Chain of lights for the preservation of the Congress Hotel

With a chain of lights, employees and citizens demonstrated for the preservation of the Congress Hotel in the heart of Chemnitz. The aim was to send "a shining signal, you could also say a warning signal", explained Thomas Lißner from the Food, Beverages and Catering Union. "We are not letting the owner and previous operator off the hook to find a sustainable, viable solution for the future."

The background to this is the closure of the well-known hotel. At just under 100 meters, it is also the tallest inhabited building in the city and was opened in 1974 as the Interhotel. These were high-class hotels in the GDR. The striking building not far from the Karl Marx Monument forms an ensemble with the Stadthalle and the congress center.

Just a few days ago, the management officially confirmed that the hotel would cease operations on January 31. No further details on the exact background were provided. According to the NGG, the operator has changed three times in the past nine years and staff numbers have been reduced. There is talk of an investment backlog.

New operator and future concept sought

The hotel last had around 40 employees who now fear for their jobs. Chemnitz is also losing a large hotel in the city center that previously offered its guests an impressive view of the city. The closure affects the city in a very sensitive area, Mayor Sven Schulze (SPD) recently told the city council: "It will be a difficult path."

A new operator and a future concept for the hotel are needed, warned trade unionist Lißner. He believes that the real estate company that owns the building has a duty to do this. Without a viable solution, he said, the end of this traditional building would be imminent after more than 50 years.