Leipzig has a rich history as a hub for trade, culture, and education, playing a pivotal role in East Germany’s Peaceful Revolution during the 1980s. The Monday Demonstrations initiated at St. Nicholas Church evolved into a nonviolent protest movement that ultimately resulted in the fall of the GDR government.
Summary
Long before this revolutionary period, notable composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Felix Mendelssohn called Leipzig home, and the city offers numerous attractions dedicated to their legacies. Established in the 11th century at the intersection of two crucial trade routes, the Via Imperii and the Via Regia, Leipzig gained prominence through its international trade fairs during the Medieval Holy Roman Empire, a tradition that continues at the Leipzig Messe today.
Explore the top sites in Leipzig:
1. St. Thomas Church
Between 1723 and 1750, Johann Sebastian Bach served as cantor at this 13th-century Gothic church.
This venue has also served as Bach’s burial site since 1950; his ledger stone can be observed on the choir floor, with a statue commemorating him located outside.
The St. Thomas choir remains one of the most esteemed globally, with performances available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Following Sunday performances, visitors can tour the Baroque tower, completed in 1702. Notably, Richard Wagner was baptized here, and Mozart performed on the organ in 1789.
2. St. Nicholas Church
This Gothic and Baroque church was a significant location for the Monday Demonstrations that contributed to the reunification of Germany.
As Leipzig had less Stasi surveillance compared to Berlin and attracted numerous international visitors due to the Leipzig Messe, it was the first major city in the GDR to witness peaceful protests in 1989. The church’s support for demonstrators, through weekly prayers for peace since 1982, made St. Nicholas a focal point for these movements.
In just a few weeks, attendance surged from hundreds to 120,000 by October 16, 1989. The absence of security force intervention allowed the movement to gain traction, leading to the Berlin Wall’s fall a month later.
Historically, St. Nicholas Church hosted many of Bach’s premieres, including the notable St. John Passion.
3. Museum der Bildenden Künste
Leipzig’s fine arts museum reopened in 2004, featuring a modern glass cube located in the city center on Katharinenstraße.
The previous structure was destroyed during the war, but the museum’s most valuable pieces had been secured prior to the destruction.
The collection spans from Medieval art to contemporary pieces, emphasizing works by German Renaissance masters such as Lucas Cranach the Elder and Frans Hals.
Additionally, Caspar David Friedrich’s painting, Stages of Life, represents a key work of the German Romantic movement.
During the new building’s inauguration in 2004, the museum received over 40 pieces of 19th-century French art, ranging from Delacroix and Camille Corot to Impressionists like Monet and Degas.
4. Völkerschlachtdenkmal
This monument commemorates the Battle of Leipzig, which was a defining moment in 1813, marking one of Napoleon’s last significant defeats against a coalition of armies from Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden.
With over 600,000 participants, it was the largest battle until the First World War.
The monument was inaugurated on the centenary of the battle in 1913 and remains one of the tallest war memorials in Europe at 91 meters.
Constructed with a concrete frame clad in granite, it consists of two levels.
The lower level features a crypt adorned with eight statues representing fallen soldiers, accompanied by Totenwächter (Guardians of the Dead). The upper level showcases four 9.5-meter statues symbolizing idealized German qualities of faith, fertility, bravery, and sacrifice.
5. Zeitgeschichtliches Forum
This museum is dedicated to the history of East Germany from 1949 until reunification.
A permanent exhibition details various aspects of life under the oppressive SED (Socialist Unity Party) regime.
The exhibition features 3,200 items including personal narratives, extracts from speeches, propaganda posters, uniforms worn by the GDR national football team, communication equipment, art pieces, consumer products, photographs, medals, and archived documents.
A significant portion of the exhibition addresses resistance and civil courage leading up to the Monday Demonstrations and the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall.
There are additional informative galleries focused on life in former East Germany following reunification.
6. Bach-Museum
Located opposite St. Thomas Church, this museum focuses on the life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The highlight of the exhibition is the treasure room housing handwritten music manuscripts by Bach, preserved in glass cases.
Due to their fragility, these documents are displayed for only a few months before rotation back into storage.
The museum also showcases various musical instruments, including an organ console he played, a violone from his orchestra, and a viola d’amore crafted by his close friend Johann Christian Hoffmann.
Visitors can explore Bach’s family lineage and discover how many relatives contributed to music as court musicians, cantors, instrument makers, or organists.
7. Markt
Visitors will often find lively events taking place in the market square of Leipzig.
The Christmas market occupies this space, featuring a towering 20-meter Saxon spruce surrounded by numerous stalls.
Other events include weekly farmers’ markets and an Easter market, while during the Wave-Gothic-Treffen (the world’s largest gothic festival), medieval-themed stalls and performances occur.
Architecturally, the square blends historical and contemporary styles; the west and south sides are defined by the Old Town Hall and the 16th-century Alte Waag building, which historically served as the center of Leipzig’s trade fairs.
8. Altes Rathaus
Constructed beginning in 1556, the arcaded old town is recognized as one of Leipzig’s most stunning historical landmarks.
The Altes Rathaus exemplifies Renaissance architecture in Germany, adorned with gables, mullioned windows, and a tower slightly offset to the left.
