10 largest cities in Germany
Berlin
Hamburg
Munich
Cologne
Frankfurt am Main
Hanover
Dusseldorf
Leipzig
Bremen
Dresden
With around 600,000 inhabitants, Leipzig is the largest city in Saxony. It has an unusually well-preserved historical city center for large German cities and elegant districts from the Wilhelminian era. In addition, it was an industrial center and trade fair city with many passages in the city center, which today invite you to stroll. The city enjoys a worldwide reputation in the field of music and fine arts. The main impetus that led to the peaceful revolution and reunification of Germany (1989/90) came from here. Leipzig is rich in sights, shopping opportunities and one encounters a pronounced nightlife. The university is right in the center.
Since 1992, Leipzig has consisted of
ten city districts, which in turn are divided into districts. The
statistical districts including the districts, however, have little
in common with the historically grown districts. Therefore, and
because a large part of the sights are concentrated in the center,
it makes more sense to make a spatial and structural subdivision.
Center
Core of the city from the main train station via the
city center to the German library in the east and the green belt of
the alluvial forest in the west.
North
mainly residential
and commercial areas. Gohlis, Eutritzsch, Möckern, Mockau, Wahren,
Stahmeln, Lützschena, Wiederitzsch with the New Exhibition Center
and Seehausen.
West
shaped by former industrial areas,
today the center of art, culture and creative industries. All
districts west of the Auwald: Schleußig, Lindenau, Plagwitz,
Leutzsch, Kleinzschocher, Großzschocher, Grünau, Knautkleeberg,
Knauthain, Lausen, Böhlitz-Ehrenberg, Rückmarsdorf, Burghausen,
Miltitz, Knautnaundorf and Hartmannsdorf.
East
mainly
residential areas with a mixed social structure; In recent years,
however, there has been an increasing number of cultural offers and
nightlife options. Neustadt, Neuschönefeld, Reudnitz, Volkmarsdorf,
Anger-Crottendorf, Sellerhausen, Stünz, Stötteritz, Schönefeld,
Abtnaundorf, Paunsdorf, Thekla, Heiterblick, Mölkau, Engelsdorf,
Baalsdorf, Holzhausen, Liebertwolkwitz, Althen, Kleinpösna, Portitz,
Plaußig.
South
is considered the center of a left and
alternative cultural scene. Südvorstadt, Connewitz, Probstheida with
the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, Lößnig, Dölitz, Dosen and
Meusdorf.
By plane
Leipzig Halle Airport internet (IATA:
LEJ), Terminalring 11, 04435 Leipzig/Halle Airport. Tel.: +49 (0)341 224
11 55, fax: +49 (0)341 224 22 55, e-mail:
information@leipzig-halle-airport.de. The airport is located about 15km
northwest of Leipzig. Within Germany, Lufthansa flies from Frankfurt
(Main) and Munich. There are international scheduled flights from Vienna
and Istanbul, among others. In the summer months, the holiday airlines
offer flights to the mostly southern European travel destinations.
From the Leipzig/Halle Airport train station, which is located
directly below the central terminal, the S-Bahn line S 5 and S 5X runs
every 30 minutes to Leipzig Hbf (approx. 15 minutes travel time, MDV
tariff, single journey €4.40) and on through the City Tunnel Leipzig
towards Altenburg and Zwickau. Some of the ICs currently stop at the
airport on the Leipzig-Halle-Magdeburg route and on towards Hanover.
A taxi ride to Leipzig city center costs around €45. There are
several paid parking lots and a multi-storey car park at the airport.
You can reach Leipzig by car via the A14.
By train
long-distance
Leipzig's main train station internet is located just
north of the city center. Two ICE lines cross here:
Hamburg-Berlin-Leipzig-Erfurt (every hour; further every two hours
from/to -Nuremberg-Munich or -Frankfurt am Main-Stuttgart),
(Wiesbaden)–Frankfurt am Main–Erfurt–Leipzig–Dresden (every two hours).
There is also an hourly IC connection from Hanover via Magdeburg.
Every second train comes from Oldenburg and Bremen, the rest from
Cologne and the Ruhr area.
Demand on the long-distance trains
from Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt am Main is very high on weekday
afternoons as well as on Fridays and Sundays, so reservations are
recommended.
regional transport
Leipzig main station is the
hub of local transport lines (RE, RB and S-Bahn), including half-hourly
from/to Bitterfeld (30 min), Altenburg (45 min), Zwickau (1:20 hrs.);
hourly Grimma (35 min), Riesa (45 min), Torgau (45 min), Dessau (50
min), Naumburg (Saale) (50 min), Chemnitz (1 hour), Falkenberg (Elster)
(1 hour) , Gera (1:05 hrs), Döbeln (1:10 hrs), Dresden (1:30 hrs),
Magdeburg (1:35 hrs), Saalfeld (2 hrs); every two hours Lutherstadt
Wittenberg (1:10 hours), Jena, Weimar (each 1:20 hours), Cottbus (1:50
hours) and Hoyerswerda (2:30 hours)
The Halle (Saale) junction is
about 30 minutes' drive away and can be reached several times an hour
with the S3 and S5 S-Bahn, with only the S5 going via Leipzig/Halle
Airport.
By bus
Most long-distance buses stop at the
long-distance bus terminal on the east side of the main train station,
which is on the ground floor of a multi-storey car park. If you leave
the station via the platform tunnel or the eastern exit of the
transverse platform, you only have to cross the Sachsenseite side
street.
The stop of some lines for Leipzig is on the outskirts of
the city at the exhibition center (long-distance bus stop at the
terminus of tram 16). There is also a long-distance bus stop at the
airport.
Few European long-distance bus connections with
Eurolines exist from Zagreb, Sofia and Varna.
In the street
In
Leipzig, environmental zones have been set up in accordance with the
Fine Dust Ordinance. If you don't have the appropriate badge, you risk a
fine of €100 when entering an environmental zone. This also applies to
foreign road users.
Entry ban for vehicles of pollutant groups 1+2+3
(Info Federal Environment Agency)
Leipzig can be easily reached
by car: the two autobahns A 14 (Magdeburg-Dresden) and A 9
(Berlin-Nuremberg) pass directly by Leipzig. In the meantime, the ring
around Leipzig has been closed by the A 38 (from Göttingen).
Coming from the north (Berlin, Dessau) on the A 9, it is advisable if
you want to go to the center to change to the A 14 at the Schkeuditzer
Kreuz junction and drive to the Leipzig-Mitte junction. From there, the
B 2 has been expanded to the edge of the city center as a four-lane
expressway.
If you are coming from the south on the A 9 (Munich,
Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Erfurt), navigation software usually indicates
that you should take the Leipzig-West junction. On Merseburger Straße
(the western arterial road), however, there is often heavy traffic and
there are many traffic lights, which is why progress is slow and the
journey to the center can be dragging on. This is often not sufficiently
taken into account by the software when calculating the travel time. An
alternative is to switch to the A 38 at Kreuz Rippachtal and drive from
the south to the city center: either from the Leipzig-Südwest junction
or from Kreuz Leipzig-Süd, from which the B 2 as a four-lane expressway
almost goes to the city center leads. Ultimately, all three variants
mentioned do not take much in terms of travel time and it depends on the
specific traffic situation and traffic light switching.
On the A
14 from the west (Magdeburg, Hanover), if the destination is in the
center of Leipzig, drive to the Leipzig-Mitte junction and then continue
on the B 2.
If you are coming from the east (Dresden) on the A
14, you can use the Leipzig-Ost, Leipzig-Nordost or Leipzig-Mitte
junctions. The travel time to the center is similar in all three cases.
By bicycle
The Berlin-Leipzig cycle route (250 km), the
Leipzig-Elbe cycle route (80 km), the almost 60 km long Parthe-Mulde
cycle route, the 105 km long Pleiße cycle route and the 250 km long
Elster- Bike path.
On foot
The ecumenical pilgrimage route
Central Germany leads through Leipzig, along the course of the medieval
trade route Via regia
(Görlitz-Bautzen-Leipzig-Naumburg-Erfurt-Eisenach-Vacha, a total of
approx. 450 km, section from Bautzen 176 km, from Erfurt 143 km), the
also used as a branch of the Way of St. James in Germany. It crosses
here with the Way of St. James Via Imperii
(Stettin-Berlin-Wittenberg-Leipzig-Zwickau-Hof, a total of approx. 590
km, section from Berlin 212 km, from Hof 192 km, from Zwickau 104 km).
Public transportation
Leipzig has a dense network
of public transport with very short cycle times - even on weekends and
in the evening.
S-Bahn Central Germany In December 2013, the City
Tunnel Leipzig between Leipzig Hbf and Leipzig Bayrischer Bahnhof train
station was opened. Six S-Bahn lines run through it, mostly at intervals
of 5 minutes. The tunnel has stops at Leipzig Hauptbahnhof (low), Markt,
Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz and Bayerischer Bahnhof. The Leipzig MDR stop is
already south of the tunnel, but is also served by all lines. Some of
the trains then go to Leipzig-Stötteritz (S1, S2, S3) and some further
to Wurzen and Oschatz (S3). The other lines (S4, S5/S5X, S6) go to
Leipzig-Connewitz or beyond via Markkleeberg to Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz
(S4), Borna and Geithain (S6), Altenburg and Zwickau (S5, S5X). To the
north, after the Hauptbahnhof stop, the lines split in the directions
(Leipzig) Miltitzer Allee (S1), Halle via Schkeuditz (S3), Leipzig Messe
(S2, S5/S5X, S6) and Halle via Flughafen (S5/S5X) or
Delitzsch/Bitterfeld/Dessau/Lutherstadt Wittenberg (S2) and Taucha,
Eilenburg/Torgau/Falkenberg (Elster)/Hoyerswerda (S4). You can jump on
any train between the MDR and the main train station, and at the latest
at the stops mentioned you should make sure that you are on the right
train.
In addition, the tram is the means of choice in the city.
With the exception of line 2, all of the 13 tram lines stop at the main
train station. From the inner city ring, the lines run in a star shape
on the arterial roads in all directions. From Monday to Saturday there
is a ten-minute cycle during the day, which is compressed to a
five-minute cycle on the most important routes due to the overlapping of
two lines. From 7 p.m. and on Sundays and public holidays, there is a
15-minute cycle. From 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., the trains run every 30
minutes, with a collective connection at the main station: daily at 11
p.m., 11:30 p.m., 12:00 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. from the main station in all
directions. Since the opening of the City Tunnel, the departure times of
the S-Bahn between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. have also been aligned with
the bus lines for the trams, although not all S-Bahn lines operate at
all bus line times.
The buses connect the main axes with each
other. Lines 60, 65, 70, 80 and 90 have the character of a Metrobus –
they run at the same intervals as the trams and create tangent
connections between the districts outside the city center. Line 89, on
which midibuses (smaller than a normal city bus but larger than a
minibus) are used, is the only bus line that runs through the city
center every quarter of an hour and connects the main station with the
music district southwest of the city center and Connewitz.
