GERMANY: LEIPZIG
The name Leipzig
originates from the word for lime tree "Lipa". This tree is a main
feature of the city even today. With its cultural treasurers and great
history, Leipzig, in former Eastern Germany, is one of the most
fascinating cities in Germany.It is situated in the western part of the
Land (state) Saxony Land, just above the junction of the Pleisse,
Parthe, and Weisse Elster rivers, 113 miles (182 km) southwest of
Berlin. Leipzig is situated in the fertile, low-lying Leipzig Basin,
which has extensive deposits of lignite (brown coal). Although encircled
by a belt of parks and gardens, the city is a major industrial centre
and transport junction, and it lies at the core of the Halle-Leipzig
metropolitan agglomeration. The countryside around the city consists of
a plain that is intensively farmed.
The great former
wealth of the city can still be seen today in the many magnificent
buildings. Leipzig is also famous for its exhibitions, bringing
international business to the city. Nowadays, it is fun to stroll
through the city and enjoy the many bistros and bars or simply admire
this centre of cultural life. The grand old city is now a busy venue
for trade fairs and conferences and a major centre of trade, culture,
nightlife and shopping. The lovely old Renaissance and Baroque
buildings, historical trading centres and malls are now fully restored
and modernised, providing a stylish paradise for shoppers and
sightseers. High-class entertainment is assured – attractions for
arts-lovers include the Gewandhaus concert hall, the Opera House, the
St. Thomas Choir, cabarets, theatres and jazz cellars.
Leipzig has been
hosting trade fairs since the Middle Ages. The most spectacular aspect
to the Leipzig Trade Fair is undoubtedly its laminated glass hall,
designed by Ian Ritchie Architects of London. The glass hall represents
a late 20th century equivalent of London's Crystal Palace – a totally
glazed enclosure using laminated glass in all 28,000m2 of its overhead
glazing. It is the principal building through which all visitors to the
Trade Fair enter and provides a surface area of 242m x 79m for
reception, information and meetings. It is linked directly to the Trade
Fair's exhibition halls through a series of tubular, laminated glass
bridges. The new Leipzig Trade Fair building, designed by architects von
Gerkan, Marg and Partner (GMP) of Hamburg and completed in 1996 at a
cost of DM 1.3 billion, provides the most striking new symbol yet of the
city's post-Communist renewal as a business center.
