by Lilly Barthel
“Committed to the past—looking toward the future”: these words rang out repeatedly on Open Monument Day to the ears of visitors to the Neues Volkshaus Cotta—and to mine as well. Sarah Urban spoke them in 2023 at the reopening of the cultural and community center in this, our shared home. We took part on September 13, 2026, and watched short films and photos from the Volkshaus’s past years on the big screen many times.
Days like Open Monument Day are important! We were able to engage with many people in conversations, memories, and stories—about the old and the new Volkshaus Cotta, about commitment to others in general, in Dresden and elsewhere. Here, it becomes strikingly clear that the world keeps turning—and that it can only function if we consciously and courageously “look to the future.”
Through various events, we invited visitors to get to know us—the active members at the Neues Volkshaus Cotta—and learn about our dedication and passions. A lot of work goes on behind the open doors of our building.
This Sunday, for example, we screened a world premiere: a documentary made up of film clips and photos chronicling the events at the Neues Volkshaus Cotta over the past seven years.
And just as important is solidarity: we fostered this through a collaborative artwork, which—sewn together firmly with sewing machines—resulted in a colorful rainbow banner—as colorful as all of us.
The history of the building and its people was compiled into a dynamically designed paper banner using countless photos spanning several decades of a vibrant community center.
Coffee and cake were served next door in the Stube. An artist and an interpreter proudly presented the studio spaces in the loft.
Just in time, the weather gods showed mercy, allowing us to take part in the “Radio Ballet” with the Körperfunk collective in the Volkshaus garden.
During the various guided tours, the visitors themselves brought the stories to life. Many visitors had personal connections to the building—whether as dancers or nightclub-goers at the youth club, as advertising staff, or as photographers who documented the theater’s rich history. Other visitors also shared their personal life stories with us: for example, a Spanish interpreter who worked at companies in Dresden and Riesa that employed Cuban and Mozambican contract workers—all of these people impressively demonstrated to us what commitment by and for people truly means.
The day also offered the opportunity to discover “Cotta’s Main Street”—Hebbelsstraße. The stories spanned from the laying of the cornerstone for the revitalization of the Volkshaus to the Faust Winery, the Rote Schule, the Rübezahl School, and all the way to the town hall in Altcotta.
The Froschpost, with its special feature on 100 years of the Volkshaus, “sold like hotcakes.” In-depth conversations took place, and new connections were made.
We’re doing our best to ensure that the New Volkshaus Cotta can continue to exist—a place that enables people to come together, learn together, and grow together. The Neue Volkshaus Cotta is just one example of how people like you and me can get involved on multiple levels: helping to decide which programs are offered, the direction(s) in which the center will move forward, and who will help manage it.
A heartfelt thank you to the active members involved in the Neues Volkshaus Cotta: Rainer, Martina, Jutta, Karl, Ruth, Carsten, Marion, Lotta, Mareike, Jan, Erik, and Lilly.