Night
buses – so-called Nightliners – start at the main station at 1:11 a.m.,
2:22 a.m. and 3:33 a.m. On the weekend nights from Friday to Saturday
and Saturday to Sunday, additional buses depart from the main station at
1:45 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
A tram or bus stop is rarely more than a
5-minute walk away in Leipzig, so it is worth leaving the car at home
and exploring the city by public transport. In most cases, the tram is
also significantly faster thanks to its own track bed and priority
circuit at traffic lights.
The tariffs of the MDV (Central German
Transport Association) apply throughout the city and in the surrounding
districts. A single ticket within the city costs €3 (children aged 6 to
13 €1.20), a 24-hour ticket costs €8. A group ticket for €12 to €24 is
worthwhile for families and groups of two to five people. Trips to the
surrounding area cost a little more, depending on the number of fare
zones required. As of August 2021. Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt/Thuringia
tickets are valid on all means of transport in the MDV.
An extra
ticket (2 €) must be purchased to take your bike with you. Bicycles can
be taken along on S-Bahn and regional trains in and around Leipzig (MDV
area) free of charge.
By bicycle
Leipzig can be described as a
bicycle city. The largely flat landscape, the short distances between
the most important facilities and sights and the many green spaces
contribute to this. However, the cycle path network is still very
patchy. Bike shops and repair shops can actually be found everywhere in
the city. The only bicycle shop organized as a cooperative that also has
a self-help workshop is Veloismus eG in the east of Leipzig (Bahnstrasse
area).
There is a Nextbike rental system in the city. After
registering via the website, app, hotline or at a station computer, you
can get to more than a dozen stations in the city (including
Hauptbahnhof, Augustusplatz, Nikolaikirchhof, Marktplatz, Goerdelerring,
Westplatz) for €1 per half hour or €1 per half hour. Use a bike for €9
per day and return it at another station.
Other bike rentals:
Tandem rental Matthias Stefan (Plaußiger Str. in the east of Leipzig).
Phone: +49-163 78 33 0 74, email: tandem-leipzig@web.de. Tandems of
different types.
Zweirad Eckhardt, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 4 (at the
main station, west side). Phone: +49-341-9617274. City bikes with 3
gears, hub dynamo. Open: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-6pm. Price: €8 for 24
hours
Grupetto, Waldstraße 13 (near Waldplatz/Arena Leipzig). Phone:
+49-341-9104750, email: waldstrasse@grupetto.de. Open: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm,
Sat 10am-4pm. Price: City bikes €10 for 24 hours
Little John Bikes,
Martin-Luther-Ring 3-5 (across from New Town Hall). Phone:
+49-341-4625919, email: leipzig-zentrum@littlejohnbikes.de. Open:
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm (winter).
Veloismus eG, Neustädter
Str. 24, Tel.: +49-341-26512260. Opening hours: weekdays 10 a.m. to 7
p.m., Saturdays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m
In the street
There is a
chronic shortage of parking space in the city center and in the
districts close to the city centre. Larger shopping centers such as Höfe
am Brühl, Petersbogen and Promenaden/Hauptbahnhof have multi-storey car
parks or underground car parks, and another large underground car park
is located under Augustusplatz. It is worth considering to save yourself
the stress of driving into the city center, which is not actually made
for cars, and leave the car at one of the Park & Ride lots or at the
accommodation.
In the center of the city
More detailed in the
district article: Leipzig/Mitte#Sights.
The old town, in which
most of the architectural sights are concentrated, lies within a ring
road south of the main train station (completed in 1915) and is largely
a pedestrian zone. It is less than 1.5 kilometers from one corner of the
inner city ring road to the opposite. Before you reach the actual
historical sights from the main train station, you pass the former
Sachsenplatz, whose peripheral development dates back to the 1960s and
where there was a densely built-up area before the war. The square has
been redeveloped since the 2000s: the Museum of Fine Arts opened in the
middle in 2004, and later the corner buildings were added, so that there
is a complete street block again.
The market square is dominated
by the Old Town Hall, built in 1556 in the Renaissance style. It houses
the City History Museum with a permanent exhibition. On the northern
edge of the market is the Old Scale, an old trading building that was
destroyed in 1943 and rebuilt in 1963-1964. Behind the Old Town Hall is
the Naschmarkt wikipediacommons with the Old Stock Exchange, which used
to be the meeting place for merchants. In front of it the Goethe
monument, which commemorates the poet's time during his studies in
Leipzig.
The Mädlerpassage internet begins on the other side of the
Naschmarkt, which is just one of the numerous passage systems. Right at
the entrance to the Mädlerpassage is another famous landmark of the
city: Auerbachs Keller - known from Goethe's Faust and, as expected,
decorated with troupes of figures from the "Faust" scene. If you now
follow Grimmaische Straße eastwards, you will reach the Hansahaus, which
forms another large system of arcades with the neighboring Specks Hof.
Opposite is the Nikolaikirche, which was the most important starting
point for the demonstrations in autumn 1989.
At the eastern end of
the old town is Augustusplatz, which, like Sachsenplatz in the north,
was completely rebuilt after the war. It is the university complex with
the university, the newly built Augusteum and Paulinum, the new
Gewandhaus, the opera house (despite the new building with historical
elements) and the city high-rise building Leipzig, formerly the
university high-rise building. The City-Hochaus Leipzig is 142.0 meters
high, including the antenna 155.4 meters high, making it the tallest
building in Leipzig and Central Germany. It is in the form of an open
book.
In the southwest of the old town you will find the Thomaskirche
internet , which is known worldwide for the St. Thomas Choir. Again to
the south is the Stadthaus Leipzig and next to it the New Town Hall,
which has been the seat of the Leipzig city administration since 1905
and the largest town hall building in Germany.
Passages and
trading yards
Messepalast Speck's Hof - oldest preserved shopping
arcade in Leipzig, built 1908-11. With 10,000 m² of exhibition space, it
was the largest exhibition center at the time. Passages redesigned in
1982/83 and 1993/95, opposite the Nikolaikirche
Barthel's farm
Stenzler's farm
Mädlerpassage with Auerbachs Keller
City
department store
trading yard
In the districts
In addition
to the inner city, the southeast of Leipzig is also of interest: Here
you will find the two huge complexes of the German National Library
(DNB) and the old exhibition center. Very close to the DNB is the
Russian Memorial Church, which commemorates the Russian soldiers who
died in the Battle of the Nations. The Monument to the Battle of the
Nations is located in the district of Probstheida and is one of
Leipzig's landmarks. From the viewing platform at a height of 90 meters
you have a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
Typical of
Leipzig are largely intact streets with residential buildings or villas
in the historicist style from the early days of the Wilhelmine Empire
(1870-1900), and to a lesser extent also from Art Nouveau. Most of these
have been renovated since reunification. Particularly beautiful examples
can be found in the Waldstrassenviertel, Musikviertel and Südvorstadt,
but also in Leutzsch, Schleußig and Gohlis.
The "scene district"
Connewitz in the south of the city is particularly interesting for young
people; in the 2000s, Plagwitz in the west developed into a “hip” part
of the city for people who are creative and interested in culture.
The new exhibition center, completed in 1996, is located in the
north of the city and is one of the most important landmarks there.
Churches
The Romanesque Andreas Chapel in Knautnaundorf is the
oldest preserved church in Saxony.
The Marienkirche in Stötteritz
dates back to the Baroque period, which is unusual for Leipzig.
Otherwise, most of the churches outside the city center date from the
late 19th century or the early 20th century, when Leipzig experienced a
population boom and the surrounding villages were incorporated into
districts. They are mostly kept in historicist styles such as
Neo-Romanesque and Neo-Gothic. Worth mentioning are e.g. B. the
Peterskirche on Schletterplatz (popularly known as "Schletterkirche")
located immediately south of the city center, the Michaeliskirche on
Nordplatz ("North Church"), the Lutherkirche in the Bachviertel on the
edge of the Johannapark, the Philippuskirche in the western district of
Lindenau, the brick-red Heilandskirche in Plagwitz or the mighty
double-towered Tabor church in Kleinzschocher.
The Church of
Reconciliation in Gohlis is a striking monument of classical modernism
(New Objectivity) from the 1930s.
"Castles"
Leipzig was never
a capital or residential city, so there is no real palace in the sense
of a royal or princely residence. However, some manor owners in the
former villages around Leipzig have expanded their respective manor
houses quite magnificently. These are called “Schloss” or “Schlösschen”
– popularly, sometimes also officially. Examples are the Schönefeld
Castle in the eastern suburbs or the Gohliser Schlösschen in the north.
Many a villa that was built around 1900 for a wealthy merchant or
manufacturer, for example in the Bach or music district, can almost be
described as a "little palace".
industrial culture
Former
industrial plants such as the former fittings factory (“Westwerk”) in
Plagwitz or the cotton spinning mill in Neulindenau have been
rededicated as cultural venues.
Museums
Leipzig has a diverse
museum landscape. The Leipzig museums are described in a separate
article. Worth mentioning are the Museum of Fine Arts, the Grassi Museum
with departments for applied arts (design and handicrafts), musical
instruments and ethnology, the Stasi Museum in the "Runde Ecke" and the
Contemporary History Forum dedicated to post-war, GDR and reunification
history - a branch of the Bonn House of History (free entry) - as well
as the museums in the former homes of famous composers such as Johann
Sebastian Bach, Clara and Robert Schumann as well as Felix Mendelssohn
Bartholdy.
The City History Museum consists of several buildings.
In addition to the main location of the old town hall on the market
square, there has been a new building in Böttchergässchen since 2004
with the “Lipsikus” children’s and youth museum, the library and the
photo library, as well as the Schillerhaus in Leipzig-Gohlis, the
Monument to the Battle of the Nations and FORUM 1813, the museum at the
Arabic Coffee Tree , the Old Stock Exchange and the Sports Museum. ·
Entry for each house between €3 and €8. · Entry to the Arabic Coffee
Tree Museum on Kleine Fleischergasse is free. You can end your visit to
the museum in the restaurant, the Café Français, the Viennese Café or
the Arabic coffee shop of the Coffe Baum.
Vantage points
Viewing platform on the city high-rise at Augustusplatz. At 142.5m, the
building is the tallest building in the city. From the roof terrace you
have a beautiful view over Leipzig (admission: 5€). There is also a
restaurant on the 29th floor just below the top of the building. (A
little tip: If you don't want to be immediately recognized as a tourist,
just call the building Uniriese, like everyone else in Leipzig.)
Fockeberg - The mountain was heaped up with the debris from World War II
between 1947 and 1950. The 153.3m high mountain towers over the
surrounding area by about 45m.The rubble heap is now a park-like
facility with beautiful views. You can see the city center, about 2 km
away, and the southern part of the Leipzig Auwald. The main access to
the heap is in the extension of Hardenbergstrasse. From here an 850m
long asphalt path lined with sculptures leads to the mountain top.
Rosental observation tower in the northern part of the Leipzig Auwald,
about 3 km north-west of the city centre. The Rosental hill was created
as a garbage dump at the end of the 19th century, which is why it is
popularly called "Scherbelberg". At the top there is a simple tower
about 20m high. Danger! The tower sways a bit in the wind.
Observation platform on the Monument to the Battle of the Nations - The
platform in the south-west of the city (approx. 4 km from the center) is
accessible via stairs, some of which are quite narrow, and via a lift.
