Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Leipzig - ideas on city exploration routes

» Sebastian Bach composed in St. Thomas Church. He devoted 27 years of his life to it. The organ the composer used and his personal notes have been preserved. His ashes are kept in the stone box under the church.
» The House of God is also famous for the Boys’ Choir. It was conducted by eminent composers.
» There had been an old church before (in 1222). This is evidenced by the remains of the destroyed building found during excavations.
» At the church, there is the religious commune of monks of St. Augustine Order. His remains are resting here. The musician brought them from India. The church was blessed in 1496.
» The building had been repeatedly rebuilt over the centuries. In the Renaissance, the octagonal tower was constructed.
» 1539 was marked by sermons of the activist of the church reformation, Martin Luther King.
» The room is 76 meters long. The dome is 18 meters high and made of bars that form a cross.
» The unusual roof is tilted, which makes it the coolest gable roof in Germany.
» The alabaster font is faced with marble. Its surface is decorated with paintings of Biblical events. The pictures on stained glass windows remind of eminent historical figures.

» 100 years had passed since the legendary battle in 1813 when several countries united to counter Napoleon. The complex memorial to soldiers killed in battle was built in honor of this event.
» The monument is 100 meters high. It is situated in the center of the place where that significant battle took place. There is the Lake of Tears.
» The impressive construction was built at the expense of the Masonic lodge. The memorial had been built for 15 years.
» 65 piles were hammered in the foundation. To reach the observation platform, you need to go up 500 steps. The pedestal weighs 300 000 tons. Over 26 000 stone blocks were used to build the monument. It is concrete and faced with granite. Near it, there is the sculpture of Archangel Michael.
» On the roof, there are 12 sculptures of knights putting down their weapons. They symbolize the guards of freedom.
» The monument is reflected in the rectangular pond called the Lake of Tears. Near it, there is the stone, on which the French Emperor located his command post. You can enter the Hall of Fame through the lower entrance.
» 120 thousand soldiers died on the battlefield.
» The inner space is secured by guards. Behind them, you can see masks, the symbol of our remembrance, on the walls.

» In November 2007, the auditorium of the Leipzig Opera was restored. Over 8 000 theatre-goers attended the opening ceremony.
» The early opera of Richard Wagner about the tragic life of the Italian reformer Cola di Rienzo was performed as a musical greeting.
» The auditorium can accommodate 1264 persons. The first opera building was built in 1693.
» The Leipzig Opera troupe cooperates with the symphony orchestra of Gewandhaus because it does not have its own orchestra. The theatre administration invites modern music writers to cooperation. Italian soloists and German touring troupes take part in performances.
» There are no decorative elements or sculptures on the pediment of the building. The architectural style of many constructions of that time is characterized by strict lines.
» The Leipzig Opera building is 52 meters high. In 1956, over 40 million plaster dots were used for the construction.
» The opera house is divided into two sectors, big and chamber halls. The chamber one is called Wagner’s Hall. There are pictures of different music performances on the walls.
» Lectures are also held here. In the theatre, opera, ballet and musical comedy are combined.

» Altes Rathaus is located in Markt 1.
» In 1557, the City Burgomaster and industrialist decided to build an administrative building at the site of the former one. The Saxon architect got down to work.
» The Old Town Hall changed many times. The main reconstruction took place at the beginning of the 20th century.
» The Old Town Hall is characterized by the asymmetrical location of the octagonal tower that is moved to the left. The entrance to the prolonged medieval building is not in the church but to the north.
» The through passage links two sectors. There are two fountains (1909) in the passage. They are decorated with sculptures of swimming people.
» Nowadays, the building is occupied by the History Museum.
» There is also a ballroom, a conference room, and a treasury in the Old Town Hall. Carved statues, stone shelves, paintings, and other items transferred here from destroyed churches decorate these rooms.
» One of the relics is the original composer’s portrait painted in the lifetime of Bach. Here, in 1723, he signed the employment contract confirming that he was employed as a choirmaster.
» The two-storey Town Hall consists of 28 rooms. The ground floor looks like an arched gallery.

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Facts: » Museums of ethnography, music instruments, and fine arts are situated in the Grassi Museum complex. That was the name of the benefactor and art connoisseur. Constructions for the museum were made on his donations.
» The architectural ensemble consists of several two- and three-storey buildings with a common courtyard. It was built in 1929.
» The collection of the Ethnography Museum is based on Gustav Klemm’s exhibits. Now, it consists over 200 000 household and folk craft items collected from all over the world.
» The Museum of Fine Arts houses 90 000 items of different epochs and nations. These are ceramic, textile, glass and metal items, pieces of furniture and numismatics. There is also a graphic collection, the collection of writings and pictures, and a library. The library houses prints of great historical value and old writings.
» Everything connected with music is kept in the Museum of Musical Instruments. There are over 10 thousands of them. The oldest instrument dates back to the 16th century. There is a special room where you can play some instruments.
» In 1981, the heating system failed, which had suspended the activity of the museum for four years.

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Facts: » The federal regulatory judicial authority of Germany meets in the Supreme Court Building.
» On the high dome, there is the female marble statue of the Truth that has an allegorical meaning.
» The open facade framed with columns is opposite the square. Along the walls, there are sculptures of political figures who contributed much to the field of law. On colorful windows, you can see painted heraldic symbols of all German cities. The windows are made of lead glass.
» The internal space of the hall is upheld by high marble columns. The interior of the rooms reminds of the main purpose of the building, law and order. All the paintings on the walls and sculptures depict a trial: the sentence and punishment or the pardon. The big courtroom and the room that is opposite the entrance are open for visitors.
» The building built in 1895 resembles a castle but not a strict judicial institution. It has been constructed for 8 years.
» Before the war (in 1933), the court case of Georgi Dimitrov, the Bulgarian communist was heard. The Nazis accused him of the arson of Reichstag. There is an exhibition in one of the rooms in memory of this event.