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Germany - Leipzig
~ downtown - sights,
culture, interesting facts ~
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 The Old Town Hall of Leipzig
is one
of the most important and beautiful Renaissance buildings in Germany. It was constructed
in just nine month in 1556/57 under the direction of the Leipzig
architect Hieronymus Lotter, on the pretty historic marketplace.
It is 90 meters long with arcades, six gables and a tower with open
balcony for public announcements and events. The position of the
tower follows the ancient ideal of "golden ratio".
The Old Town Hall is also the place, where Johann Sebastian
Bach signed his employment contract as cantor and Leipzig's
musical director.
The building is a museum now, which gives a true picture of the
city's history. The most beautiful room is probably the old council
chamber with parts of the original furnishing and decoration as
well as silverware. Very impressive is the huge Banqueting Hall
with Renaissance interior and open fireplaces. It is used for concerts
and cultural events now. Interesting also is the treasure chamber.
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 The New Town Hall of Leipzig
From
1899 - 1905 the New Town Hall was built
and became the seat of the local government. The magnificent castle
represents a mix of elements from late Renaissance, Baroque and
Art Noveau. Around 600 rooms on an area of about 10,000 square meters
/ 836 square yards, including large foyers, conference Rooms and
halls belong to the imposing house. The main tower of the building
measures 361 feet / 114,5 m, making it the
largest town hall in the world. A
guided tour of the house takes you from the casemates in the
basement up to the top of the tower. |
Total
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Church of
St. Thomas and St. Thomas Boys Choir
The Church of St. Thomas was founded in 1212
as the church of the Augustinian Canons' seminary. From their practice
of music making during services the world famous St. Thomas Boys
Choir emerged 800 years ago. The great composer Johann Sebastian
Bach was working here for 27 years, from 1723 until his death in
1750, as composer and cantor. He is buried under a bronze memorial
plate in the choir of the church.
 In 1539 also
Martin Luther preached here.
800
years musica sacra has shaped the St. Thomas Boys Choir's past and
put it on the world's cultural map. In particular the works by Johann
Sabastion Bach have had a formative influence.
On Fridays at 6 p.m. and on Saturdays at 3 p.m.
- in keeping with a long-standing tradition - the choir delights
church visitors with it's singing. |
 In honour of great musician
and cantor Johann Sebastian Bach and his long-standing work at Leipzig,
the Bach Archive Leipzig organizes every year the international
 Bachfest
Leipzig (Bach Festival). With this popular cultural event the city
follows a more than one-hundred-year-old musical tradition in the
frame of the cultivation of Bach's musical heritage. The ten day
event presents performances at authentic places and Bach's domain
by internationally acclaimed musicians, orchestral and choral works
as well as symphony concerts. The selection of works varies accordingly
to the yearly changing motto, which is in 2015 "So herrlich stehst
du, liebe Stadt!" So herrlich stehst du, liebe Stadt".
Well worth mentioning is especially also the oldest and biggest
church in Leipzig, the
St. Nicholas Church, built in 1165.
Next to the St. Thomas Church it is the most famous one in
Leipzig, not at
least also because of the "Monday prayers for peace" hold here,
which ultimately led to the peaceful revolution.
Augustusplatz
The Augustusplatz (Augustus Square) at the eastern border of the
inner city is one of the largest city squares in Germany and really
beautiful! It is named after the first king of Saxony,
Frederick August. With its advantageous tram connection and
direct access to the city center via the Grimmaische Straße, the
former Via Regia, the Square is a central point for meetings and
a variety of events, such as demonstrations, public viewing, the
opera ball, Christmas market etc. Bordered by the Opera House
in the north, the Gewandhaus with the
Mendebrunnen (Mende fountain) in
the south, the City-Hochhaus and the
Kroch-Hochhaus as well as the modern
main building of the Leipzig University, the
Augusteum and the adjacent
Paulinum, the Augustus Square is
also a
scientific-cultural centre. |
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Mendebrunnen, University, Krochhaus,
Opera
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Kroch-Hochhaus |
University
Augusteum and Paulinum |
Gewandhaus, City-Hochhaus |
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City of Leipzig
Old Town Hall
St. Thomas Church, a place of faith, spirit and music
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