The wealth of Saxony was - so the common saying goes - created in Chemnitz, increased through trade in Leipzig, and squandered in Dresden. In Chemnitz, machines thudded and whirred, forcing thousands under their yoke. Yet, precisely because of this, many inventors, entrepreneurs, artists, actors, graphic designers, and top athletes emerged here, making Chemnitz a city of intellect - symbolized in recent decades by the Nischel. This figure not only represents a break in the city's history but also the tradition of a working-class and entrepreneurial city. In this volume, we encounter individuals who left their mark in politics and business - often on a global scale - including the doctor and mayor Georgius Agricola, locomotive king Richard Hartmann, the fighter for women's and workers' rights Auguste Eichhorn, and the inventor Heinrich Bertsch.