Leipzig: A lighthouse in Eastern Germany

Almost a thousand years old, sitting at the juncture of three rivers - the Pleiße, White Elster and Parthe - Leipzig is rich in history and natural beauty; not to mention jobs. Home to universities and research centers, plenty of culture and nightlife, the world's oldest trade fair and a growing local economy - Leipzig stands out in Eastern Germany.

Leipzig introduced

Leipzig is eastern Germany's most populated city with 510,000 inhabitants. Situated in the northwest of Saxony, just a short train or car ride from other interesting cities including Dresden and Berlin, Leipzig impresses with its beautifully renovated historical city center, complete with picturesque alleys and larger pedestrian areas lined with fashionable shops and cafés. The city also boasts a long tradition of business and learning: The Leipzig Trade Fair, which began in the Middle Ages, is the oldest trade fair in the world, and the University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Leipzig is also home to three Max-Planck Institutes (for Anthropology, Neuroscience and Mathematics) as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology and the Fraunhofer Center for Central and Eastern Europe.
After Germany's reunification, Leipzig became an automobile and industrial hub, with giants like BMW, Porsche and Siemens opening facilities there. Moreover, DHL, Deutsche Post's logistics daughter, has transferred the bulk of its European air operations to nearby Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Overview of the universities

University of Leipzig
Whether it's the Olympics, its questionable human rights record or its swift economic ascent - China is the country the world is talking about. What drives China's tremendous economic growth? What does China's society look like? At the University of Leipzig, students are encouraged to find answers to these questions with the help of top-notch Asia experts: In April 2008, the University of Leipzig opened the first Confucius Institute in Eastern Germany, a cooperation program with a Beijing university that enables German students to learn more about the Chinese language and culture.
Some 29,000 students currently attend the 14 departments at the 600 years old University of Leipzig; among its alumni are such famous names as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The school is well-known for its expertise in natural science: Nobel Prize winners in the fields of physics and chemistry have taught here, and the psychology department is one of the most renowned in Germany. The media departments have made quite a name for themselves, as well, with prominent public relations and journalism programs.

Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig (HGB)
With roots dating back to 1764, this Leipzig arts school is one of the most renowned in Germany. In the late 1990s, one of its alumni, Neo Rauch, became the poster boy of the New Leipzig School. The work of artists from the New Leipzig School varies in content, style and quality, but the painters share a technical skill, a devotion to figurative art and a predilection for dry-eyed, melancholy subject matter, the New York Times wrote about the phenomenon. Rauch's works are displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and were on show in solo exhibitions all over the world, including one at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art that made Rauch one of the world's most famous modern painters. Rauch has been teaching courses at the HGB since 2005 and international art dealers flock to Leipzig to find the next hot artist to emerge from the school.

University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy"
Founded in 1843, the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" was the first music school in Germany. Today, it has some 900 students, with foreign students from 45 countries - one of the highest rates of any institute of higher education in Saxony. Students can enroll in artistic and teacher training in all orchestral instruments. In addition, the school's drama department offers acting and dramaturgy courses. With roughly 470 shows a year, the university offers its students possibilities to test their musical and dramatic development in front of a real audience. The university's orchestra is famous for its guest conductors, which have included Kurt Masur, Herbert Blomstedt and Fabio Luisi.

Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTKW)
The roughly 6,000 students at the HTKW can take courses in subjects ranging from engineering to the cultural sciences. This range mirrors Leipzig's economic traditions and strengths in commerce, book publishing and printing and, more recently, in the media and services industries. The HTWK has built up an especially strong reputation in the areas of IT/communications, media technologies and construction, which covers quite a broad field, including civil engineering, architecture and industrial engineering.

What Leipzig is like

Sylwia Konopko from Bialystok, a city of roughly 300,000 in eastern Poland, knew Leipzig even before she came here to study public relations. As a high school student, she participated in an exchange program with a German Gymnasium (high school) in nearby Grimma and her experiences over that year prompted her to come back for her university studies - a move she doesn't regret.

What do you like about Leipzig?

Leipzig is the perfect university town. The campus is in the middle of Leipzig; you can master all distances with your bike. There are a lot of parks and two beautiful lakes just outside the city. Not to mention that at night, the narrow downtown alleys bustle with students flocking to the city's many bars and clubs. I like the mix of traditional and modern architecture and the city's proximity to Poland. I have a lot of German friends and am in contact with people from my home country and all of Eastern Europe.

What is your favorite spot?

Whenever I have the time and am not busy with writing my master's thesis, I enjoy the many green spots Leipzig has to offer, including my favorite, the 125-hectare Clara Zetkin Park.

Did you know?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe studied law in Leipzig between 1765 and 1768. A scene from his closet drama Faust made the Auerbach's Keller restaurant world-famous.
The peaceful revolution that brought down the Berlin Wall started in Leipzig in September 1989, when citizens of the former GDR marched for freedom and democracy. The so-called "Monday Demonstrations" were repeated all over the GDR and culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.

Things to check out

You shouldn't miss to check out Leipzig's two city halls: The Old City Hall, built in 1556, is one of the last Renaissance buildings constructed in Germany and now houses a museum displaying the city's history. The New City Hall, at least equally impressive, was completed in 1905 and still serves as the city's administrative center.
Also be sure to visit Leipzig Zoo, the second-oldest zoo in the world, and one of the most innovative: In 1999, officials launched an ambitious remodeling project that is intended to transform the Leipzig Zoo into several continental regions so animals can be seen in their natural habitat. Pongoland, for example, has 30,000 square meters of tropical habitat housing orangutans, gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees.
Another must on your schedule should be the main station. Europe's largest rail terminus is way more than a normal train stop. While waiting for your train to arrive you can shop in not less than 142 stores spread out on three levels. Especially during Christmas time the station is worth a visit, when it's decorated with thousands of festive lights.

What's happening?

Leipzig is famous for its bustling nightlife. The city has numerous and varied restaurants, bars and clubs, including the largest student bar in Germany - the Moritzbastei. Rebuilt from the ruins of last part of Leipzig's fortification by over 30,000 student volunteers in the late 1970s (one of those helping hands was German Chancellor Angela Merkel), the Moritzbastei today is the city's main venue for Indie pop/rock concerts and dance parties.

Useful links

The city's webpage in English: www.leipzig.de/int/en/

International Center of the University of Leipzig: http://www.uni-leipzig.de/aaa/eng/index.html

Student Accomodation: http://leipzig.studenten-wohnung.de/ (in German only)

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