Chemnitz - The German Programmer's Metropolis

p_u Important Events in Chemnitz' History
p_u More Information / Interesting Links
p_u History of the Tramway/Streetcar Network
p_u Photos (Tramway/Streetcar)

Chemnitzer Wappen (animated GIF)

This may be the 1st example of dynamic heraldry (?).

© JB 1997

Important Events in Chemnitz' History

Sights (selection only!)

Chemnitz' sights
(shown in simple BAHN graphics)

  • Town hall (old one 15th/16th century, and new one)
  • Red tower (12th/15th century, last existing part of the old town fortification)
  • Karl Marx monument (by Lew Kerbel, USSR, about 1968)

More Information / Interesting Links

Chemnitz on maps:

Part of the "Sächsische Maschinenfabrik vormals Richard Hartmann AG" factory, about 1900:

Hartmann Chemnitz

Tramways/Streetcars of Chemnitzer Straßenbahn AG and VEB Nahverkehr Karl-Marx-Stadt (925mm):

Chemnitz/Karl-Marx-Stadt 925mm (Zoom2)

Tramway trains of the Chemnitz Verkehrs AG and Citybahn GmbH (public transport companies):
Tatra T3D+T3D+B3D, manufacturer ČKD Prague 1969-1987, modernized by DWA Bautzen,
and "Variobahn" 6NGT-LDZ, manufacturer Bombardier Bautzen 2001

CVAG+Citybahn

Tramway train of the Chemnitz Verkehrs AG:
"Variobahn" 6NGT-LDZ, manufacturer DWA Bautzen/Adtranz 1998

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History of the Tramway/Streetcar Network

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Photos

There follow some older photos. They are of low quality, but you cannot take the most of them again today.

Lines to Altendorf - Rottluff (route 3) and Kappel - Siegmar (at least route 3)
Until 1988 in Karl-Marx-Stadt (Chemnitz) ran trams on 925mm gauge tracks. The following pictures have been made about 1980. (route 3 Rottluff-Siegmar). The last of these cars have been built in 1929.
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Short before the Rottluff terminus, in winter
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The same place, in summer
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Limbacher Straße in Altendorf
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Zwickauer Straße in front of depot Kappel (3 tracks)
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in front of the Kappel depot
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parked train of route 13 (did run in peak hours only)
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Zwickauer Straße at Volksgut Höckericht
(in the background the A8 motorway, today A72)
Generally we had right-handed traffic, but there were some exceptions for trams ;-)
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same place (later named NILES), other direction
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between railway station Siegmar and the brewery Reichenbrand
in the background the railway line 410 (today 510) to Dresden, Zwickau, Plauen, Hof, Nurenberg
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Loop at terminus Siegmar: The tracks inside the loop had been used for parking additional trains used in peak hours.
Line to the Kaßberg hill (Westraße/Kochstraße) (route 8)
The line to the Kaßberg hill was short but interesting. The most pictures here are from the day of abandoning (1983-Oct-15).
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The "Kaßbergauffahrt" was the most frequently photographed section. At the upper end there were situated some authorities who did not like photographers. Look at the traffic sign in 4 languages (forbidden for foreign military missions).
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Route 8 reached the stop. This stop -and the other one at the upper end- existed only in down direction. Both were compulsory stops for checking the brakes.
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Motorized car number 317 is climbing the hill.
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Using of sand was needed in both directions. At the left rail only, to prevent the car from getting electrically isolated.

right side: Also this car did not overturn...

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Not much information...(Tells only that the stop will move, but not that the bus is to use instead of a tram) But the timetable has been typed manually on typewriter and it was more dense than today.

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Already in 1983 photographers stood in the other ones view...

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The doors were always open. Only the door nearest to the driver was closed sometimes, in winter.

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"Changing the type of public transport" with a lot of spectators at terminus Weststraße/Kochstr.

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The last trains left the line as special courses, without passengers. Nevertheless, the first buses had been empty...

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This picture was taken definitely later (in 1984/85). The route 3 has got Gotha trailers, the Wilhelm-Pieck-Straße (Theatre road) still has not been rebuilt and contains two tracks.

On the other side, new lines have been built:
Opening of the line to Stollberger Str./W.-Sagorski-Straße (Morgenleite) on 1979-Oct-07 (route 5)
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Neither roads nor buildings have been finished.

Only a construction site marks the place of the later residential blocks. But the tram is already there.

Opening of the connection Brückenstraße on 1997-Aug-06:
c_br97.jpg On this day the motorized "Party" car 1102 (LOWA ET54 ex Dresden) did run as additional service on route 2 Bernsdorf - Hauptbahnhof (Central railway station).

Citybahn to Stollberg (Erzgebirge):

The railway line Chemnitz-Stollberg (Erzgebirge) was re-opened as tram train line 522 on 2002-Dec-14.

The line has been equipped with overhead power lines, using 750V DC voltage.
The rolling stock consists of six low-floor Variobahn cars 411-416, similar to the ones used on the CVAG tram lines.

CBC in Stollberg

Two trains of the Citybahn Chemnitz (CBC) at Stollberg (Sachsen) railway station on 2002-Dec-26

CBC 414

Variobahn railcar 414 of Citybahn Chemnitz (CBC) arriving to Chemnitz-Harthau Friedrichstraße on 2010-Apr-26

Opening new route 4 line on Stollberger Straße on 2004-Mar-20:
Stollberger Str. 2004-Mar-20 dito

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