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  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 3

    Neues Rathaus Leipzig

    November 28, 2024 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 45 °F

    Formerly know as Pleissenburg Castle, the site of the 1519 Disputation between Martin Luther and Johannes Eck. At that time, Leipzig was still Catholic, and it wasn't for very long afterwards. The castle was mostly destroyed in the Thirty Years War, and was never of significant military value afterwards.

    In 1905, it was rebuilt as the New Townhall. If you remember, last night we went to the Goerdeler Monument here to listen to the chimes. Today, we visited again, hoping to go up to the tower for the views, but due to high winds and rain, it was closed. We walked around inside and took pictures instead. It also has a famous restaurant in the basement, the Ratskeller.

    There was some sort of police party going on, up in the open area on the second level, but someone (husband) told me we couldn't crash it. Sigh.

    That said, it's a nice looking building, but we didn't stay long. Note the police bus-- one career, a thousand possibilities!    Read more

  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 3

    Goerdelerdenkmal

    November 28, 2024 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 45 °F

    Another place we went to last night, it was high on the itinerary. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, the mayor of Leipzig in the early 1930s, and an active force in several attempts to remove or assassinate Hitler. He was a conservative, Lutheran, a firm nationalist, but mostly opposed the Nazi. Like others in the early 1930s, while he didn't support Hitler's rise to power, he thought he would be controllable with the right pressure. As a result, he was constantly sending memoranda, advice, et cetera to Hitler and Goring, in his roll of Plenipotentiary of the Four Year Plan, especially on economics.

    As mayor, he actively opposed the boycott of Jewish owned businesses, even dressing in his full regalia and interfering with SA attempts to close and disrupt shops in 1933. His opposition continued, though he was softer on some issues such as Aryanization of professions, and believed in a fair number of common Antisemitic tropes.

    He resigned as mayor in 1937. On the surface, his resignation came over the removal of a statue of Leipzig-born composer Felix Mendelssohn, but his disputes with the Nazis went far deeper, centered around their Antisemitism and insistence on rearmament and movement towards a command economy.

    Goerdeler worked abroad and in Germany from 1937 to gain support for a putsch against Hitler. He was working for a military state, or a return to monarchy, and told his foreign contacts that this could be done, if the governments of the USA, UK, and France would return what had been taken from Germany in Poland and Czechoslovakia. (This is a gross simplification, but we're time limited here, and this isn't history class...)

    He was involved in several major plots to eliminate Hitler, either through arrest or assassination, including the one most Americans known about, on July 20, 1944. He was, with many others, caught in that one. He didn't hold up well in prison, gave information in the "hope that it would overwhelm the authorities", though it just ended up with more people being arrested. Eight members of his family were arrest on Sippenhaft (blood guilt-- the crime of being related to an enemy of the regime). He was executed by hanging in Plötzensee Prison in Berlin February 2, 1945.

    The Goerderler Monument is a well surrounding by passages from his writing, at the corner of the Neues Rathaus, the new city hall. Four times a day, chimes emanate from within, and we went out to hear it last night at 5:55. A very bad video follows, and pictures we took of the sight today.    Read more

  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 2

    Nikolaikirche

    November 27, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    We arrived in Leipzig, checked into the hotel, and went out to the Christmas Market to eat. More on that later though. We had three objectives for today: Nikolaikirche, Thomaskirche, and Goerderler Monument.

    We started with the Nikolaikirche, mainly because we had passed it already and knew where it was.

    Saint Nicholas Church, a Catholic turned Lutheran church, was originally built in 1165 as a Romanesque church. In the 1500s, it was renovated into the Gothic Hall Style it has to this day. Baroque elements were added in the 1700s, notably the tower and portal. Today, it's a shared church, in use by both Protestants and Catholics.

    One of Leipizg's many important places tied to music, JS Bach was the musical director at Nikolaikirche after his appointment to the Thomaskantor post over at St Thomas. Several of his works debuted here including Saint John Passion (BWV 245 if you're interested in listening to it) and the Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Yeah, I like Bach. He's one of my favorite composer, sorry.

    The church was a flash point for the Peaceful Revolution and the eventual downfall of the Communist government in East Germany. Pastor Christian Führer began holding peace prayers every Monday in the church. The prayer meetings grew in popularity, attracting members of the more vocal and open opposition to the government. In the opening months of 1989, the government, through the Stasi, attempted to end the prayer meetings: blocking streets, and arresting random attendees outside as well as inside the church.

    This only emboldened the opposition, and more people came each week. On October 7, 1989, the fortieth anniversary of the East German state, protests occurred around the city. Hundreds were beaten and arrested. Erich Honecker, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party (the one who ran the country), threatened to close the church, and announced that the counter-revolution would be ended on Monday, October 9.

    Expecting bloodshed and knowing they were risking their lives, thousands crowded into the Nikolaikirchen and other central churches that Monday. It was estimated 70,000 people massed in the center of the city. The army and police had been mobilized, expecting violence, when instead, the people just stood with candles and prayed. Low level members of the Socialist Party on the scene urged a withdraw of the tanks and troops.

