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Leipzig - general information

	Leipzig - general information

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A centuries-old centre of commerce
The city of Leipzig in central Germany has a colourful history stretching back more than 800 years. In fact it was back in the 7th century that Sorbs first settled there, establishing a trading post known as ‘Lipzk’ or ‘place near the lime trees’. After Leipzig was granted its town charter and market privileges in around 1165, it quickly developed into an important centre of commerce.
It was Maximilian I’s decision to award Leipzig imperial trade fair privileges in 1497 that finally turned the city into one of Europe’s leading trade fair centres. And following the world’s very first samples fair held in Leipzig in 1895, Leipzig remained one of the global trade hubs until the outbreak of World War II.
The most recent phase of Leipzig’s development as a centre of commerce began in April 1996 when the Leipzig Fair’s sensational new exhibition complex was opened featuring trailblazing architecture, spacious avenues and the stunning Glass Hall at its core.

Shopping and hospitality
Nowadays, Leipzig is a dynamic centre of business and the arts. Leipzig’s heart beats in its very compact city centre measuring just 1 square kilometre or little more than a third of a square mile. The former trade show buildings and arcades painstakingly restored since 1990 now contain numerous shops, restaurants and cafés. Leipzig Central Station is also great for shopping – for as well as being one of the biggest railway terminuses in Europe, in 1997 a shopping mall was opened there with about 140 shops, restaurants and cafés open until 10pm.
Leipzig’s pub districts also contain several restaurants and cafés and are marvellous for checking out some of Leipzig’s exciting nightlife. There are three main ones in Leipzig: Drallewatsch (the Barfussgässchen area), Schauspielviertel (the district centring on Gottschedstrasse) and Südmeile (in and around Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse). Alternatively, the 450-year-old underground vaults of the Moritzbastei harbour Europe’s biggest student club with a diverse mix of dance, live music and catering for young and old alike. Whatever the time of day or night, there’s always something happening in Leipzig!
When it comes to hotels, guests have a wide choice of more than 11,500 beds in all categories. Alongside internationally famous hotel chains, several typical Saxon guesthouses and bed & breakfast establishments are available.

Sights and history
Visitors to Leipzig will discover many of the sights just by taking a stroll through the pedestrian-friendly city centre. The Mädler Passage, for centuries the city’s most exclusive arcade, is home to the famous Auerbachs Keller. Serving wine since 1525, this tavern was immortalised in Faust by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, the father of German literature. The café-cum-restaurant Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum is one of Europe’s oldest coffee houses and used to number Robert Schumann among its regulars. Nowadays the museum there contains an exhibition on the history of coffee – the Saxons’ ‘national drink’.
The Old City Hall, one of the finest Renaissance buildings in Germany, can be admired on the Market Square and houses the Museum of City History. To the rear is the Old Stock Exchange fronted by a statue of Goethe. Goethe studied in Leipzig, affectionately referring to the city as Little Paris: “You’re right! Leipzig’s the place for me! ’Tis quite a little Paris; people there/ Acquire a certain easy finish’d air.”
St Nicholas’s Church, the oldest and biggest church in Leipzig, rose to fame in 1989 as the cradle of the Peaceful Revolution. Services for peace were (and still are) held here every Monday – and the following demonstrations at the end of the 1980s finally toppled the East German government, paving the way for German reunification.