Parks and lakes
Leipzig is a very green city. There are many
smaller and larger parks within the urban area: from the city's
Promenadenring to extensive park cemeteries (especially the 12
Südfriedhof), reminiscent of Paris or Vienna. The Leipzig floodplain
forest, the largest urban floodplain forest in Europe and one of the
largest floodplain forests in Central Europe, runs right through
Leipzig.
Clara-Zetkin-Park on the western edge of the city center
– merger of the disc wood and Albertpark parks, merges into Johannapark
and Palmengarten (a total of around 125 hectares of connected parks).
Botanical Garden internet of the University of Leipzig – one of the
oldest and largest botanical gardens in Germany; with greenhouses
(orchids, mangroves, cacti, butterflies) and outdoor areas and pharmacy
garden.
Zoo Leipzig internet is one of the most visited German zoos.
In many cases, the husbandry is comparatively advanced and
species-appropriate, but this also means that some animals can only be
seen from a great distance or not at all. In Gondwanaland's huge
tropical hall, which opened in 2011, neither a lattice nor a pane of
glass separates visitors from the animals. The facility, which is well
worth seeing, is located in the middle of the city and can be easily
reached with tram line 12 in the direction of Gohlis-Nord. Dogs are not
allowed.
Admission April–October: €22, reduced: €18, children 6-16
years: €14, families: €54.
November–March: €18, reduced: €15,
children 6-16 years: €11, families: €44 (as of 2020).
In the zoo
display window on the edge of the Grosse Rosentalwiese, you can look
into the zoo's "African savannah" without paying admission and, with a
bit of luck, see zebras, giraffes or antelopes.
Kulturpark Die Nonne
– wooded park between Clara-Zetkin-Park (western city center) and
Schleußig, with nun's meadow, nightingale forest and AOK mini-golf
course.
Friedenspark – in the south-east of downtown; with scent and
touch garden (so-called blind park)
rose valley . Large park
northwest of the city center with forest-like sections and the Great
Meadow (popular for jogging, sunbathing, kite flying).
In the south,
in front of the city limits, a lake landscape with 17 lakes, called
Neuseenland, has formed due to the flooding of the former lignite
opencast mines. On the southern outskirts west of Markkleeberg is the 7
Cospudener See Nordstrand, which opened in 2000. It offers sports,
leisure and recreation opportunities and boat trips. Its northern and
western banks still belong to Leipzig, the south and east are already in
Markkleeberg. Further south you will find the twice as large Zwenkauer
See; further east the connected Markkleeberger and Störmthaler lakes.
Leipzig has several park cemeteries: the largest cemetery is the
Südfriedhof. It has 82 hectares and a chapel with a 60m high tower;
numerous prominent musicians such as Erhard Mauersberger and Kurt Masur
are buried here. The Ostfriedhof reminds u. a. to forced laborers during
the Nazi regime.
city tours
Leipzig offers a variety of city tours
for everyone who wants to learn more about the city and its sights.
There are art and music tours, tram and bike tours, and even guided pub
crawls. The tourist information at Katharinenstraße 8 offers a wide
range of guided tours led by trained city guides.
City tour of
Leipzig and the event agency Evendito offer a variety of city safaris to
explore the city in a different way.
Culture
Leipzig is a
cultural center that radiates far and wide. On the one hand, there are
nationally or even internationally known "beacons", on the other hand,
many smaller venues, stages, clubs and projects of the so-called
"off-culture". These are in a certain rivalry for spectators and, above
all, funding, but together they result in the diversity that makes up
Leipzig's cultural landscape.
theatre
Leipzig Opera,
Augustusplatz 12. Tel.: +49-341-12610. The Leipzig Opera consists of
three sections: the actual opera, the ballet and the Musikalische
Komödie (MuKo), which performs operettas and musicals. The first two
perform in the big house on Augustusplatz, the latter in the Dreilinden
house in the western part of Lindenau. The history of the Leipzig Opera
begins in 1693, when it was an absolute rarity because it was not
associated with a princely court, but was founded on the initiative of
the bourgeoisie. Since 1840 she has been closely associated with the
Gewandhaus Orchestra, which plays in all opera and ballet performances
in the big house. Price: Tickets for full-paying guests in the opera
house (opera/ballet) €15–73, depending on the seat; MuKo 12-35 €.
Schauspiel Leipzig, Bosestraße 1. Tel.: +49-341-1268168, e-mail:
besucherservice@schauspiel-leipzig.de. The oldest precursor of today's
drama was founded in 1766, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a frequent
guest during his student days, and Schiller's Johanna von Orleans had
its world premiere here. Under the direction of Sebastian Hartmann
(2008-13), the theater was considered to be extremely avant-garde, under
the directorship of Enrico Lübbe it was again classified as more
conventional. There are several venues: the main stage of the actual
theater, the backstage for chamber play-like performances with the
audience particularly close to the performers, the discotheque, where
particularly contemporary works by younger authors are performed, and
the construction site, where open formats (no classical theatre) such as
talks or concerts can be seen. A satellite venue is the so-called
residence in hall 18 of the cotton spinning mill in the west of Leipzig.
Price: Admission to the main stage, €9–40 depending on the play and the
seat, considerable discounts for pupils and students (regardless of the
seat); Backstage approx. €9-18, disco approx. €9-12.
Theater der
Junge Welt, Lindenauer Markt 21. Tel.: +49-341-4866016 . Children's and
youth theatre. Price: Admission adults €12, children €6.
Independent
theaters with their own venues are the LOFFT, the Schaubühne Lindenfels
and Lindenfels Westflügel, the Sterntaler puppet theater, the Fact
theater and the Cammerspiele
Guest performances by theater companies
without their own venue can be found in event calendars, e.g. B. in the
Kreuzer, Prince Leipzig or the LVZ.
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Augustusplatz 8. Tel.:
+49-341-1270280, e-mail: ticket@gewandhaus.de . World-class symphony
orchestra. The Leipzig Concert took place for the first time in 1743,
today it is called the Great Concert. Like many cultural institutions in
Leipzig, it was not founded by the prince and supported by the state,
but brought to life on the private initiative of interested citizens.
The Gewandhaus Orchestra plays symphony concerts in 48, but is also
closely associated with the Leipzig Opera, whose performances (opera and
ballet) it accompanies in the Opera House, and with the Thomanerchor,
with which it makes music in the St. Thomas Church. The chief conductor,
known as the Gewandhauskapellmeister, has been Andris Nelsons since
February 2018. In addition to the orchestra, the Gewandhaus also
includes a string quartet as well as other chamber music ensembles and
the Gewandhaus Choir. Guest concerts by other orchestras and ensembles,
in particular the MDR Symphony Orchestra, also take place in the
Gewandhaus, which has a large hall and a small one – known as the
Mendelssohn Hall. Tickets for the Great Concert are largely reserved for
subscribers. Price: Admission to the Big Concert for full-paying adults
€30–65.
MDR Symphony Orchestra. Germany's oldest radio orchestra
(founded in 1923) and the city's second professional and renowned
symphony orchestra. Kristjan Järvi has been chief conductor since 2012.
Regular concerts in the Gewandhaus. Price: tickets €16.50–41.50.
Thomanerchor . One of the best-known boys' choirs in Germany, founded in
1212. Its performances focus on the vocal works of the former
Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian Bach. Almost every Saturday at 3 p.m.
(unless there is a guest performance or something similar), the
Thomanerchor, accompanied by the Gewandhaus Orchestra, sings the
traditional motet, which usually features a Bach cantata. He also makes
music during church services in the Thomaskirche. Price: Admission Motet
€2.
Leipzig has a lively and traditional cabaret scene.
Already in the German Empire, authorities and social developments were
targeted, often in Saxon dialect. In GDR times, cabaret was one of the
few opportunities to publicly express criticism, often testing the
limits of censorship. Well-known stages and ensembles are the
Academixer, the Leipziger Funzel, the Leipziger Pfeffermühle and the
cabaret Sanftwut.
The Krystallpalast Varieté, Leipzig's largest
revue and variety theater, has a different programme. There are musical
revues, shows with dance and acrobatics, but also hypnosis and magic
shows, performances by cabaret artists and entertainers.
Water sports
Although Leipzig is not on a large
river, several smaller rivers - including the Pleiße, Weiße Elster and
Luppe, some of which branch into interconnected tributaries - and canals
flow through it. This results in an extensive network of waterways in
the middle of the city, one can speak of a "little Venice" somewhat
boastfully. Before reunification, the waters were heavily polluted and
in many places canalized underground. Since then, the water quality has
greatly improved and the Pleiße has been brought to light again in many
places. Since there is hardly any motor traffic or current, Leipzig's
waters are ideal for paddling and rowing, especially for beginners in
this field.
For example, the Karl Heine Canal and the Weiße
Elster invite you to various boat tours. You can explore different parts
of the city by water and see the city from a completely different
perspective. The raft ditch, which was only freed from mud again in 2004
and thus made navigable, is particularly attractive. It leads through
the floodplain forest and you can almost feel like you are in the jungle
here - although you are still in the city. To protect the kingfishers,
it may only be used from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
to 10 p.m., which is also strictly controlled.
At various entry
points you can choose between different activities - from the coffee
trip with stories about the Karl Heine Canal and the western city area,
to a trip in an almost noiseless solar boat to the classic: the rental
of canoes, kayaks and rowing boats. The Ristorante "Da Vito", which has
a pier on the Karl Heine Canal, even offers rides in a real Venetian
gondola (an hour €70).
Herold boat rental, Antonienstraße 2 (tram
1, 2 or bus 60 "Rödelstraße"). Phone: +49-341-480112. guided motor boat
trips (only after telephone registration), rental of rowing boats,
kayaks (1, 2 or 2+child) and canoes (2, 3 or 4 people) Price: 2-seater
kayak or canoe for €7.50/hour; Motorboat ride €12 (70 min; incl. drink).
Boat rental at Klingerweg (SC DHfK Leipzig – canoe department),
Klingerweg 2 (Tram 1, 2 "Klingerweg"). Tel.: +49-341-4806545, email:
bootsmiete@scdhfk.de. Motorboat tours, rental of rowing boats, kayaks (1
or 2 people), canoes (3, 4 or 10 people, with the latter a helmsman is
provided, only with reservation). Price: 2-seater kayak for €7/hour;
Motorboat ride €12 (70 min; incl. coffee).
Boat rental at Leipziger
Eck, Schleußiger Weg 2a (at the SG LVB boathouse; bus 60 to "Rennbahn"
or "Nonnenweg"). Tel.: (0)163-2642003, e-mail:
kontakt@bootsmiete-leipzig.de. Rental of kayaks (1 or 2 people), canoes
(3 or 4 people), 10 canoes or dragon boats (helmsman is provided, only
with reservation). At the end of the paddling tour you can have a
barbecue on the lawn at the jetty. Open: May–August Fri 2pm–8pm,
Sat–Sun, public holidays, summer vacation 10am–8pm; April, September,
October Fri 2 p.m.–6 p.m., Sat-Sun, public holidays 10 a.m.–6 p.m.;
during the week only with reservation. Price: 2-seater kayak for
€7/hour.
