The number of single men and women in Saxony continued to rise in 2024. According to data from the State Statistical Office, there were around 950,000 single people living in Saxony last year. In 2003, there were still around 804,000 people without a spouse or partner.
In the same period, the population fell from 4.3 million (2003) to around 4 million (2024). This means that the proportion of single people in the total population is increasing. Singles are turning to creative methods to find a partner.
The trend: creative alternatives for finding a partner
Those who don't want to use dating platforms such as Tinder, Bumble and the like can find offline alternatives. In Rossau in the district of Central Saxony, for example, alpaca hikes are offered for singles. Those who are less drawn to the great outdoors can find love by barhopping for singles in several Saxon cities.
Live dating on stage is also popular throughout Germany. Singles are presented by their best friends in a talk. Often accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation, the audience learns all kinds of private details about the advertised single. So far, the events have mainly been offered in major German cities such as Cologne and Berlin, but the dating trend is also coming to Saxony in late summer with the "Have you met...?" event series.
When friends set up their friends
Betül Büsra, founder of the event series, says that guests are often happy about the humorous change from online dating. An incredible amount of effort and creativity goes into the individual presentations. That's why the events are also a "love letter to friendship", regardless of the search for a partner. The presentations last a maximum of five minutes. According to the 33-year-old founder, the previous events were often sold out and were attended by an average of 100 guests.
The participants are creative in their presentations: from poems to self-written pieces of music, there are no limits to their imagination. Even if they don't find the love of their life, the guests remain optimistic. "I often hear sentences like: "Oh, now I don't have a partner, but I have found new friends for a game night"," says Büsra.
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