Old town Leipzig – a little stroll

Of course, a stroll through the old town of Leipzig is simply part of a weekend visit. We set off without a plan and just went to see what there was to see.

And there really is a lot to see in the small and charming old town. I’ve just put together a few places here that we really liked.

Augustus Square (Augustusplatz)

Augustusplatz is almost 40,000 m2 in size and is one of the largest city squares in Germany. It is located on the eastern edge of the old town and was the starting point of our stroll through the city.
From 1945 until German reunification, the square was called Karl-Marx-Platz. Today it bears the name of Friedrich Augustus I, after the first ruler of the Kingdom of Saxony.
Today, buildings from various periods of Leipzig architecture can be found around the square.

The first thing we saw was the opera house (built in 1960) with the water fountain in front of it. Modern and cool, a typical new building. The first opera house on this site was built by Langhans in 1868 and was completely destroyed in the Second World War. The new building is in the neoclassical style. Many works by Richard Wagner are performed here.

It was only at second glance that I discovered the Mende Fountain, which stands in front of the Neues Gewandhaus (inaugurated in 1981). The Mendebrunnen is the only element of the original square ensemble that has been preserved. It is the oldest fountain in Leipzig. The Mendebrunnen was inaugurated in 1886 and was also used to supply the population with water.

The Gewandhaus in the background makes the fountain barely noticeable in daylight. But as soon as it gets dark, it is clearly the highlight of Augustsplatz.

The City Tower, now known as the Panorama Tower, has stood right next to the Gewandhaus since 1972. A trip up to the viewing platform is not to be missed. The view over the city is breathtaking!

For me, the modern university building was the most impressive building on Augustusplatz. The new Augusteum was only completed in 2012 as part of the new campus construction. The Paulinum, assembly hall and university church were integrated into the new building.
For me, it’s a really great modern building that is a real eye-catcher, especially with its shimmering blue window fronts.

Grimmaische Straße leads from Augustplatz into the pedestrian zone of the old town.

St. Thomas Church

Who hasn’t heard of it, one of the most famous choirs in Germany – the St. Thomas Choir. St. Thomas Church, one of Leipzig’s main churches, is not only the home of the famous choir, Johann Sebastian Bach also worked here. His grave is located here today.

As I stand in front of the church, the first thing I notice is the roof. It is unusually steep and is said to be one of the steepest gabled roofs in Germany. At 76 meters, the church is quite imposing. Something I have not often seen before is a chancel that is angled slightly to the north. The church building certainly had to be adapted to the size of the building site.

The tower of St. Thomas Church in the old town of Leipzig can be visited as part of a guided tour. You then climb around 232 steps up to the former tower room and of course you can also enjoy the view over the old town.

The tourist buses queue up outside the church and people stream into the church. But it’s “just” a church, you’ll only hear the choir here at concerts. I don’t find the church really beautiful and stunning at first glance. The numbered pews are tightly packed right up to the last corner of the room, making the nave seem very crowded.

But then I take the time to take a closer look at the three-aisled hall church. I particularly like the ceiling of the nave. There are not many contrasting colored ribbed vaults that are so artistically crafted.

I also really like the windows of the church. On the south side, for example, they depict Johann Sebastian Bach, Martin Luther and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. The bright colors and colorful windows make the nave bright and friendly.

J.S. Bach’s tomb in St. Thomas Church

Of course, I also looked around for the grave of Johann Sebastian Bach. After his death, Bach was buried in the hospital cemetery of St. John’s Church. The exact grave site did not seem to have been handed down.

In 1836, it was Robert Schuman who became involved with Bach and tried to determine the exact burial place. A professor was commissioned to identify bones found during the demolition of the south wall of St. John’s Church as the remains of Bach. He found that the bones of an elderly man were most likely the remains of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 1900, the remains were buried in a limestone sarcophagus in a crypt under the altar of St. John’s Church.

During the Second World War, St. John’s Church burned down completely after bombing raids. The sarcophagus remained intact and before the remains of the church were blown up, it was moved to St. Thomas Church.

St. Nicholas Church in the old town of Leipzig

Leipzig’s second and largest church is also located in the heart of the old town. The city and parish church of St. Nikolai is also the oldest and, alongside St. Thomas’ Church, the best-known church in Leipzig’s Old Town.

The church was built around 1165 in Romanesque style, later extended and converted into a late Gothic hall church with three naves. The octagonal central tower was also built later (1555) and was raised again around 1730 by adding a tower keeper’s dwelling. The tower keeper of the Nikolaikirche lived and worked there until 1932.

As we enter the church, the first thing we notice is the unusual design of the columns. Between 1784 and 1797, they were transformed into palm columns. It really does look as if the column is the trunk of a palm tree and the palm leaves form a flowing transition to the ceiling of the church.

Martin Luther preached in the church, driving forward the Reformation in the country. The so-called Luther pulpit from 1521 is a reminder of this. Johann Sebastian Bach also worked in the Nikolaikirche and performed numerous compositions for the first time.

But the Nikolaikirche is not just a church. As early as the beginning of the 1980s, the people of Leipzig met here for their Monday prayers, which then led to the peaceful revolution in the GDR in 1989, which ultimately ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. This is certainly why it is now an important place to visit when touring the city.
Today, in addition to church services and prayers for peace, many organ concerts take place here, attracting visitors.

The square next to the church, the Nikolaikirchhof, also played an important role during the peaceful revolution. This is where the protests came to a head when the Monday demonstrations took place after the prayer for peace. Today, a memorial stone and a replica of a column from the nave (known as the Peace Column) can be found here to commemorate the time.

In addition to the historical facts surrounding the square, I particularly like the buildings. The Old Nikolai School and the Preacher’s House round off the picture of the square beautifully.

The market

The center of Leipzig’s old town is the market square. The almost rectangular square is about 140 meters long and paved with granite. At the height of the town hall tower, the Leipzig coat of arms is inlaid in colored stone.

On the square are the entrances to the Leipzig S-Bahn station Markt, which is located below the square. The southern access is via the stairs of the former underground exhibition center. This was built in 1924/1925 under the market square with 1800 m² of exhibition space and was used until 2004. On the back is a relief a relief showing the history of the square.

The most important building on Leipziger Markt is the Old Town Hall. This was remodeled in the middle of the 16th century in the style of the Saxon Renaissance style. The building is over 90 meters long. What is striking is the asymmetrical structure. The tower is not located in the middle of the building. I particularly like the astronomical clock on the west side of the tower. Around the town hall below the top floor is a lettering made of brass letters can be seen.