Boat rental at Wildpark, Koburger Straße 17 (Bus 70
"Wildpark"). Tel.: (0)160-95411138, e-mail:
service@bootsverleih-am-wildpark.de. Tours with an electric motor boat
through the floodplain forest; Rental of rowing boats, kayaks (1, 2 or
2+children), canoes (2, 3 or 4 people) Open: April-October Sat-Sun
10am-8pm, otherwise on request. Price: 2-seater kayak or canoe for
€7/hour; E-motor boat trip €11 (70 min).
MS Weltfrieden, at the
Stelzenhaus, access opposite Industriestraße 85 (Tram 14
"Karl-Heine-/Gießerstraße"). Tel.: (0)152-53363058, e-mail:
info@ms-weltfrieden.de. Journey on the Karl-Heine-Canal on the restored
historical excursion boat from 1945. Open: Departs April-October
Sat-Sun, public holidays 11am; 12.30; 14.00; 15.30; 17.00; 6.30 p.m.
Price: motor boat trip €5 (80 min)
The Neuseenland in the south
of Leipzig has been created since the 1990s by the flooding of former
opencast mines. While the Cospudener See has been in use since 2000, the
neighboring Zwenkauer See was only released for recreation and sport in
the summer of 2015. In the area of the new lakes there are many leisure
and sports facilities, such as jetties for sailing boats, a diving
school, surfing opportunities, a golf course, beaches, cycling, skating
and jogging paths, a whitewater route for canoes and rafting boats and
much more.
To go biking
Leipzig and the surrounding area is a
very nice area for cycling. There are numerous cycle paths that lead
through the floodplain forest, the extensive parks, along the rivers and
canals and around the city area. Recommended routes are, for example,
from the city center through the Clara-Zetkin-Park, along the Pleiße,
through the wildlife park and the Kees'schen Park in Markkleeberg to the
Cospudener See (approx. 10 km); or along the Karl Heine Canal through
the former industrial areas of Plagwitz (today a hip cultural area) to
the Lindenau harbor (approx. 6.5 km); or through the northern alluvial
forest along the Luppe to the Auensee, through the nature reserve
Burgaue, the Sternburg Park to the Domholzschänke in Schkeuditz (approx.
13 km).
The cycle route Grüner Ring Leipzig (formerly "Ausserer
Grüner Ring") leads around Leipzig, which leads through the surrounding
communities (135 km). The Inner Green Ring (65 km) on the outskirts of
the city has not been signposted since June 2020. Thanks to the flat
topography, the paths are also suitable for untrained cyclists. Detailed
information on the cycle path network and various tour suggestions can
be found on the website www.Radfahren-in-Leipzig.de.
If you don't
have the strength or inclination for the return journey, you can also
take your bike with you on buses and trains (provided that there is
enough space). You have to buy an extra ticket on the LVB lines (€1.80
in the city area), and you can take it with you on the S-Bahn and local
trains for free.
sports to watch
Teams playing in higher
divisions:
RB Leipzig, Red Bull Arena, Am Sportforum 3 . The football
club set up by the well-known energy drink manufacturer (pro forma RB
stands for RasenBallsport and not for Red Bull, but the association is
still obvious) divides opinions: on the one hand, after a long dry spell
in fourth-class Leipzig clubs, it offers the city high-class football in
one also family friendly environment. On the other hand, die-hard
football fans denounce the commercialism, lack of tradition and
authenticity of the Brauseverein. Price: Tickets for league games €15–55
(so-called top games are more expensive).
Arena Leipzig, Am
Sportforum 2. . Home of the handball and basketball teams.
SC DHfK
Leipzig Handball. The men's handball team has been playing in the first
Bundesliga since 2015/16. Price: Tickets for €16-24 (full-paying
guests).
HC Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0) 341 2569 75 25, email:
gs@hc-leipzig.de . The women's handball team played in the first
Bundesliga and the EHF Champions League and has already been German
champion six times. Price: Tickets for Bundesliga games €14 (full-paying
adults).
USC University Giants Leipzig. The men's basketball team has
been playing in the second division (ProB) since 2013. Currently 2.
Regionalliga.
L.E. Volleys wikipedia. The volleyball club is the de
facto successor to VCL, which went bankrupt in 2009. His first men's
team plays in the 2nd Bundesliga. Venue is the sports hall in
Brüderstraße. Price: Tickets for €6 (full-paying guests).
Amusement park
Belantis (on the A 38, junction Leipzig-Neue Harth).
East Germany's largest amusement park on an area of 27 hectares. The
layout is in the form of a map of Europe, the Mediterranean and the east
coast of America (with an artificial lake in the middle meant to
represent the Mediterranean and the Atlantic). 60 attractions and shows
are designed according to the themes of ancient Egypt, Greek mythology,
the European Middle Ages, fairy tales and legends, pirates and
buccaneers, North American Indians and the Maya. The main attractions
are the "curse of the pharaoh" (wild water ride in or water slide out of
a 38m high pyramid visible from afar), "flight of the gods" (carousel on
which you can decide for yourself whether and when you want to roll
over), "kite flight" (high-altitude flight tower), "Dragon Ride" (roller
coaster), "Capt'n Black's Pirate Baptism" (free fall tower), "Santa
Maria" (giant swing boat), "Belanitus Rache" (giant swing pendulum) and
"Huracan" (another large roller coaster with five rollovers and a free
Case). But there are also more harmless offers for small children. Open:
Open late March to late October, daily June to August, opening times
vary seasonally, see website. Price: Admission €31.90 (online €27.90),
free for children under 5, half price on Fridays in June and September.
Leipzig Book Fair in March: one of the two major book
fairs in Germany, with over 2,000 exhibitors and 186,000 visitors
recently. Linked to the fair is the reading festival "Leipzig Reads",
which takes place not only at the fairgrounds, but decentrally at over
400 locations throughout the city (a total of 3,000 events). It's also
the manga comic convention, so visitors in cosplay costumes are
omnipresent.
Halle-Leipzig Museum Night at the end of April: more
than 80 museums in the two neighboring cities have special offers
between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m., such as lectures and demonstrations, but also
many activities to get involved. More on this…
The Wave-Gotik-Treffen
is one of the largest music and performance festivals of the "black
scene" (gothic, metal, alternative, medieval) in the German-speaking
world. It takes place every year on the Pentecost weekend (end of May or
beginning of June), spread over different locations in the city. The
most important venues are the Moritzbastei (downtown, near the
Gewandhaus), the old exhibition center and the medieval market
"Heidnisches Dorf" on the Agra site in Markkleeberg. Many participants
also camp on the Agra. The Wave-Gotik-Treffen is officially heralded on
Friday afternoon with the “Victorian Picnic” around the park stage.
Festival tickets (2022: €170 pre-sale price) can be pre-ordered online.
A visit to the medieval market "Heidnisches Dorf" is possible without a
festival ticket or wristband and costs 20 euros (as of 2022). Background
information in the Wikipedia article.
Leipzig Bach Festival in June:
international music festival, above all - but not only - with
performances of the works of the former Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian
Bach, with over 100 individual events.
Klassik airleben At the end of
June or beginning of July: Large open-air concert by the Gewandhaus
Orchestra on the Rosentalwiese, which 30,000 Leipzig residents and
guests listened to free of charge.
Laughter fair in October:
international cabaret and cabaret festival
DOK Leipzig Beginning of
November: international festival for documentary and animated films
euro-scene in November: Festival for contemporary European theater and
dance
Leipzig Christmas market: traditional Christmas market (since
the 15th century) in the city center with 250 stalls, is considered one
of the largest and most beautiful Christmas markets in the region, if
not in all of Germany.
The inner city, largely a pedestrian zone, invites you
to go shopping. Former trading yards are now passages, covered paths
through the buildings and courtyards. Particularly noteworthy here is
the beautiful Mädlerpassage. In the city there are small and large shops
as well as department stores and of course cafés, restaurants (from
simple to noble) or a simple snack bar.
Shopping is possible
until 10 p.m. on the promenades of the main train station, and selected
shops also open here on Sundays.
There are also organic shops and
shops selling fair trade goods.
There are also several large
shopping centers in Leipzig, some with more than 100 shops. With the
exception of the Höfe am Brühl shopping center, which opened in
September 2012 and for which the historic, structurally intact "Kaufhaus
Brühl" from 1908 had to give way, these are more on the outskirts of the
city and have the shops typical of shopping centers. Outside the city
center these are e.g. B. the Allee-Center in Leipzig-Grünau (S1 to
"Allee-Center") and the Paunsdorf Center (P.C.) in Sommerfeld or around
the city on the green meadow Nova Eventis and the Pösna Park.
1
Höfe am Brühl, Brühl 1, 04109 Leipzig. Open: Mon-Sat 8am-9.30pm.
2
Paunsdorf Center, Paunsdorfer Allee 1, 04329 Leipzig. Open: Mon-Sat
10:00 - 20:00.
3 Allee-Center, Ludwigsburger Str. 9, 04209 Leipzig.
Open: Mon - Sat 9:30 - 20:00
Leipzig specialties
Leipziger Allerlei: The most
famous dish from Leipzig is a mixture of young peas, carrots, asparagus
and morels. Traditionally, crayfish are also included, but this is often
dispensed with today.
Another local specialty is Leipziger
Lerchen, a small shortcrust pastry filled with marzipan. It is
reminiscent of the savory pies made with real lark meat that used to be
served on festive occasions. However, hunting the songbirds was banned
in 1876, so the Leipzig confectioners invented a sweet substitute.
For a Leipzig Räbchen, a pitted prune is filled with marzipan,
turned in beer batter and fried in hot oil. The Räbchen are served in
many traditional Leipzig restaurants, such as B. offered in the coffee
house Zum Arabian Coffee Baum and eaten hot there.
Typical Saxon
– if not exclusively Leipzig – cuisine includes potato soup and
Quarkkeulchen (a pan-fried, somewhat savory dessert made from mashed
potatoes, quark and raisins; eaten with apple sauce).
When it
comes to cakes in Leipzig, as in other parts of Saxony and Thuringia,
the Eierschecke is particularly popular, a sheet cake with the thinnest
possible base made of yeast dough, a – if it’s good – also only a thin
layer of quark pudding and a very wide layer on top fluffy egg yolk
cream.
Leipziger Gose is an old type of beer based on the
top-fermented brewing method, where, in addition to the alcoholic
fermentation, another bacterial lactic acid fermentation takes place.
That is why there is the typical sour taste, similar to that of the
Berliner Weisse. Another special feature is the addition of salt and
coriander. In Leipzig, Gose is brewed again according to the old recipe.
You can drink it in the Gosenschenke Without Concerns, or in the
in-house Gose brewery in the Bayerischer Bahnhof. But it can also be
found on the menu in other inns in and around Leipzig.
You can
drink the sparkling beer neat, right
with syrup red or green
with
cherry liqueur
with a caraway liqueur
with Curaçao
with banana
or strawberry juice.
Leipziger Allasch is a caraway liqueur with
an alcohol content of 38% vol. and high sugar content.