Music and museums
All visitors to Leipzig are drawn to St Thomas’s Church, home of the world-famous St Thomas’s Boys Choir and where Johann Sebastian Bach was employed for 27 years as organist and choirmaster. His grave can be seen in the chancel of St Thomas’s. The motets performed every Friday and Saturday by the choir as well as the concerts in front of the statue of Bach just outside in July and August are especially popular. The Bach Museum is situated opposite St Thomas’s Church.
Another regular musical highlight is the Sunday recitals at Mendelssohn House. Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy himself used to live in the building, which now contains the only museum in the world dedicated to the composer.
Two more important centres of music are to be found on the redesigned Augustusplatz: Leipzig Opera House and the Gewandhaus concert hall. The Gewandhaus Orchestra, which dates back more than 250 years, regularly performs in both venues.
Schumann House is dedicated to the memory of Robert und Clara Schumann. Visitors can find out more about the Schumanns’ time in Leipzig, including their many friends and visitors.
Leipzig also hosts a whole string of music festivals large and small. The most prominent ones are doubtless the International Bach Festival in June, the A Capella Festival in April, the Leipzig Jazz Festival in October, and the Mendelssohn Festival in October/November.
Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts owns one of the most prominent collections of art in central Germany. Meanwhile contemporary trends can be viewed and discussed at for example the Leipzig Gallery of Modern Art, opened in 1998. Art-lovers should also make for the Baumwollspinnerei – an old industrial site which has been converted into studios and galleries for young artists cultivating the ‘Leipzig School’.

Parks and gardens
But Leipzig has far more to offer than historical sights and entertainment. For instance, there’s the Auenwald stretching right across Leipzig – a swathe of urban parks and woodlands unparalleled in Europe. Leipzig Zoo is also particularly famous, its major attractions including Pongoland (the biggest enclosure of anthropoid apes in the world), an expansive African savannah and the Tiger Taiga. And two of the highlights that can be visited at the Botanical Gardens of the University of Leipzig are the pharmaceutical garden laid out to a mediaeval design and the butterfly house.
By the way, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations affords a magnificent view of all Leipzig’s sights and parks. The tallest monument in Germany, it was (like the Russian Memorial Church) erected to commemorate those who fell at the Battle of the Nations (also known as the Battle of Leipzig) fought against Napoleon in October 1813.

The future beckons
Since the mid-1990s, Leipzig has evolved into the regional centre of the service sector. A state-of-the-art telecoms system has been installed and numerous banks maintain major branches and even head offices there.
The University of Leipzig was founded in 1409, making it the second oldest in Germany. It’s associated with many famous names such as Richard Wagner as well as Nobel laureates Carl Bosch, Gustav Hertz and Werner Heisenberg. The city’s appeal looks set to increase in the years to come – in the science sector following the refurbishment of Leipzig University on Augustusplatz, and in business with the car plants built by Porsche and BMW having been followed by DHL’s new European hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport.
The pioneering city-centre tunnel, scheduled to be completed in 2011, will help improve accessibility to the entire region and make for smoother long-distance transport links.
Furthermore about four hotels with a total of about 700 beds will add to the excellent tourism infrastructure of Leipzig.

Leipzig: facts and figures
Location: north-western Saxony, central Germany
Town charter and market rights granted in around 1165
Climate: Leipzig is situated in the continentally influenced interior lowlands; annual mean temperature: 9°C (0°C in January, 18°C in July); annual precipitation: 500–600mm
Population: about 508,000
Travel: by air: Leipzig/Halle Airport; by road: A9 (Berlin–Munich), A14 (Dresden–Magdeburg), A38 (southern bypass); by rail: Intercity and other services (including night trains)
Dialling code: 0341 within Germany; +49 341 from abroad

Information about Leipzig and special events
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
Tourist-Information
Richard-Wagner-Strasse 1
D-04109 Leipzig
Tel: +49 (0) 341 7104 260 or 265
Fax: +49 (0) 341 7104 276
E-Mail: info@ltm-leipzig.de
Internet: www.leipzig.de, www.ltm-leipzig.de

Accommodation and travel service
phone: +49 (0) 341 7104 255
fax: +49 (0) 341 7104 253

Sightseeing tours
phone: +49 (0) 341 7104 280
fax: +49 (0) 341 7104 231

Opening times of Leipzig Information
Monday–Friday 9.30am – 6pm
Saturday 9.30am – 4pm
Sunday and Public holidays 9.30am – 3pm