    The rest, as they say, was history. The Berlin Wall fell a month later.    Read more

  • TravelerMathi’s Reisen ab Juli 2024
    1
    Day 60

    Egolzwil-Leipzig 1 13.09.2024

    September 13, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    13.09.2024

    Heute Morgen früh mit dem Trottinette auf den Zug in Wauwil gegangen. Pia ist in Nebikon zugestiegen. In Olten mussten wir auf den Anschlusszug nach Basel warten. In Basel sind wir auf den direkten ICE nach Berlin eingestiegen. Die Abfahrt in Basel SBB verzögerte sich bereits um 20 Minuten, weil das nötige Personal fehlte. Zweieinhalb Stunden nach Abfahrt war es endlich möglich, etwas zum Trinken zu bestellen. Die DB machte auf der ganzen Reise ihren schlechten Ruf Ehre. Es glaubt kein Mensch, aber wir sind mit 28 Minuten Verspätung in Leipzig angekommen, nachdem er kurz vor Leipzig mal eine kleine Strecke mit 250 km Stunde gefahren ist. Ron hat uns am Bahnhof abgeholtRead more

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  • TravelerCésure européenne - 2024
    Day 131–133

    1ère decouverte de la Saxe : Leipzig

    July 15, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Après mon court et intense sejour berlinois, je m'en vais pour la Saxe !

    Après un previsible retard de la DeutscheBahn, j'arrive au joyaux de la Saxe : Leipzig 🏰

    L'occasion est belle pour moi de découvrir une nouvelle région, culture mais aussi et surtout de enfin pratiquer mon allemand 🇩🇪
    Mon niveau actuel est B1 mais mon potentiel est encore grand ! Quelques jours de tourisme et un gros wwoofing de quelques semaines devrait sérieusement rattraper mes lacunes 💪

    Deux jours en auberge de jeunesse suffiront pour la transition anglais/allemand 😁

    Le 17 juillet, je reprends ma route pour rejoindre un wwoofing à Pulsnitz, non loin de Drese. Encore quelques semaines de travail et de découverte culturelle m'attendent ! ❤️

    "Petit" récit historique de Leipzig :

    Leipzig a toujours été un centre névralgique de la Saxe. Fondée à l'époque médiévale, elle est rapidement devenue un carrefour commercial grâce à ses foires internationales et sa localisation central en Europe.
    Leipzig est surtout renommée pour sa contribution à la musique classique. La ville a été le foyer de nombreux compositeurs célèbres, notamment Johann Sebastian Bach, qui y a passé la majeure partie de sa vie. Mendelssohn y a fondé le premier conservatoire de musique en Allemagne. 🎶

    La ville verra passée de nombreux grands intellectuels allemands. Goethe, Leibniz, Schiller, Wagner, Nietzsche et Schumann sont d'autres grandes figures qui ont marqué la ville de leur passage.

    Un événement marquant de l'histoire de Leipzig est la Bataille des Nations en 1813. Cette bataille, l'une des plus importantes du XIXe siècle, a vu Napoléon être défaut face à l'alliance de la la Russie, la Prusse, l'Autriche et la Suède. 520 000 soldats en présence, environ 100 000 morts ! Cette défaite a forcé Napoléon à se retirer, précipitant l'abandon de l'Allemagne, le retournement de plusieurs de ses alliés contre lui, l'invasion de la France par la coalition en 1814, son abdication et exil. Aujourd'hui la bataille est commémorée par le gigantesque monument : le "Völkerschlachtdenkmal"

    Après la WW2, Leipzig est passée sous le contrôle de la République démocratique allemande (RDA). La ville est célèbre pour "les manifestations du lundi". En septembre 1989, des premiers mouvements dans la ville vont entraîner un effet domino qui culminera en novembre avec des manifestations dans toute la RDA. ce mouvement aura un rôle crucial dans la chute du mur de Berlin et la réunification de l'Allemagne.

    Autre caractéristique de Leipzig et de la Saxe : l'industrie minière ! Les mines de lignite ont impactés toute la région et sont aujourd'hui fermées. Le paysages ont été réhabilités pour créer des lacs artificiels 🏖    Read more

