The city of Leipzig, Germany, is celebrating its 1,000th anniversary this year. Thietmar, Bishop of Merseburg, mentioned the Saxon trading town for the first time on 20 December 1015 in his chronicle.
Year-Around Leipzig Sights
Leipzig is a city full of interesting history and culture: There is the Thomaskirche where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a music director. The Thomaner Boys Choir has delighted audiences for 800 years. The first Christmas market took place here in 1458. Auerbach’s Keller is a tavern that was already frequented by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His classic legend “Faust” is set here. You can still visit the tavern today. The University of Leipzig was founded in 1409, and the Leipzig Zoo opened its doors in 1878 for the first time. The old shopping arcade of Specks Hof is located here, and so is the famous concert hall, the Gewandhaus. The beautiful, old St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church), is located in Leipzig. It rose to national fame in 1989 when its Monday peace prayers became an integral part of East Germany’s peaceful revolution against communist rule. Leipzig is also the birthplace of institutions such as the German Publishers and Booksellers Association and the German Football Association.
Maedler Passage, Leipzig, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015
Special 2015 Leipzig Events
Leipzig is a delight to visit at any time, but this year will be even more exciting because of the many birthdays that will take place this year. The city of Leipzig will celebrate its 1000th anniversary. Both, the St. Nikolaikirche and the Leipziger Messe (Leipzig trade fairs) will see their 850th birthday. And Leipzig’s Central Train Station will turn 100 this year. Many special events are scheduled throughout the year. Below are some of the highlights:
May 1- to May 25 – Leipzig’s Museum of Fine Arts will present a Paul Klee exhibition, exhibiting about 100 expressionist’s works.
May 17 to May 24 – St. Nikolaikirche’s first festival celebrating 850 years.
May 20 to Oct 25 – Exhibition “1015 – Leipzig from its beginning”
May 22 to May 31 – Wagner Festival
May 31 to June 7 – The Titanick Theater is enacting Leipzig’s 1000-year history at different places throughout the city, and the Gewandhaus Orchestra is playing Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise,” accompanied by a 1000-voice choir.
June 27 to July 5 – Festival “850 Years Leipzig Fairs” at the trade grounds.
July 10 to 11 – Open air concert “Klassik Airleben” with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
October 9 – Festival of Lights.
December 20 – Closing event in the Augustusplatz, including the cutting of the grand birthday cake with 1000 candles.
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Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