A very
special tourist and culinary experience is a visit to the Panorama Tower
restaurant on the 29th floor of the city high-rise. In addition to the
breathtaking view of Leipzig, the highest restaurant in Central Germany
offers young and cheeky cuisine in the style of Jamie Oliver. In a
modern ambience of clear lines and contrasts, nothing disturbs the view
over the trade fair city and the unconventional culinary delight. The
business lunch on weekdays is unbeatable in terms of value for money,
with a three-course menu only costing €9.90. The program should also
include Auerbachs Keller, which became world famous thanks to Goethe's
Faust. When it comes to prices, however, you have to pay for the famous
name.
If you want to eat very classy, you should visit the
Stadtpfeiffer in Leipzig's Gewandhaus. Here you will find excellent
cuisine with excellent service. However, the prices are also
(reasonably) high. Another gourmet restaurant is the Falco, located on
the 27th floor of the Hotel The Westin (Gerberstraße 15), which
certainly cannot be surpassed in terms of quality and price in Leipzig
at the moment. The former has one Michelin star, the latter two.
Further gastronomy facilities can be found in the district articles.
breweries and brewery restaurants
In addition to the Leipzig beer
specialty, the Gose, a wide variety of beers are brewed in the Leipzig
breweries. More on this in the Leipzig breweries section. Beer lovers
can try out the craft beer range in the many small bars and brewery
restaurants.
A stroll through the pubs almost always leads to
Barfussgässchen, right next to the market. As long as the temperatures
allow, there are over a hundred outdoor seats in the narrow alley. The
cocktail bars are popular with students. In Leipzig, this "pub mile" is
also known as Drallewatsch. Many other bars are in the city center and
further west on Gottschedstrasse. It is a bit more alternative in the
southern suburbs and if you like it particularly alternative or just
different, you can go to Connewitz or Plagwitz.
A Leipzig beer
specialty is the Gose, a post-fermented, cloudy beer with a very unique
taste.
There is a lot going on in the city center especially on
Fridays and weekends! Popular destinations are:
Night fever facebook.
Smaller discotheque with music from the 1970s to the 90s. Open: only
Fri+Sat 10 p.m.–5 a.m.
Dark Flower. Dance cellar for friends of dark
music.
flower power Experience gastronomy with music from the 1970s
and 1980s.
Moritzbastei. Europe's largest student club housed in a
medieval fortress.
spice Café and restaurant during the day, jazz and
music club in the evenings.
Tonellis, Neumarkt 9. Live music
Monday-Saturday from 9:00 p.m., Tuesday Guitar Night, Thursday Blues and
changing programme
As well as other cafes and bars that are great
for sipping a coffee or small clubs for just about every taste from
techno to heavy metal fans.
Outside the city center there is a
concentration of pubs, bars and clubs along the "Südmeile"
(Karl-Liebknecht-Straße), including:
Conne Island. Left-alternative
youth center.
distillery . Longest-serving techno club in the new
federal states.
Institute for the future. Phone: +49 (0)341 60 49 41
21, email: info@ifz.me. electronic music.
NaTo,
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 48, 04275 Leipzig.
UT Connewitz
Plant II,
Kochstrasse 132, 04277 Leipzig
But there is also a thriving
nightlife in the western part of Plagwitz along Karl-Heine-Straße or
Zschocherschen Straße:
Casa Pepe. Restaurant and Pop UP Club.
elipamanoke (electronic music; Leipzig Plagwitz). last change: Feb. 2019
(information may be out of date)
Felsenkeller wikipedia. Concerts,
beer garden, restaurant in historical ambience.
New wave. electronic
music.
Even better life
In the other parts of the city there
are other isolated offers of nightlife, for example:
The anchor.
Socio-cultural center (occasional concerts).
Haus Auensee
wikipediacommons
myut. electronic music.
Gold Horn InfoEdit
tv
club
Leipzig has a wide range of accommodation. With
flexible travel dates and timely booking, an overnight stay in an
upscale hotel in the city center can also be very affordable. On popular
dates, e.g. B. public holidays and trade fairs, but the prices skyrocket
considerably.
Since most of the sights and tourist facilities are
concentrated in the city center, it is, of course, most convenient to
spend the night here. However, hotels or guesthouses in other parts of
the city should also be considered, as there are often much cheaper
prices available and you can still get to the city center quickly,
especially if the accommodation is near an S-Bahn or tram stop. From
Gohlis, Plagwitz, Reudnitz or the southern suburbs, for example, you
need about 10 to 15 minutes by train or bike. Most tram lines run every
15 minutes until 11 p.m. and every half hour until 1 a.m., after which
there are night buses, so that night owls can also get back to their
accommodation comfortably.
Incidentally, breakfast in the hotel is
not a must, as there are numerous cafés with cheap and good breakfast
options, especially in the city center, but also along the southern
mile.
After it was temporarily suspended, since 2021 a guest tax
of between €1 and €3 has been levied for each day of an overnight stay,
provided none of the exceptional cases apply. In contrast to other
cities, you are not exempt from the tax even on business trips.
Cheap
A&O Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, Brandenburger Strasse 2. Tel.: +49
341 25 07 9 - 49 00, e-mail: booking@aohostels.com. Feature: 163 rooms.
Payment methods accepted: debit card, credit card.Last modified: Nov
2017 (information may be out of date)
Five Elements Hostel, modern
and very well-kept hostel in the middle of the city center; Bed in an
8-bed dorm €13.50, double room with private bathroom €59 (savings prices
may be significantly cheaper).
Leipzig Youth Hostel,
Volksgartenstrasse 24 (Schoenefeld; Tram 1 "Löbauer Strasse"). Tel.:
+49-341 245700, fax: +49-341 2457012, e-mail: leipzig@jugendherberge.de.
170 beds in 57 rooms with 2 to 4 beds. Somewhat isolated (just under 4
km from the city center, but only 600 meters to the tram, which takes
you to the main train station in 11 minutes) Hotel brochure (PDF) Price:
Prices: B&B from €27.50, HB from €35.00 , (as of 2020) · Surcharges for
1 night: 3 €, for persons over 27 years: 5 €, 2-bed occupancy: 5 €,
1-bed occupancy: 10 €.
Hostel "Sleepy Lion", in a well-kept,
renovated old building on the edge of the immediate city center, is
aimed primarily at families and those interested in culture, not at
party animals; Bed in a 10-person dorm €13.50, double room with own
shower/toilet €44.
More accommodations in the district articles.
Middle
There are numerous hotels and guesthouses in the middle
category. See the district articles.
Upscale
Here are just the
three top hotels in the city; more in the district articles.
Hotel Fürstenhof, traditional luxury hotel in a classical former
patrician palace right on the inner city ring road; Double room from
€130, saver prices from €104. With wellness center Cardea Spa.
Steigenberger Grandhotel Handelshof, the city's leading luxury hotel,
located in the heart of the city centre; saver prices from €111.20 on
certain dates
The Westin Leipzig, 27-storey luxury hotel; Double room
from 99€
The University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, is the
second oldest university in Germany after Heidelberg. 29,000 students
learn at 14 faculties.
In addition to the university, there are a
number of art and technical colleges: the "Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy"
University of Music and Theater (HMT), the Academy of Visual Arts and
Book Art (HGB), the Commercial College (HHL), the University of
Telecommunications (HfTL) and the University of Applied Sciences (HTWK).
As is generally the case in Germany, the general
security situation is good, the police forces are present in
conurbations (main train station, city center, near cultural events,
etc.). There is a no-gun zone in the area around Eisenbahnstrasse.
There, the police can carry out checks regardless of suspicion. In the
district of Connewitz, there are repeated left-wing riots.
Police
Headquarters Leipzig, Dimitroffstr. 1. Tel: +49-341-966-0.
Leipzig
Center Police Station, Ritterstrasse 17-21. Phone: +49-341-966-34299.
Leipzig has numerous clinics with corresponding
emergency services. There is also a dense network of pharmacies with a
24-hour emergency service. Specialists of all disciplines are
sufficiently available in the private sector.
Selection of
medical and dental emergency services in Leipzig
Emergency room,
Paul-List-Str. 27. Tel: +49-341-97109. with helipad and stroke unit for
the acute treatment of stroke patients.
Pharmacy in the main train station, Willy-Brandt-Platz
5, 04109 Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 1406080, fax: +49 (0)341 14060850,
email: info@apotheke-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Sat 8 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sun 12
p.m. - 6 p.m.
Adler Pharmacy, Hainstrasse 9, 04109 Leipzig. Phone:
+49 (0)341 7107966, email: info@adler-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Sat 8 a.m.
- 8 p.m.
Bären Pharmacy, Selliner Str. 15, 04207 Leipzig. Phone: +49
(0)341 710790, email: info@baeren24.de. Open: Mon - Fri 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.,
Sat 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Urs Pharmacy, Goldschmidtstrasse 30, 04103
Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 964230, email: leipzig@urs24.de. Open: Mon,
Tue, Thu 7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Wed + Fri 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Sat
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Central Pharmacy, Grimmaische Str. 16, 04109
Leipzig. Tel.: +49 (0)341 4623190, fax: +49 (0)341 46231911, e-mail:
bestellung@central-apotheke-leipzig.de. Open: Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.,
Sat 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Tourist Information, Katharinenstraße 8, 04109
Leipzig. Phone: +49 (0)341 7104260, email: info@ltm-leipzig.de. Open:
Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat,Sun 910:00-15:00.
Since December 2015, the
city has been offering free WiFi access for up to 30 minutes a day in
the inner city area.
In the Middle Ages
The city of Leipzig owes its
origins to a small fishing village created around 900, which Slavs
(related to today's Sorbs) founded at the confluence of the Pleiße
and Parthe and called Lipsk (from lip or lipa, the linden tree). The
place was first mentioned in a chronicle in 1015 as urbs Libzi
(“town of the linden trees”). In 1017, Emperor Heinrich II gave
Leipzig to the Merseburg Abbey. In 1134 Konrad von Wettin exchanged
it for his house. Leipzig's location at the crossroads of two
European long-distance trade routes, the east-west Via Regia (Royal
Road) from the Rhine to Silesia and the north-south Via Imperii
(Imperial Road) from the Baltic Sea to Italy, favored its
development as a trade center of national importance.
Under
Otto the Rich (1156-89), Leipzig, which then had 5,000 to 6,000
inhabitants, was expanded and fortified and received city rights in
1170 at the latest. Margrave Dietrich founded the Thomaskloster in
1213 (of which the Thomaskirche has survived to this day) and gave
him the patronage of the Leipzig church. In order to keep the
citizens who were hostile to him in check, the Margrave had the city
wall torn down in 1218 and three strong castles built.
The
Dominican monastery of St. Pauli was founded in 1231 instead of the
Zwingburg at Grimmaisches Tor (which later gave rise to the
university church of the same name, which was blown up in 1968).
During the reign of Margrave Heinrich III. the city was expanded in
1237 by building the Brühl, the Ritterstraße, the Nikolaistraße and
part of the Reichsstraße. Around this time a merchants' guild was
formed in Leipzig, which was also joined by Italian merchants from
Lombardy. Dietrich the Wise, Margrave of Landsberg, granted Leipzig
the right to mint coins in 1273.
