Chemnitz is the technological heart of the Federal State of Saxony and traditionally a cornerstone of German innovation. The ability to adapt to an evolving market, the determination to discover new ways of doing things and a desire to drive change forward have ranked Saxony as one of the most avant-garde states in Europe throughout history. It is thanks to August Horch that to this very day gear sticks are positioned in the middle of cars, for example, and it is thanks to this very same man that the Saxon automotive industry today boasts a tradition of no less than 100 years. Since 1904, car manufacture has been at home in the Chemnitz-Zwickau region of Saxony. With the entry of 'A. Horch & Cie Motorenwerke AG' in the Zwickau registry of companies on 10 May, 1904, and the foundation of DKW in 1907, the golden age of the automobile in Saxony came into being.
- 1910 the company Horch files the Latin name 'Audi' in the registry of companies.
- 1911 with a B1-type Audi, August Horch comes in first in the overall placings of the 'Tour of the Alps'.
- 1912 the 'little doll' made by the company Wanderer goes into mass production.
- 1925 DKW is the top assembly line producer of motorbikes
- 1932 the Zwickau based Horch-Werke AG and Audi-Werke AG; the Chemnitz based Wanderer Werke and the Zschopau based Motorenwerke merge to become 'Auto Union AG' and their trademark is 4 rings.
- Between 1934 and 1939 the racing car developed and manufactured in Zwickau sets 15 world and 23 class records.
- 1938 the Horch trade name dominates the luxury segment and every third motorbike registered in Germany is branded DKW.
- 1958 the car manufacturers Horch and Audi merge into 'VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau.' The 'Trabant' is the main product manufactured at the factory; the last 'Trabi' ran off the line in April 1991.
- 1990 the foundations are laid for the new Volkswagen plant in Zwickau-Mosel.
- 1999 the millionth Volkswagen car leaves the plant. The bodywork facilities of 'Phaeton' and 'Bentley' are today sited in Zwickau-Mosel.
The innovational spirit of Saxony, which is still very much alive today, is what has enabled and indeed enables this important sector to thrive through firms like BMW, Porsche and Volkswagen, to name just a few. Since 1990, more than 5,500 companies have established branches in Saxony, including Siemens and AMD. And with the technical universities of Dresden and Chemnitz nearby, those that found companies in this area can take advantage of some of the best technical resource centres in the country. Moreover, not only do the seven universities of Saxony excel in terms of scientific achievement, but more than 50 non-academic institutions also conduct research in the area. Samputensili in fact supports and strengthens collaboration between research centres and industry, particularly at the Fraunhofer Institute and with the Technical University of Chemnitz.
The first long distance train ran from Leipzig to Dresden in 1839. The relatively short distances of modern-day travel between the largest centres of Saxony, however, are another attractive feature of the area. In Dresden (1 hour away) or Leipzig (1.5 hours away) there are convenient air connections to international destinations. Furthermore, the airport shuttle arrives in the centre of Dresden, 'the Florence on the Elbe river', in just 23 minutes. Our customers from Eastern Europe also appreciate the short distances by road; the A4 in fact leads you straight to the heart of Polish train manufacture; the East - West connection leads to the free trade zone of White Russia and the A17 runs all the way to Prague.
Aside from technological features, Saxony also has a lot more to offer. Baroque festivities, which have been celebrated since the eighteenth century when they were first instituted by the electoral prince Augustus the Strong; Leipzig's Honkey Tonk pub festival; the Dresden music festival; the hat ball; the international theatre festival or the world-renowned Christmas market of the Erzgebirg region are just a few of the attractions awaiting you in Saxony. We look forward to your visit, both for business and for pleasure.
Saxony
Area 18,414 sq km
Population 4,299,958 inhabitants
Population density 234 inhabitants/sq km
Largest city: Leipzig(498,159 inhabitants)
State capital: Dresden(487,051 inhabitants)
