pipes, and a whole lot of heart and craftsmanship, we’ve turned our main workshop into a bar. It’s run by Mr. Aufziehvogel. Whether it’s for company parties, birthdays, or conferences—our bar team will find the perfect package for you. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2–10 p.m. and on Saturdays until 11 p.m., you can also just drop by for a drink, try out the trendy sport of cornhole, or simply strike up a conversation with some friendly people.
Garagen-Campus e.V.
Garagen-Campus e.V. is a civil society partner with close ties to the community and plays an active role in shaping its development. The association sees itself as a catalyst and networker for the sustainable, open, and public-interest-oriented use of the site. In collaboration with CVAG, it develops concepts, formats, and partnerships that highlight and further develop the Garagen-Campus as a vibrant place of exchange, participation, and social interaction.