On December 4, 1409,
Margrave Wilhelm II founded a university on the basis of Pope
Alexander V's bull of establishment. About a thousand German
teachers and students from the University of Prague had previously
moved to Leipzig because they did not agree with King Wenceslaus
IV's favoritism towards the Bohemian nation. From 1415 there was a
medical faculty and from 1446 a law faculty. The courses initially
took place in colleges distributed across the city.
In 1454
the moat was drawn around the inner city. With the new division of
the Wettin lands in 1485 - which was decided in Leipzig and is
therefore called the Leipzig division - the city fell to the
Albertine line.
In modern times
The so-called Leipzig
Colloquium (also known as the Leipzig Disputation) held in 1519 in
the old Pleissenburg between Luther, Karlstadt and Eck was of great
influence on the further development of the Reformation. The then
Duke George the Bearded violently suppressed the evangelical
teachings in Leipzig. His brother and successor, Henry the Pious
(1539–41), on the other hand, formally introduced the Reformation
(although the university did not join until later) and gave the
council patronage rights over the churches and schools.
After
Leipzig was besieged in the Schmalkaldic War in 1547 and the suburbs
were completely burnt down, the fortifications were strengthened and
the Pleissenburg and the suburbs were rebuilt. From the city
fortifications, which were renewed from 1551, only the Moritzbastei
is preserved today. Prompted by Elector Augustus of Saxony, many
Dutch merchants settled in Leipzig in the second half of the 16th
century. Between 1555 and 1573, the merchant Hieronymus Lotter was
repeatedly elected mayor. He was also an architect of the
Renaissance and had the Old Town Hall and the Old Scales built,
among other things.
The city suffered immensely during the
Thirty Years' War. From 1631, Imperial and Swedes alternated their
control several times. King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden won an
important victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld (a northern suburb of
Leipzig) in September 1631, but fell just over a year later at the
Battle of Lützen, also not far away. From 1642 to 1650 (beyond the
Peace of Westphalia concluded in 1648), the Swedes under General
Torstensson occupied the city, since 267,000 thalers were still
outstanding in war taxes. The Thirty Years' War cost the city more
than a million thalers and completely shattered its prosperity.
After peace was restored, Leipzig was more fortified. Also at
that time the linden avenues were planted on the ramparts. In 1678
the baroque-style old trading exchange was built on the Naschmarkt.
In 1690 the coin conference was held, which was followed in 1691 by
the introduction of the Leipzig standard (1 mark fine silver = 12
thalers) as the standard for the entire empire. Under August II (the
Strong; r. 1694–1733), after the Edict of Nantes was repealed, the
so-called French colony (mostly merchants) settled in Leipzig.
One of the saddest consequences for Leipzig was the Seven Years'
War, which Friedrich d. size was covered with heavy contributions
(over 15 million thalers). In the period of peace that followed,
trade and trade fairs flourished as almost never before. The
university was very favored by Friedrich August I. From 1784 the
fortifications were demolished and the moat was turned into a park.
19th century
Even during the Napoleonic Wars, Leipzig enjoyed
strong masses, but from 1809 it was occupied by changing troops. The
world-historical event of the Great Battle of the Nations from
October 16 to 19, 1813, in which Russians, Prussians, Austrians,
Swedes and German Freikorps fought against the troops of Napoleonic
France and its remaining allies (including Saxony), brought terrible
days of terror to Leipzig. The city was taken by storm and given a
Russian commander. The nervous fever that broke out in the numerous
overcrowded hospitals for which churches and other public buildings
were set up killed many thousands. The division of Saxony in 1815,
after which the border with Prussia ran only a few kilometers north
and west of Leipzig, was also disadvantageous for the city.
In 1824, the last public execution on the market square attracted
thousands of onlookers. The story of the murderer Johann Christian
Woyzeck inspired Georg Büchner to write one of his most famous
dramas.
The connection of Saxony to the German Customs Union
in 1833 was of great importance for Leipzig. In 1836 the book
dealers' exchange and in 1838 the Leipziger Bank were founded. With
Friedrich List and Gustav Harkort, two visionary and influential
entrepreneurs worked in Leipzig, who went down in history as railway
pioneers and are honored in Leipzig with street names and monuments.
In 1839, Leipzig became the starting point of a railway line to
Dresden, the first German long-distance railway ever. The
Leipzig—Magdeburg line followed in 1840. In 1844, the Bayerischer
Bahnhof was inaugurated, where the Leipzig–Hof railway begins.
During the revolutionary year of 1848, numerous political
associations were active here in various directions, and Robert Blum
in particular developed a great deal of agitation. There were also
bloody clashes between insurgents and representatives of the
authorities.
From 1856, on the initiative of the lawyer,
industrial pioneer and liberal politician Carl Heine, a canal was
built from the Weißen Elster through Plagwitz to the Lindenau
harbor. Huge industrial areas were built on its banks, especially
for textile production, which are reminiscent of the buildings of
the former Buntgarnwerke (today Germany's largest industrial
monument and used as lofts, among other things) and the cotton
spinning mill (today an art center) that still exist today. With
industrialization, Leipzig also became a center of the labor
movement. In 1863, the General German Workers' Association, the
oldest precursor of the SPD, was founded here under the leadership
of Ferdinand Lassalle.
In 1866, Leipzig was occupied by
Prussian troops for several months because Saxony was once again on
the “wrong” side in the German-German war. After the Franco-Prussian
War and the founding of the German Empire in 1871, Leipzig
experienced a great boom. While the number of inhabitants had always
increased moderately up to this time, it quintupled in the following
35 years. Previously, the urban area had only slightly extended
beyond the medieval core. Most of the parts of the city known today
were still villages, but around 1890 they were incorporated. During
this time, multi-storey residential quarters in the historicist
style of the so-called Gründerzeit, which are so typical of
Leipzig's cityscape, emerged everywhere, churches for the respective
districts, but also a whole series of representative villas for
wealthy merchants and industrialists. In 1868 the Imperial Higher
Commercial Court was moved to Leipzig, and in 1879 the city received
the seat of the newly founded Imperial Court, which confirmed and
strengthened the city's role as a center of justice.
In 1872
the Leipzig horse tram was put into operation and in 1896 it was
electrified. By the beginning of the 20th century at the latest, the
Brühl in Leipzig had gained importance as the “World Street of
Furs”. Back then, people spoke of “Brühl” as the epitome of the
international fur trade, just as “Wall Street” stands for the
American financial sector today.
The growing importance and
self-confidence of the city was reflected in the construction of the
New Town Hall on the site of the former Pleissenburg Castle, which
was completed in 1905 and is still the largest municipal
administration building in Germany, the gigantic Monument to the
Battle of the Nations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the
Battle of the Nations in 1913 and the new main station opened in
1915, the replaced the Dresden, Magdeburg and Thuringian train
stations. In 1910, Leipzig was the fourth largest city in the German
Reich after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. It was only overtaken by
Cologne after the First World War.
1918 to 1989
At the end
of 1930, Leipzig's population peaked at 718,200. At the end of 1933
the Reichstag fire trial took place in Leipzig, in which Marinus van
der Lubbe was convicted, but the prominent communists accused of
being his alleged accomplices were acquitted.
During World
War II, Leipzig was severely damaged by Allied air raids (about 60%
of the building fabric was affected), but not quite as badly as
Dresden, Magdeburg or various major West German cities. The
destruction was also concentrated in the inner city, while the
pre-war buildings in the outskirts were largely preserved. On April
18, 1945, Leipzig was liberated by US Army units, but was handed
over to the Soviet occupying power in July in accordance with the
Yalta resolutions.
In the GDR, Leipzig was the second largest
city after East Berlin. During the uprising of June 17, 1953, there
were also strikes and large protest marches in Leipzig. About 27,000
workers went on strike, and an estimated 40,000 people took part in
demonstrations. The detention center and district court were stormed
to free political prisoners. During the violent crackdown by Soviet
troops, 10 people died, mostly young people. A bronze relief in the
form of an imprint of a curb chain in Salzgässchen commemorates the
event today.
In the 1970s, the Grünau housing estate was
built in the prefab housing series 70 (WBS 70). It had almost
100,000 inhabitants at its peak and was practically a city within a
city. Other large prefabricated housing estates were built in
Paunsdorf, Schönefeld, Mockau, Möckern and on Straße des 18.
Oktober.
As early as 1982, the weekly peace prayers began in
the Nikolaikirche, which were attended in particular by members of
the opposition and critics of the regime. In the fall of 1989, the
first Monday demonstrations followed, making Leipzig one of the
starting points of the Peaceful Revolution and earning it a
reputation as a “hero city”. While the police used violence against
the few participants on October 2nd, the first mass protest took
place on October 9th with an estimated 70,000 participants. In the
weeks that followed, the protest marches grew, on October 23 around
320,000 people took part. In addition to political and civil
liberties, environmental protection also played an important role.
The massive pollution of air and water by industry and power plants
was denounced.
Since the turn
In the 1990s, over 100,000
jobs were lost in the collapsing industry. At the same time,
billions were invested in the transport and telecommunications
infrastructure. Gradually, a large part of the old building stock
was renovated. The building contractor Jürgen Schneider bought up
"smash pieces" in downtown Leipzig, such as the Mädlerpassage and
Barthels Hof, and had them extensively renovated, cheating various
banks out of billions (Schneider affair). In 1996 the new exhibition
center was opened. Nevertheless, the number of inhabitants has been
steadily declining since reunification, by the end of 1998 it had
fallen to 437,000. Even a massive incorporation of surrounding
suburbs could not lift them back above the symbolic number of half a
million.
In the field of art, the so-called "New Leipzig
School" has been making a name for itself since the 1990s, with Neo
Rauch as its best-known representative. However, many of the artists
included in this category reject the term and there are no really
defining common features in their works. The only thing they have in
common is that they studied in Leipzig or work here. Many of them
have been working on the site of the former cotton mill in the west
of Leipzig since the mid-2000s.
Only from 2002 did the
population increase again moderately. During this time, well-known
industrial companies were able to settle here again, in 2002 the
Porsche plant in Leipzig was opened, followed in 2005 by the BMW
plant. The Bio City Leipzig was opened in 2003 as part of the
"Biotechnology Offensive" and forms the core of the Bio Campus
consisting of several scientific and medical institutes. The talk of
the "boomtown" of the East was once again in the air. After the
unemployment rate had peaked at 21% in 2005, it fell noticeably
again in the following years.
Since the early 2010s, Leipzig
has often been regarded as a trendy metropolis and hipster
stronghold, which is reflected in the nickname "Hypezig". The number
of inhabitants has been increasing significantly since 2012 and,
after the city had celebrated its thousandth anniversary in 2015,
exceeded the figure of 600,000 in October 2019.
Thanks to its location at the intersection of
important long-distance trade routes, Leipzig has always been an
important hub for goods. The Leipzig Trade Fair was founded around 1165.
“Funfairs” were mentioned as early as the town founding document. Two
dates a year have become established for this: the spring fair at
Jubilate (3rd Sunday after Easter) and the autumn fair at Michaelis
(September 29). In 1458 the New Year's Fair was added to the two already
existing fairs. The trade fair privilege was granted to the city in 1497
by Emperor Maximilian I.
