The choir celebrates its 80th anniversary and honors long-standing members
Five Darmstadt choirs, nine awards, and a special anniversary: On Sunday, November 1, 2026, the City of Darmstadt and the Darmstadt-Stadt Choral Association invite you to their joint autumn concert at the Justus Liebig House. The event begins at 5 p.m. in the Dr. Günter Ziegler Hall. Admission is free.
Following its premiere last year, the autumn concert is taking place for the second time in this format. It combines a diverse musical program with the traditional Darmstadt Singers' Awards ceremony. At the same time, the Darmstadt-Stadt Singers' Association is celebrating its 80th anniversary and introducing its newly elected board.
Five choirs will perform the musical program
The concert offers a cross-section of Darmstadt's choral scene. Men's and women's choirs as well as mixed ensembles present music ranging from classical choral singing to modern pop arrangements.
Participating are the Kranichstein 1989 e. V. singing circle, the Fleischerchor Darmstadt 1903 men's choir, the Germania 1894 e. V. singing club Darmstadt-Eberstadt, the Eintracht 1870 e. V. singing club Arheilgen, and "Just AmaSing" from the Darmstadt-Wixhausen e. V. children's and youth choirs.
Mayor and Head of Cultural Affairs Hanno Benz will welcome the guests with a greeting. He emphasizes the importance of choirs for the city's cultural life: "The diverse choral concert represents a broad musical repertoire, the singers' award recognizes the voluntary commitment of each individual choir member, and the 80th anniversary of the Singers' Association represents the decades-long, reliable cultural contribution of Darmstadt's choirs to Darmstadt."
The concert will conclude with a song performed by everyone, in which the audience will also be musically involved.
Nine singers will be honored
A regular part of the event is the honoring of long-serving choir members. This year, nine singers from four Darmstadt choirs will be recognized for their decades of membership. Mayor Hanno Benz will personally present the certificates.
For 25 years of membership:
- Christian Ullmann, Voices Reloaded Choir Darmstadt e. v.
- Karl-Heinz Steingässer, Germania 1894 e. V. Singing Society Darmstadt-Eberstadt
For 40 years of membership:
- Sylvia Hofmann and Erika Kraft, Germania 1894 e. V. Singing Society Darmstadt-Eberstadt
For 60 years of membership:
- Gerhard Heemskerk and Walter Lach, Men's Choir Butchers' Choir Darmstadt 1903
- Hermann Benz, Gesangverein Eintracht 1870 Arheilgen e. V.
For 70 years of membership:
- Ria Hofmann and Toni Daßler, Germania 1894 e. V. Singing Society Darmstadt-Eberstadt
Singers' association celebrates 80 years and introduces new board
This year's autumn concert also marks a new beginning in terms of personnel. Following the death of long-time chairwoman Karin Papalau, the board of the Darmstadt-Stadt Choral Association has been reorganized.
The new chairwoman, Barbara Röder, will introduce herself during the concert and give an outlook on the future work of the choral association. At the same time, Karin Papalau, who shaped the choral association for many years, will be remembered.
Angela Mühlberger and Dr. Kai Habermehl were elected as deputy chairpersons. Angela Mühlberger will also be responsible for finances. Ursula Stark-Schuladen will handle the minutes. Petra Habermehl, Philipp Schneider, and Wolfgang Behrendt are members of the extended board.
The new board wants to preserve the proven structures of the singers' association while also setting new impulses for choral work.
Mayor Hanno Benz pays tribute to the dedication of the deceased chairwoman: "We remember the long-serving chairwoman Karin Papalau and are deeply grateful for her commitment." At the same time, he wishes the new board a successful term and emphasizes the continued cooperation between the city and the choral association.
The most important data
Event: Autumn concert of the Darmstadt-Stadt Choral Society and the City of Science Darmstadt
Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
Start time: 5 p.m.
Doors open at 4:30 pm
Location: Justus Liebig House, Dr. Günter Ziegler Hall, Große Bachgasse 2, Darmstadt
Program: Choir concert with five Darmstadt choirs, honoring of long-serving choir members, 80th anniversary of the singers' association and presentation of the new board
Admission free
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/jdi)
