Leipzig grew rich on trade fairs, books and music, and in 1989 its citizens helped bring down the East German regime without firing a shot. The city where Bach wrote his cantatas and Goethe studied law is also one of Germany's fastest-changing, with old arcades and courtyards next to bold buildings from the 1920s and the GDR era. Here are the facts and stories that make Leipzig special.
10 fun facts about Leipzig
- A fair city for over 850 years: the town charter of around 1165 already mentions Leipzig's markets. In 1497 King Maximilian I confirmed its fair privileges, and in 1895 Leipzig held the world's first sample fair, where traders ordered goods from samples instead of buying stock on the spot.
- The world's first daily newspaper: on 1 July 1650 the printer Timotheus Ritzsch launched the Einkommende Zeitungen in Leipzig, regarded as the first daily newspaper in the world.
- An old university with a famous student: Leipzig University was founded in 1409, making it one of the oldest in Germany. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe came here to study law in 1765.
- A cellar in world literature: Goethe set a scene of Faust in Auerbachs Keller, a restaurant under the Mädlerpassage arcade. Bronze statues of Faust, Mephisto and the students they bewitch stand at its entrance.
- Bach's city: Johann Sebastian Bach was cantor of St Thomas Church from 1723 until his death in 1750 and wrote much of his church music here. Since 1950 his grave has been inside the church.
- One of the oldest civic orchestras: the Gewandhaus Orchestra traces its history to 1743, when merchants founded a concert society. Felix Mendelssohn became its conductor in 1835.
- Bellmen on the roof: the Krochhochhaus on Augustusplatz, opened in 1928, was Leipzig's first high-rise. On top, two bronze bellmen 3.3 metres tall strike the bells, modelled on St Mark's Clocktower in Venice, above the motto Omnia vincit labor, work conquers all.
- Palm trees in a church: in the late 18th century St Nicholas Church was given a classical interior whose pale columns open out into palm fronds at the top.
- A monument to a giant battle: the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, 91 metres high, was completed in 1913, a century after Napoleon was defeated outside Leipzig in October 1813 in one of the largest battles in history before the 20th century.
- A station built for a fair city: Leipzig Hauptbahnhof opened in 1915 and is one of the largest railway stations in Europe by floor area.
9 October 1989: the night Leipzig chose freedom
From 1982 people met for peace prayers every Monday in St Nicholas Church, and in autumn 1989 the crowds leaving the church began marching around the inner-city ring road. On 9 October, two days after the GDR celebrated its 40th anniversary, the state had police, troops and hospitals on standby, and many feared a bloodbath. About 70,000 people walked the ring anyway, carrying candles and chanting 'We are the people'. Nobody gave the order to shoot. A month later the Berlin Wall fell, and the Monday Demonstrations are remembered as a turning point of the Peaceful Revolution.
Augustusplatz, explained
Augustusplatz is one of the largest city squares in Germany and a summary of Leipzig's last century. The Opera opened on one side in 1960 and the new Gewandhaus concert hall faces it from the other, opened in 1981. In 1968 the GDR authorities blew up the medieval University Church here; today the Paulinum, with its gabled glass front, recalls the lost church. Above it all rises the City-Hochhaus, 142.5 metres tall and completed in 1972, which locals nickname the wisdom tooth.
What to eat in Leipzig
- Leipziger Lerche: a shortcrust pastry filled with almonds and a cherry. It replaced a real lark pie after King Albert of Saxony banned lark hunting in 1876, and the cherry stands for the bird's heart.
- Leipziger Allerlei: a dish of mixed spring vegetables such as peas, carrots and asparagus, traditionally with crayfish and morels.
- Gose: a sour, slightly salty wheat beer brewed with coriander. It originally came from Goslar but became Leipzig's own beer.
- Leipziger Räbchen: prunes stuffed with marzipan, dipped in batter, fried and dusted with sugar.
Good to know before you go
- The St Thomas Boys Choir, founded in 1212, regularly sings motets in St Thomas Church when it is not on tour. Check the schedule before you go.
- For the best view of the city, take the lift to the viewing platform at the top of the City-Hochhaus.
- Peace prayers are still held on Mondays in St Nicholas Church, where the Peaceful Revolution began.
- South of the city, flooded former open-cast mines have become a chain of lakes, the Leipziger Neuseenland, good for swimming, cycling and sailing.
Explore Leipzig with World City Trail
Our Leipzig scavenger hunt turns these sights into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 30 minutes of walking, and leads you past Augustusplatz, the Krochhochhaus and St Nicholas Church.
At each stop you solve a puzzle and hear a short story, at your own pace. You can start whenever you like and play in English, German, French, Dutch or Polish.
Play the Leipzig scavenger hunt →
Facts checked in October 2026.