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  • OSTDEUTSCHLAND & Tschechien
    1
    Day 9

    kolossales Leipzig

    September 16, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Leipzig ist groß und monumental. Lore ist von den riesigen, martialischen Gebäuden einerseits beeindruckt, andererseits fühlt sie sich bedrängt.
    Als erstes Ziel steuern wir das Völkerschlachtsdenkmal an. Es liegt ein wenig außerhalb des Zentrums, hat eine beängstigende Größe (man kommt sich wie eine Ameise vor) und erinnert an nazionalsozialistische Heldendenkmäler.
    Das Bauwerk wurde 1913 eingeweiht - 100 Jahre nachdem die europäischen Verbündeten in der Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig Napoleon und seine Truppen in die Flucht geschlagen hatten.
    Als nächstes fahren wir ins Zentrum. Zuerst folgen wir einer Empfehlung aus dem heutigen Hotel und besuchen die Aussichtsplattform am Dach des Panorama Towers. Das Wetter ist prima und wir sehen super auf die Altstadt und weit ins Land hinein.
    Ein kleiner Altstadtbummel schließt den Leipzig-Besuch ab. Die Mädler-Passage ist eine elegante Einkaufsmeile und die Nikolaikirche lässt Gänsehaut-Feeling aufkommen weil die hier stattfindenden Demonstrationen wesentlich zum Fall der innerdeutschen Mauer beigetragen haben.    Read more

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  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 3

    Last night in Leipzig

    November 28, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F

    Wrapping things up here. Ten o'clock German time and I'm still up. The husband is not, he's snoring happily. Tomorrow, onto Erfurt.

    A few last shots of the main Christmas Market, including a short horn performance, more food (including Kasespaetzle and buckthorn punch).

    I'll be putting up a lot of pictures on facebook at some point, hopefully soon, for now, I'm tired, and have another long day tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 3

    Finally, the Christmas Markets

    November 28, 2024 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 45 °F

    Since the driving purpose of the trip was to see real German Christmas markets, we went to most of them yesterday when we arrived. Some are really small here, a few stands with food and drink, maybe some vendors, like the Finnish Market, the Sudtirol Market, etc. There's also a Fairytale Market (scary), a Medieval Market (on the small side), and the main market on the square, which was really crowded when we arrived the first time at lunch.

    So here, some pictures from the main market, including the not-attractive looking lunch which was really good. No glühwein yet. Also, pictures from the market around Nikolaikirche, which I didn't even know was there.    Read more

  • TravelerMostly Saxon Christmas Markets
    Day 2

    Leipzig

    November 27, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    The first church built here was a Romanesque structure in the 1100s. In 1217 the minnesinger (the German version of a troubadour) Heinrich von Morungen gave the church a relic of Saint Thomas which he brought back from India, upon his entrance into the Augustian Canons. The church went through many renovations. The first major change was from Romanesque to Gothic style in the 1480s with the influx of money from the silver mines of the Erzgebirge. More renovations were carried out in the 1700s in the Baroque style, however in the late 1880s these were refashioned closer to their original Gothic trappings.

    The church, like many in Saxony, became Lutheran in the course of the Reformation. In 1539 Martin Luther preached here on Pentecost. It also has strong associations with famous musical figures. JS Bach was the music director from 1723 until his death in 1750, and also taught at the school. Mozart played the church's organ in 1789, and in 1813 Richard Wagner was baptized at Thomaskirche.

    Parts of the church were destroyed in 1943. In 1950, the bones of Bach were moved from their resting place in the graveyard of Saint John's when it was demolished by the Communist government, and interred in Saint Thomas. Sulfur emitted by nearby mines and other industrial pollutants in the post war period badly damaged the exterior statuary, and the paintings inside, despite some restoration done in the early 1960s. A more effective restoration was undertaken by the World Monuments Fund with money from American Express in the early Twenty-first Century.

    There are some notable, but not well known, pieces of art in the church: a Döteber baptismal font and a crucifix by Casper Löbel, which probably hung in the church during Bach's tenure. Much of the stained glass is from the 1890s.

    Oh, apologies for Bach's upside down tomb. You couldn't go all the way to where it is.

    Posting on Goerdeler and first day Christmas markets will have to wait until tomorrow. We've been up close to thirty-four hours. It's 8:00 PM German time and I'm going to bed.    Read more

  • TravelerNorwegen 2024
    Day 62

    Stadt Leipzig

    September 18, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Gerade angekommen in Leipzig und schon wurde ich geblitzt. Mit dem habe ich jetzt doch nicht gerechnet. Aber ich denke, dass es ein schönes Foto von mir gab. Eigentlich habe ich sogar noch abgebremst aber ja 🤷🏻‍♂️ nun die mich unterstützen möchten einfach schreiben. Dann muss ich die Busse nicht selber bezahlen 😉
    (Gerne Meldung direkt auf Whatsapp - Besten Dank für die Untersützung)

    Leipzig ist eine kreisfreie Stadt sowie Statistischem Landesamt des Freistaates Sachsen) bzw. 628.718 Einwohnern (laut Melderegister am 31. Dezember 2023) die einwohnerreichste Stadt im Freistaat Sachsen. Sie belegte 2021 in der Liste der Großstädte in Deutschland den achten Rang. Für Mitteldeutschland ist sie ein historisches Zentrum der Wirtschaft, des Handels und Verkehrs, der Verwaltung, Kultur und Bildung sowie gegenwärtig ein Zentrum für die „Kreativszene“ und eine wichtige Messe- und Universitätsstadt.    Read more

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