History of the Airport

The airport (also known as airfield) in Chemnitz (Karl-Marx-Stadt from 1953 to 1990) has a checkered history. Amateur radio enthusiasts in Chemnitz are commemorating the 100th anniversary of the airport's founding with a special amateur radio event and a series of awards, "100CHE," in May 2026.

  Following the founding of the Chemnitz Airport Company in 1925 and the construction of a prestigious terminal building housing the "IKARUS" restaurant, the first flights took place on May 2, 1926, in the presence of numerous enthusiastic spectators from Chemnitz. Aircraft used included the Fokker F.III, Focke-Wulf A 17a, Junkers F13bi, Junkers F24, Messerschmitt A18, and later, for a time, the legendary Ju 52.

Flights were offered to the cities of Leipzig, Dresden, Nuernberg, Bremen, and Prague, as well as, at times, to the spa towns of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) and Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad). In addition to Lufthansa, Deutsche Verkehrsflug also used the airfield for feeder flights to other destinations.

 For special events, aircraft such as the airship LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin" and the large G38 aircraft landed at the airfield. Air shows and air festivals were always well-attended major events in Chemnitz.

After World War II, from 1952 to 1957, the airfield was used by the Society for Sport and Technology. (GST) 
Especially on weekends, gliders were launched into the air with a motorized winch, much to the delight of spectators.

 On May 1, 1958, the airfield was reopened to civilian air traffic. There were scheduled flights operated by "Deutsche Lufthansa" (East Germany), later known as "Interflug," using an AN-2 biplane to Berlin, Dresden, and Erfurt, as well as special connections to Leipzig (trade fair) and Barth on the Baltic Sea.

However, the short runway, in particular, prevented the airport from being operated or expanded in an economically viable way. Flight operations ceased at the end of 1962, and the site was returned to the GST (Society for Sport and Technology) for aerobatics and parachuting. Several large events were held there, attracting thousands of visitors.

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The history of the old Chemnitz airfield came to an end in the 1970s with the decision to develop a large new housing estate.

 All that remains is the historic terminal building, which is currently managed by a real estate company and stands empty, surrounded by multi-story apartment buildings and supermarkets.

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