Leipzig
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Leipzig is the biggest city in Saxony (eastern Germany). When Germany was divided in East and West Germany, Leipzig was one of the three biggest industrial cities in the Eastern part.
Leipzig has occupies 297,62 km2 and is still an industrial city. 502,053 people are living in Leipzig as of 30 November 2005.
[edit] History
Its Latin name is Lipsia and the German name Leipzig came from this name. Leipzig has a long history. Its name was recorded first in 1015 as Leipzig Castle (Leipziger Burg). The city was settled in 1165. It was an economic center of the Medieval Germany, famous with its market (Leipziger Messe).
In 1409 Leipzig University was founded. Theology was its major faculty. In 1519 Martin Luther had a discussion in Leipzig against Johann Eck. Reformation came to Leipzig in 1539 after all and the city people believed in the Lutheran.
It is famous for St. Thomas Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as music director (Kantor) from 1723 till his death in 1750.
In 1813 near Leipzig, there was the Battle of Leipzig between the French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte and the allied armies of Austria, Preussen and Russia.
In 1839 the railway between Dresden and Leipzig was opened. It was the first long distance railroad in Germany.
As a result of industrialisation the number of people living in Leipzig was growing during the 19th century. Before World War II, there were about 750,000 people in Leipzig.
After the war Leipzig belonged to the part occupied by the Soviet Union, and later to East Germany.
Today Leipzig is still known as a city of fairs, media and university, but is less important than it was before World War II.
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