In 1895, Leipzig was the first trade
fair city in the world to switch from a goods to a sample fair, which
means that the goods themselves were no longer traded in Leipzig, but
only samples were presented and orders were taken. In order to
accommodate this new type of trade fair, large trade fair courtyards and
palaces were built in the first years of the 20th century, which shaped
the image of Leipzig city center in the years that followed.
On
the site of the International Building Exhibition (IBA) 1913 in the
southeast of the city, the exhibition center for the technical fair with
17 large halls was built between 1920 and 1928 - today known as the Old
Fair.
During GDR times, Leipzig remained a center of
international trade, especially East-West trade. Exhibitors and buyers
from the “non-socialist economic area” continued to come to the spring
and autumn fairs, which gave the city a certain international flair.
Since there weren't enough hotel beds, trade fair guests were
accommodated in private apartments, which allowed their families to get
in touch with them personally.
Large general fairs such as the
Leipzig Spring and Autumn Fairs are no longer usual under the auspices
of the market economy; instead, specialized fairs have been developed
for specific sectors. The old exhibition center and the exhibition
buildings in the city center no longer seemed suitable for this.
Instead, in 1996 the new exhibition center was inaugurated on the
northern outskirts of the city. It has six interconnected exhibition
halls and a convention center. The most popular public fairs held here
are the Leipzig Book Fair, Home-Garden-Leisure, Model-Hobby-Game and
Partner-Horse. The also very popular computer games fair Games
Convention was discontinued in 2009 in favor of Gamescom in Cologne. The
Auto Mobil International, once the second largest German car show after
the IAA, last took place in 2014.
Leipzig is considered (along with Frankfurt am Main)
to be the German city of books. In 1545 the first booksellers, Steiger
and Boskopf, settled in Leipzig. In 1632, the number of books presented
at the Leipzig Book Fair exceeded that of the Frankfurt Book Fair for
the first time. From 1667 a large part of the German book trade moved
from Frankfurt, where censorship was too strict, to Leipzig, and from
the beginning of the 18th century Leipzig became the main depot for the
German book trade.
The development of Leipzig into Germany's
leading center for publishing and book printing, which had already begun
in the previous century, intensified in the 19th century. The music
publisher Hoffmeister & Kühnel had been based here since 1800, which in
1814 became the Edition C. F. Peters, which is still known today, the
market leader on the sheet music market; From 1817 the publishing house
F. A. Brockhaus was located here, followed by the Reclam publishing
house in 1828, in 1874 the Bibliographical Institute (known for Meyers
Konversations-Lexikon and the Duden) moved from Gotha to Leipzig, in
1901 the Insel Verlag was founded here. Giesecke & Devrient (founded in
1852), which developed into one of the leading producers of banknotes
and securities in Germany (and even internationally), deserves special
mention among the numerous printers.
The stock exchange
association of German booksellers was based in Leipzig from 1825 to
1990. In 1912 he initiated the founding of the German Library, which
made it its goal to collect all books published in German.
As a
result of the division of Germany, Leipzig lost its undisputed position
as the center of the German book trade and publishing industry. Many
publishers that had previously been based in Leipzig moved their
headquarters to the western zones to avoid nationalization. The German
Library was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1946 as the West German
counterpart to the German Library. The stock exchange association of the
German book trade settled there as well.
After reunification, the
German Library and the German Library were merged into the German
National Library (DNB), although both locations were retained. The
Leipzig Book Fair was also able to assert itself as a large public fair
(2017: 208,000 visitors) alongside the Frankfurt Book Fair, which is
more geared towards trade visitors. However, most publishers and the
stock exchange association kept their headquarters in western Germany
instead of returning to their old home of Leipzig.
Leipzig has a great reputation in the music world,
especially in the classical one. The Thomanerchor, one of the most
well-known boys' choirs in Germany, has existed since 1212. Its name is
closely linked to that of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was cantor of the
Thomaskirche and director of the choir from 1723 to 1750. During this
time he wrote many of his important spiritual works. To this day, the
Thomanerchor is particularly committed to the performance of Bach's
music.
The history of the Leipzig Opera goes back to 1693, when
the opera house was founded on the Brühl. It was the third opera house
in Europe that was founded by citizens and was not attached to a royal
court. The situation is similar with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, founded
in 1743. It is even the oldest non-courtly concert orchestra in the
German-speaking world that has outgrown the bourgeoisie and, with 185
professional musicians, it is the largest professional orchestra in the
world. They not only play symphony concerts in the Gewandhaus of the
same name, but also make music in the opera and with the Thomanerchor.
During the Romantic period, several prominent composers and
musicians worked in Leipzig. Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig and
spent his youth and student days here. Clara Schumann was also born in
Leipzig, her husband Robert came to the city to study in 1828, and they
lived here together until 1844. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy served as
Gewandhaus Kapellmeister from 1835 until his death in 1847 and during
this time founded the Conservatory of Music, the forerunner of the
today's music college.
In the field of pop and rock music,
Leipzig is known as the hometown of the bands Die Prinzen, Karussell,
Klaus Renft Combo, Die Art, The Firebirds and Victorius. Due to the
annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen, the city enjoys a special reputation in the
"black scene".
Sport has a long tradition in Leipzig and arouses
great enthusiasm among large parts of the population. Leipzig was a
center of the German gymnastics movement. The German Football
Association was founded in Leipzig in 1900, and VfB Leipzig became the
first German champions in this sport in 1903.
From 1950, the
sports science research of the German University for Physical Culture
(DHfK) contributed to the international successes of GDR athletes, but
was also involved in systematic doping. With the central stadium
inaugurated in 1956, the city had a "stadium of hundreds of thousands"
in which the great gymnastics and sports festival of the GDR took place
eight times. From the 1960s, Leipzig had two big football clubs: BSG
Chemie was GDR champions three times; 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig made it
to the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1986/87. After the
reunification, Leipzig clubs began to decline, especially in the field
of football, which found a low point in the 2009/10 season when both 1.
FC Lok and FC Sachsen (formerly BSG Chemie) found themselves in the
fifth division. In the same year, however, RB Leipzig, launched by the
energy shower producer Red Bull, came onto the scene. This has been one
of the leading clubs in the 1st Bundesliga since 2016 and has also
played at European level since 2017.
The central stadium was
replaced in 2000-04 by a much smaller football-only arena (almost 43,000
seats), whose naming rights are held by Red Bull. Today, Leipzig is an
Olympic base for the DOSB for several sports (e.g. canoeing, athletics,
judo). The Central Stadium was one of the venues for the 2005
Confederation Cup and the 2006 World Cup, which was also experienced by
many Leipzig residents as a "summer fairy tale". World and European
championships in hockey, fencing, archery and pentathlon were held in
Leipzig. However, the application for the 2012 Olympic Games, which
continued Leipzig's tradition as a sports city and excited many Leipzig
residents in 2004/05, failed.
Location and morphology
Leipzig is located in the
center of the Leipzig Lowland Bay, which forms the southernmost part of
the North German Plain, and at the confluence of the Weißer Elster,
Pleiße and Parthe rivers. The rivers have many branches in the urban
area and thus form the Leipzig water body node, which is accompanied by
a large alluvial forest area (see the following section). The area
surrounding Leipzig is sparsely forested. In the 20th century, the area
was characterized by extensive lignite opencast mining, as a result of
which numerous lakes are now being formed.
The extension of the
city is 23.4 kilometers north-south and 21.3 kilometers east-west. The
length of the city limits is 128.7 kilometers. The district of
Nordsachsen borders the city to the north and the district of Leipzig to
the south.
The difference in height in the urban area is about 60
meters. The higher parts are in the south-east and the lower parts are
in the north-west. The lowest point at 97 meters above sea level is at
the Neue Luppe near Gundorf. The highest natural points in the city are
the Monarch Hill at 159 meters and the Galgenberg in Liebertwolkwitz at
163 meters. The monarch's hill is surpassed by the Seehausen (178 m) and
Liebertwolkwitz (177 m) landfill sites, while the Schuttberg called
Fockeberg (153 m) is an elevation close to the city centre.
Although the White Elster is the most water-rich of the three rivers in
the city, Leipzig is primarily associated with the Pleiße, since it
comes closest to the city center with its side arm, the
Pleißemühlgraben.
An extensive alluvial forest area stretches along
the rivers in a north-south direction through the city, part of
which has been converted into parks in the central area. The
alluvial forest forms a climatic, ecological and recreational green
connection from the area around Leipzig to the city center and has
preserved a rare flora and fauna despite centuries of direct
anthropogenic influence. The close connection between alluvial
forest and urban development is a unique selling point of Leipzig in
Europe.
Since there are significant lignite deposits under
Leipzig and its environs, industrial open-cast mining of this raw
material began as early as the 1930s. Due to mining, which became
more and more widespread during the GDR era (lignite was the main
source of energy in the GDR), parts of the floodplain forest south
of Leipzig were destroyed. Numerous flood protection measures,
including the construction of the Elster basin and the relocation of
natural river courses, as well as lowering of the groundwater level
associated with lignite mining, led to disturbances in the highly
specialized ecosystem, which originally served as a natural
floodplain.
The city lies in the middle of the Leipzig water
junction, a former inland delta that z. B. was often redesigned by
the installation of mill races and flood protection systems. In the
1950s, the Pleißemühlgraben and part of the Elstermühlgraben - in
the Middle Ages, partly artificially created tributaries of the two
rivers Pleiße and Weiße Elster for the operation of mills - were
piped or filled due to pollution from industrial wastewater from
lignite processing south of Leipzig, so that Leipzig partially lost
its character as a river city. The discharge of the highly toxic
sewage had left the rivers biologically dead. Since the end of the
water-polluting industry at the beginning of the 1990s, both rivers
have been gradually uncovered. Around 141 kilometers of permanently
water-bearing watercourses run through the city area, plus there are
only temporarily water-bearing streams and ditches.
In
addition to water pollution, the lignite firing of outdated
industrial plants, some of which still met the pre-war standard, and
domestic stove heating brought with it very severe air pollution.
The sulfur and phenolic air and the associated acid rain attacked
parts of the building fabric, especially those made of sandstone. In
the 1970s and 1980s, Leipzig was considered one of the major cities
in Europe most polluted with environmental toxins. After the "Wende"
the shutdown of the old industry and the modernization of the power
plants and domestic heating systems very quickly led to
significantly improved water and air conditions and to a visible
recovery of the animal and plant world. Leipzig is one of the
greenest cities in Germany with its numerous city parks, such as the
Clara-Zetkin Park close to the city center and the Rosental, many
newly created facilities in the residential areas and the
traditional allotment garden associations. The proportion of green
space is estimated at around 50% and the proportion of forest at
around 7%. By 2015, the proportion of forest should be increased to
10% and biotope networks expanded. Since 2007, Leipzig has been a
model region for the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation’s “Urban
Forest Areas” test and development project. In cooperation with the
responsible city offices, different types of forests are to be
planted on inner-city fallow land and their impact on the climate,
recreational provision and nature conservation is to be examined.
There is potential space of around 1850 hectares in the inner-city
area.
