Get more information about this country
Leipzig, originally a Slavic settlement, was first documented in 1015 and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165. It has always been known as a place of commerce. The Leipzing Trade Fair became an event of international importance especially as a point of contact to the East-European economic bloc (Comecon) of which East Germany was a member.
Leipzig is currently experiencing a time of social upheaval. Tradition and progress can be felt everywhere, the former being reflected in the historic old town with its splendid architecture - evidence of a great past. Book printing and book trading made Leipzig a center of European culture in the late Middle Ages. Education, culture and science have always played an important role: Leibniz, Goethe, Schiller and Bach were all drawn to the city and its university was founded as early as 1409.
Leipzig is bursting with fresh confidence and vitality, as a busy venue for trade fairs and conferences and a major center of trade, culture, nightlife and shopping. The old Renaissance and Baroque buildings, historical trading centers and malls are now fully restored and modernized, and provide a paradise for shoppers and sightseers.
Naturally, therefore, Leipzig is an ideal starting-place for day trips and short excursions to Meissen, Erfurt, Naumburg, Weimar, Wittenberg, Torgau, the Kohrener Land and Wörlitzer Park. A tour of the heaths and castles of Saxony also offers a welcome contrast to life in the big city.
This bourgeois city and its citizens have always felt obligated to the arts. The "Gewandhaus Orchestra", founded in 1743 by Leipzig citizens, the Opera House and the famous "Thomaner Choir" are evidence of the city’s love for arts. Although numerous wars and the separation of Germany have left deep marks, Leipzig's citizens have successfully retained their pioneering spirit and their courage to tackle problems. This attitude became particularly evident in the events in autumn 1989.
At the height of the "Monday Demonstrations" on 9 October, 70,000 people marched around the Leipzig Ring. With their slogan of "We Are The People" they triggered the end of the German Democratic Republic in a peaceful revolution and cleared the way for the re-unification of Germany.
Leipzig can look back on a proud tradition as a sports city. It has been considered "Germany's City of Gymnastics" since the 19th Century. In the German Democratic Republic, Leipzig was the absolute sports center with the Deutsche Hochschule für Körperkultur (DHfK) - the German College for Physical Education. Football has of course played a major role. The German Football
The Stadium
The original Zentralstadion opened in 1956, and was the largest stadium in Germany with a capacity of 100,000.
In 1997, a new football stadium was built within the stadium walls. Construction began in 2000, and completed in 2004 and now has a gross capacity of 44,199. This new stadium was specifically built for the World Cup in 2006.
Bridges connect the two stadium walls together, in honour of the old stadium. The roof boasts integrated floodlights as well, and advanced acoustics for the PA system.