Leipzig

Monday demonstrations

The history of Leipzig extends well back into the first millennium. Slavic settlers who considered the lime tree sacred built a village they called 'Lipzg', meaning 'next to the lime trees', in the period between the 7th and the 9th centuries. The earliest known written reference to the city is contained in a document dating back to the year 1015 in which 'urbs Libzi' is mentioned, a castle near which a settlement populated by merchants and craftsmen had grown up. A town charter was issued in 1165 and with it the right to hold markets.

St. Nicholas Church, the point of departure for the 'Monday demonstrations', was dedicated in 1175 and is the oldest church in the city. Leipzig flourished as a center of crafts industry and commerce on into the 15th century, aided by the discovery of silver in the Ore Mountains. There are a number of outstanding examples of Renaissance architecture from that era, such as the Old Town Hall, the Old St. Nicholas School, the Old Weighing Station, and the Coffee Tree House with a baroque sculpture above the portal.

Book publishing

The fact that Leipzig developed into a world-famous center for book publishing is a reflection of its success as a commercial city. Up until the late 15th century books were brought in by publishers and booksellers from other cities. The first book to be printed in Leipzig appeared in 1481. By 1530 some 1,300 titles had been published here and books from all over Europe were being sold at the Leipzig Book Fair. The world's first daily newspaper was launched here in 1650.

Leipzig was not just an important center of trade and industry, it was also a center of the arts and sciences. The University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, is one of Germany's oldest academic institutions. Its library has a valuable collection of books and manuscripts that attracted students from all across the continent. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who studied here from 1765 to 1768, referred to Leipzig as 'Little Paris'. Many visitors come to the city just to go to a pub that Goethe frequented, Auerbach's Keller, which he made world famous by including it in a scene in Faust.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Leipzig also has an international reputation as a center of music. The renowned Gewandhaus Orchestra plays in the New Gewandhaus on Augustusplatz. It carries on the 'grand concert' tradition founded in 1743 and is Germany's earliest concert orchestra outside the aristocracy. Johann Sebastian Bach was cantor of St. Thomas Church and School and musical director of Leipzig from 1723 until 1750. During this period he was responsible for overseeing musical activities in the city's four principle churches as well as organizing musical events sponsored by the municipal council. The Bach Museum at the Bach Archive opposite St. Thomas Church is dedicated to the life and work this great composer. A Bach Festival begins in Leipzig each year on Ascension Day.

Other musicians closely associated with Leipzig are Richard Wagner, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, and Robert Schumann. The house where Mendelssohn lived (Goldschmidtstraße 12) is open to the public. In 1842 Mendelssohn founded the Leipzig Conservatory, today the Leipzig Academy for Music and Theater. The Leipzig Opera is Germany's second oldest musical stage, first opening its doors in 1693.

Leipzig is definitely a city with a wealth of interesting architectural, academic, and artistic features. At the same time, it is a major European city with a rapidly growing economy. Since the collapse of communism numerous major corporations have established a presence here. BMW and Porsche are building modern production sites and DHL is investing around 300 million euros to make Leipzig/Halle Airport the Central European hub of its express and logistics business.

Leipzig has an attractive system of parks and meadows that form a green belt across the entire city. About a third of the surface area of the city consists of meadows, woods, parks, and small gardens. For visitors who have gotten enough exercise and fresh air for one day there are plenty of cafés and restaurants in the center of town.

A good way to end a long walk through the city is to order a plate of 'Leipziger Allerlei', a traditional dish first recorded in an 18th century cookbook. Leipzigers like to accompany this with a glass of a refreshing local beer they call 'Gose'. This kind of beer has been brewed and drunk in Leipzig since 1740. Goethe liked to drink it when he was here. It is also combined with caraway seeds, fruit syrup, or cherry liqueur to make various mixed drinks.