Grünau

Today was our first day with Rainer, our nephew, and his wife Olivia. We drove 2 hours from their apt. and spent the day in Leipzig. Leipzig was part of the former East Germany. I learned a lot about what life in the former East Germany was like and also about the uprisings that caused the wall to fall and the reunification of Germany.
The first pic is of the 4 of us in Leipzig. Pic 2, a painting on the side of a building expressed the frustration of the people. Some of the sayings: “we are the people” “freedom” “free elections” “freedom of the press” “ the wall has to go” “democracy”. (Unfortunately my pics are a little out of order..) Pic 7 is of Nikolai Kirche and pic 3 is the inside of the church. It all started at this church with prayers for freedom on Mondays at 5pm. That evolved into peaceful demonstrations in the streets of Leipzig that lead to the fall of East Germany. Stepping out of that church and walking along the streets suddenly took on new meaning today after I read the history of what had happened here.
Pics 4,5 & 6 are some of the buildings in the city.
Pic 8 is the university library and pic 9 is the “assembly hall and university church of St Paul” that is attached to the library.
The East Germans demolished the church in 1968. The church was rebuilt after the reunification but is now used sometimes as a church and sometimes as a lecture hall.
The last pic shows the contrast between the plain, functional architecture of the East German era and the historic building in background. We visited an exhibit titled East Germany: 1945 to the Reunification. Such an eye opening, thought provoking exhibit.

Highlight of the day: learning the history of Nikolai Kirche, Leipzig and East GermanyLäs mer