The ground floor’s arcades feature diverse dining establishments, while the building has housed the Leipzig City Museum since 1909. This museum showcases the town hall’s interiors, vintage decorations from around the city, and insights into Leipzig’s history.
The monumental Festsaal contains a complete historical model of Leipzig, remnants of the city hall’s former dungeon, decorations from the destroyed St. John’s Church, and Roman artifacts.
A notable highlight is the handwritten copy of the Sachsenspiegel, a 13th-century legal text and custumal from the Holy Roman Empire, marking one of the earliest documents in the German language.
9. Leipzig Zoo
First established in 1878, Leipzig Zoo ranks among the oldest in Germany, yet it is also one of the most contemporary.
The facility has introduced innovative habitat concepts, such as the Gondwanaland biome.
This expansive, 16,500-square-meter indoor environment maintains a consistent temperature of 25°C and a humidity level ranging from 65 to 100%. The habitat supports an array of tropical flora and fauna, including squirrel monkeys, giant otters, komodo dragons, leaf-cutter ants, as well as a rich variety of fish, turtles, and frogs.
Another indoor complex, Pongoland, opened in 2001, providing a 30,000-square-meter habitat for gorillas, two groups of chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans.
10. Museum in der Runden Ecke
On December 4, just weeks after the Berlin Wall fell, demonstrators occupied this building, which previously served as the Stasi headquarters in Leipzig.
This action stood as a significant moment during the Peaceful Revolution, symbolically challenging the SED government.
The building’s interior has largely been preserved in its pre-1989 state, and the Stasi – Power and Banality exhibition delves into the history and operations of this notorious state security agency.
The exhibition includes numerous documents, confiscated correspondence, equipment for altering letters, uniforms, shredders, and various surveillance devices ranging from listening instruments to cameras.
11. Grassi Museum
Situated in a historically preserved structure from the 1920s at Johannisplatz, the Grassi Museum showcases notable Art Deco design combined with New Objectivity. This museum encompasses three distinct institutions: the Museum of Musical Instruments, an Ethnography Museum, and the Leipzig Museum of Applied Arts.
Art Deco enthusiasts should visit the applied arts museum, which features an impressive collection of ceramics, glassware, and furniture from the 1920s and 1930s, covering styles from Art Nouveau to contemporary designs.
A Roman hall within the museum exhibits artifacts retrieved from Eythra, near Leipzig.
The musical instruments museum features pieces ranging from the 1500s through to the 20th century, while the ethnography museum showcases 200,000 artifacts from East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania, Australia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
12. Leipzig Panometer
Located in the southern suburb of Connewitz, a decommissioned gasometer has been transformed into a visual panorama by Austrian artist Yadegar Asisi.
Standing at 50 meters tall and 57 meters in diameter, this gasometer dates back to 1909 and features a brick exterior.
Since 2003, the building has presented Asisi’s panoramas, typically updated every two to three years.
The images showcased are 30 meters high and encompass 105 meters in circumference.
As of 2017, the current theme highlighted the Titanic, while previous exhibits have portrayed the Battle of Leipzig, the Amazon rainforest, Ancient Rome, and Mount Everest.
Each panorama is accompanied by a small exhibition relevant to the theme.
13. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
At first glance, one may wonder why a train station appears on a list of prominent sites; however, Leipzig’s Hauptbahnhof stands out as no ordinary train station.
It is the largest station in the world by floor area, spanning 8.3 hectares and featuring a nearly 300-meter-long façade.
Additionally, the station functions as a museum; track 24 showcases five historical locomotives, including a Second World War-era DRB Class 52 steam engine and the aerodynamic DRG Class SVT 137 diesel locomotive introduced in the 1930s.
Moreover, 20 years ago, the station’s concourse was converted into a three-story shopping mall, featuring boutiques and popular shops beneath the impressive brick arches.
14. Mädlerpassage
Located in the heart of Leipzig, this elegant shopping passage connects Grimmaische Straße and Neumarkt.
Developed in the 1910s by leather manufacturer Anton Mädler and designed in a refined historicist style by architect Theodor Köhler, the passage impresses with its size.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by its expansive four-story height, extending over 140 meters.
Home to a branch of the renowned Auerbachskeller, a wine tavern dating back to the 15th century that boasted Goethe as a patron in the 18th century, the passage also features approximately 40 specialty shops, cafés, and restaurants, all set in an opulent ambiance.
15. Mendelssohn-Haus
Positioned in a neoclassical building on Goldschmidtstraße, this residence is the last preserved private apartment of 19th-century composer Felix Mendelssohn.
The structure, erected in 1844, became Mendelssohn’s family home upon their arrival in 1845, where he lived until his passing in 1847. In 1997, the building was transformed into a museum dedicated to Mendelssohn’s life and contributions to music, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of his death.
Exhibits include handwritten documents, watercolors created by Mendelssohn, and original furnishings.
The museum underwent renovations in 2014, introducing an interactive display that allows visitors to experience conducting a virtual orchestra.
Additionally, the grounds feature a maintained historic garden, and the coach house has been repurposed as a venue for chamber music performances.
