Music, working together, gastronomy, 2021 was truly magical

Dear friends of the Bahnhof,

Another year has come and gone and so much has happened at the station. With this letter, we want to share with you some of the many milestones and to thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for supporting our project. 

Exactly one year ago we were sitting in the train station in a lockdown. As difficult as this time was, it also had its positive sides for us: we were able to carry out our jobs online and used the remaining time working on us as a team. We asked ourselves where our passion for this project comes from and what motivates us to invest so much energy in it. We came to the realisation that the source of our motivation is a great desire to create a place where all people can share their abilities, their music and their stories, and to create a space for what connects us as humans. It also became clear to us that in times of increasing digitalisation and isolation, the contribution that art and culture make to the community becomes all the more important. The Bahnhof is our contribution to counteracting this trend by creating an environment of appreciation, openness and trust in which art, creativity and inspiration can flourish. 

So what has happened this year?

The beer garden

The opening of the beer garden on 1 May and the whole beer garden season was unforgettable for us. People came from far and wide to taste the food and support the project and the beautiful beer garden quickly established itself as a place for people from Leisnig and the surrounding area to meet. 

"Market of Delicacies" (Markt der kÖstlichkeiten)

In June we had our first major event. Regional food providers, artists and artisans came together. This market will definitely become a permanent part of our programme. We are so happy to see that our vision is slowly becoming a reality. It feels great to have such wonderful support from the community and our friends and for everyone to join together and really make the Kulturbahnhof a welcoming space for art, creativity and exchange.

The Summer of Music

The music summer was a dream come true. For several weeks, artists from our regional and international network played concerts on the stage in the beer garden. The grand finale was the big "Day of Music" in September. Our station orchestra with over 30 musicians from Leisnig and abroad played a repertoire of folk songs from 16 nations. Every single event was well attended, a few times we even ran out of chairs - and we have a lot! With great enthusiasm and confidence, we see that word is spreading about the station being a new location for art, music and encounter, attracting people from near and far. This is how it should be.

 The building application

Alireza, our architect, spent many hours late into the night preparing everything. It was a big moment when we sent the heavy envelopes off to the building authority and an even bigger moment when we received the building permit. The foundations have been laid, things are moving forward step by step and nothing stands in the way of our plans.

The crowdfunding campaign

Our crowdfunding campaign for the renovation of the historic reception hall was a great success. For 20 years, the station stood empty, was constantly plagued by vandals and was falling more and more into disrepair. Now we want to put an end to this. Our hearts are filled with gratitude that together with you we have achieved our goal! More than 60,000 Euros in donations were collected. In the meantime, the roof has been repaired and the insulation panels are in place. Only the roof sheeting has to wait until the weather warms up. Winter can come for now, the hall remains protected. 

So that was a small overview of what took place this past year, but of course it is far from being a complete summary. So many things have happened that it would go beyond the scope of this letter. What is missing here above all are the many small moments when wonderful things happen at the station because we are surrounded by wonderful people who support us with so much care and positive energy and offers of help. 

We wish you all a peaceful holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a new year filled with encounters and experiences that will make your lives richer and more beautiful. We hope, of course, that a visit to the Bahnhof will be among these. 

With warm greetings 

The Bahnhof Team

P.S. About the Christmas card: 

A few weeks ago, a musician friend who also sang in the station orchestra wrote to us that she would like to come to the station with a team of video, audio and animation artists as part of her master's degree to creatively try out new technologies. This year's Christmas card is part of that work.

Are you curious, what's so special about the Christmas card? Here you can find out. : D