Street trees make up a significant part of Leipzig's
city green, fulfilling both creative and ecological functions. There
are currently 57,732 street trees registered in the city's tree
registry. That is more than the registered park trees. Of the street
trees, over 35% are linden trees, appropriate to the origin of the
town's name. 38% of street trees are less than 20 years old,
resulting from both the addition of old stands and the immediate
planting of newly laid streets. Since the start of the Strong Tree
City campaign in 1996, up to 150 trees have been planted annually
through donations (from EUR 250 per tree).
At the beginning
of the 1990s, lignite mining was stopped and the recultivation of
the remaining opencast pits and the renaturation of the surrounding
area began. In the meantime, several lakes with very good water
quality have emerged from the flooded opencast mines. Other opencast
mines are still being flooded. The Kulkwitzer and Cospudener lakes
are closest to the Leipzig city center and serve as a very well
developed local recreation area. The city of Leipzig also borders on
Lake Zwenkau, which is to be connected to Lake Cospuden by a canal.
The resulting large-scale recreation area will be marketed to
tourists as "Leipziger Neuseenland" and will have a water surface of
70 km² when it is completed. In the urban area itself, around 130
standing bodies of water with a total area of 80 hectares are under
municipal administration. Leipzig has been a member of the Green
Ring Leipzig since 1996 in order to develop and experience the
nature and landscape of the region together with the surrounding
municipalities and districts.
On March 1, 2011, a large part
of the city was declared a Group 4 environmental zone.
Since 1992, Leipzig has been administratively divided into ten districts containing 63 districts. In contrast, districts are areas of the city that arose from the incorporation of previously independent villages. For this reason, city and district boundaries are not always identical. In order to achieve administrative units of approximately the same size, two districts sometimes form one district, or a district is divided into several districts. If not created by incorporation, sometimes a district does not correspond to a district.
Leipzig is located in the moderate climate zone, in
the transition area from the oceanic climate of Western Europe to the
continental climate of Eastern Europe. The mean annual temperature is
8.4 °C and the mean annual rainfall is 507 mm (mean 1972-2001). During
the same period, there were an average of 77 days with frost, 37 days
with summer and over seven days with heat. Most precipitation falls in
the summer months of June to August, with a peak of 58.6 mm in August.
The lowest precipitation falls in February at 27 mm, in the other winter
months it is around 30 mm.
The rain shadow of the Harz reaches
its south-eastern limit in the Leipzig city area. To the south are the
rain storage areas of the Ore Mountains. This is reflected in a
significant precipitation gradient in the vicinity of the city, but also
within the city area. The north of Leipzig is the driest, most
precipitation falls in the southern area of the city, with the annual
difference being around 100 mm. For comparison: in the city of Halle
(Saale), which is completely in the rain shadow, there is only about 450
mm of precipitation per year.
The highest temperature was
measured in Leipzig on July 20, 2022 at 39.3 °C. The lowest recorded
temperature was recorded on January 14, 1987 at −24.1 °C.
Population development
After extensive
incorporations at the end of the 1990s, Leipzig is one of the largest
cities in Germany.
Before that, in contrast, it was one of the
most compact cities, becoming a metropolis in 1870 with 100,000
inhabitants. Leipzig had already reached its current population before
1914. At the end of the 19th and in the first years of the 20th century,
the population of Leipzig caught up with the largest cities by leaps and
bounds: before the start of the First World War, it was the fourth
largest city in Germany with almost 590,000 inhabitants. By 1930, the
population had reached a historic high of just over 700,000.
After a war-related decline, the population in Leipzig rose again in the
1960s to around 600,000 inhabitants. Especially since the late 1980s,
but already in the 1970s, the city had to record a significant
population decline. At the time of reunification, almost 9,000
foreigners lived in the city due to the GDR's restrictive migration
policy. The lowest level of the total population was reached in the
mid-1990s with a little less than 440,000 inhabitants. The decline in
population is due on the one hand to emigration to regions in the
western federal states and on the other hand to the onset of
suburbanisation. Like all larger cities, Leipzig tries to actively
increase the population in order to increase the income from the
municipal financial equalization, which is calculated via the key
allocation. With extensive incorporations in 1999, Saxony tried to
counteract the suburbanization of Leipzig. Several large industrial
communities were added, which roughly doubled the area of the city. As a
result of these incorporations, increasing birth rates and a positive
balance of people moving in and out of Leipzig, the population of
Leipzig began to grow again so that in 2005 the half-million mark was
exceeded. As of 2010, Leipzig was one of the fastest growing cities in
Germany and experienced an annual increase of around 10,000 people up to
and including 2017, which corresponded to annual growth rates of over 2
percent. Between 2012 and 2014, Leipzig was the fastest growing city in
Germany and the actual development exceeded all forecasts. The strong
growth is explained by the influx of young people, for work, with new
large employers and the birth surplus in 2013 and 2014. Before that,
Leipzig had a birth surplus in 1965. The absolute number of births also
reached an all-time high. More children were born in 2014 than in 1988.
This unexpectedly high growth caused difficulties in the supply of
crèches, kindergartens and schools.
In 2015 the population
increased by almost 16,000 and in 2016 by 10,000 inhabitants. In the
course of the refugee crisis in Germany in 2015/2016, there was an
increase in the foreign population and the population with a migration
background. As of December 31, 2013, for example, 919 residents with a
Syrian migration background were registered in Leipzig. As of December
31, 2019, there were 9,498. In 2017, over 7,000 residents were added.
Since then, population growth has declined slightly, but the population
is increasing by several thousand every year. According to the
population register of the city of Leipzig, the population grew by 5,151
in 2019 and had 601,668 inhabitants at the end of 2019, which means that
the 600,000 mark was reached again. The official population figure
published by the Saxony State Statistical Office on December 31, 2019
was 593,145 and thus more than 6,000 under 600,000. According to the
population register, the population increased by 3,739 to 605,407 people
in 2020. With the highest German population growth rate in the years
2014 to 2017 (6.9%), Leipzig became the eighth largest city in Germany
in 2018. According to forecasts, Leipzig will remain the fastest growing
city in Germany in percentage terms with a population growth of 16% in
the years 2017 to 2035.
On December 31, 2019, Leipzig recorded a
proportion of the population with a migration background of 15.4%. The
proportion of foreigners was 10.2%. After Berlin, Leipzig thus has the
highest proportion of the population with a migration background among
the major cities in eastern Germany. In comparison with large western
German cities, it is still a low value. As of December 31, 2019, the
largest groups of Leipzig residents with a migration background came
from Russia (9,712), Syria (9,498), Poland (6,279), Romania (4,672),
Vietnam (3,498) and Ukraine (3,450). The districts with the highest
proportion of migrants as of December 31, 2019 were Volkmarsdorf (42.2%)
and Neustadt-Neuschönefeld (38.0%) as well as Grünau-Mitte (27.4%).
Religious communities
Leipzig belonged to the
Diocese of Merseburg until the Reformation. Four monasteries were
founded in Leipzig in the 13th century: St. Paul (Dominicans), St.
Thomas (Augustine canons), The Holy Spirit (Franciscans) and St. George
(Cistercians and Benedictines).
The first Lutheran sermons were
held in 1522, and the Reformation was introduced in 1539. At present,
all of the city's Lutheran parishes belong to the Leipzig church
district of the Saxon State Church or belong to the respective
old-denominational Evangelical-Lutheran Free Church or the Independent
Evangelical-Lutheran Church. The church district of the Saxon state
church also includes parishes outside the city.
Catholic services
have been held in Leipzig again since 1697. In 1921 the diocese of
Meissen (now Dresden-Meissen) was reestablished, in which the trade fair
city is the seat of a deanery. The city's main Catholic church is the
Propsteikirche St. Trinitatis. In 2016, the 100th German Catholic Day
took place in Leipzig at the invitation of the Diocese of
Dresden-Meissen. Bucking the nationwide trend, the main Catholic
community in the trade fair city, for example, is growing by 150 members
a year. The largest church building since 1990 in eastern Germany was
also realized there.
Since 1700 there has been an
Evangelical-Reformed congregation in Leipzig, which belongs to the
Evangelical-Reformed State Church.
In addition to the two large
churches in Leipzig there is a congregation of the Old Catholic Church
and congregations of evangelical free churches such as the Free
Evangelical Congregation, the Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites and the
Seventh-day Adventists. Leipzig is the seat of the federal
administration office of the ChristForums Germany in the BEFG.
The first mention of Jewish life in Leipzig comes from a document by
Henry the Illustrious from 1248. After 1800 a Jewish community formed
for the first time. Until the time of National Socialism, Jewish
citizens shaped the city as entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and
donors. In 1912, Rabbi Ephraim Carlebach founded the Higher Jewish
School as the first Jewish school in Saxony. It existed until 1942. In
1929, Leipzig had over 14,000 members, the largest Jewish community in
Saxony and one of the largest in Germany. From 1933 the systematic
extermination of Jewish life in the city began, which ended with the
deportation and murder of almost all Leipzig Jews. The memorial book of
the Federal Archives for the victims of the Nazi persecution of the Jews
in Germany (1933-1945) lists 4,904 Jewish residents of Leipzig who were
deported and mostly murdered. The stumbling blocks of Gunter Demnig's
art project at various locations in the city are a reminder of this.
After the war, the Jewish community consisted of only 24 members.
Membership stagnated until the early 1990s. In 2004, the "Israelite
Religious Community in Leipzig" again had over 1,300 members, due in
particular to the immigration of Russian Jews. In 2009 a new culture and
meeting center was built in the Ariowitsch house.
The Muslim
community in Leipzig is very young and the proportion of Muslims in the
population is far below that of the big cities in the old federal
states, yet Islam is the second largest religion in the city after
Christianity. Around 10,000 Muslims were counted in Leipzig in 2009,
which corresponds to around 2.0% of the total population. The largest
mosque is the Ar-Rahman Mosque. There is a Turkish community which is
under the umbrella organization of the Turkish-Islamic Union Institute
for Religion (DİTİB).
Denomination statistics
According to the
2011 census, 11.8% of the residents were Protestant, 4.0% Roman Catholic
and 84.2% were non-denominational, belonged to another faith community
or made no statement. Since then, the number of Protestants has fallen,
while the number of Catholics has risen since then. At the end of 2021,
Leipzig had 609,869 inhabitants, 4.3% (plus 0.3%) Catholics, 10.7%
(minus 1.1%) Protestants and 85.0% belonged to either another religious
community or no religious community at all. Among the approximately
100,000 church members, 3% (3045) left the church in 2021.
Crime
According to the police crime statistics published by the Federal
Criminal Police Office on April 24, 2017, Leipzig ranks second after
Berlin in terms of registered crime in German cities with 200,000 or
more inhabitants. In 2016, 15,811 crimes occurred per 100,000
inhabitants. There are strong differences between the individual
districts of Leipzig. In 2016, the crime atlas of the State Criminal
Police Office of Saxony certified that the district of Leipzig Zentrum
had the highest crime rate with 2664 crimes per 1,000 inhabitants (total
6082 cases), followed by Leipzig Zentrum-Ost with 728 crimes per 1,000
inhabitants (total 3072).
Around the Eisenbahnstraße area,
including the Rabet park, there has been a gun ban zone in Leipzig since
November 5, 2018 in accordance with the Saxon Weapons Prohibition Zone
Ordinance Leipzig, which was abolished again on March 24, 2021.