Leipzig, Germany

Map of Germany showing Leipzig

Coat of Arms of Leipzig

Leipzig is the largest city in the federal state (Bundesland) of Saxony. The name is derived from the old-slavic (also Polish) Lipsk (settlement where the linden trees stand). It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Pleisse, White Elster and Parthe. Leipzig's population, which peaked at 750,000 before the second world war, has diminished to just about 500,000 by 2002.

History

First documented in 1015, and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165, Leipzig has always been known as a place of commerce. The Leipzig Trade Fair became an event of international importance; especially as a point of contact to the east-european economic bloc (Comecon) of which East Germany was a member.

Leipzig around 1900 (larger version)

Having been a terminal of the first German long distance railroad (1838, to Dresden, the capital city of Saxony), Leipzig became a hub of central-european railroad traffic, with a renowned station building, now the largest passenger train station in Europe. Nobel prize laureate Werner Heisenberg worked as a physics professor at Leipzig University from 1927 to 1942.

Among Leipzig's noteworthy institutions are also the Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Leipzig Zoo, which houses the world's largest facilities for primates.

Leipzig is also the German candidate for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The new sports stadium, view across the Elster channel]

Quotations

Twinning

Events

• Literature expostition & festival (March): http://www.leipziger-buchmesse.de/
  
• The Festival about Johann Sebastian Bach (May): http://www.bach-leipzig.de/
  
• International Dark, Wave, Gothic Festival (Whitsun): http://www.wave-gotik-treffen.de/english/
  
• Emancipatoric Punk & Electro Festival (August): http://www.ladyfestleipzig.de/
  
• International Documentary and Animated Film Festival (October): http://www.dokfestival-leipzig.de/homepage/en/
  
• French Film Festival (October): http://www.franzoesische-filmtage.de/
  
• Leipzig Jazz Festival (November): http://www.leipziger-jazztage.de/
  
• Contemporary European Theater Festival (November): http://www.leipzig-online.de/euro-scene/
  

Culture

• Sprachenabend: International languages nights: http://www.leipzig.sprachenabend.de/
  
• Tangofabrik: Tango, Jazz in Fusion: http://www.tangofabrik-leipzig.de/
  
• Moritzbastei: Concerts, Lectures, Theater, Café, Students: http://moritzbastei.de/
  
• Conne Island: Emancipatoric Rock, Punk, Ska, Electro: http://www.conne-island.de/
  

External link

• See the city's own website, http://www.leipzig.de.

Referenced By