Leipzig: The City of Bach, Luther, and Faust

Leipzig, located in the middle of Germany, is the city of books and music. Johann Sebastian Bach composed his cantatas in the St. Thomas Church; Martin Luther disputed the future of Christianity at Germany’s second oldest university, and Faust, a character created by Leipzig resident Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, got into a brawl at Auerbach’s Keller. In Leipzig, Richard Wagner was born, Clara met Franz Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy rediscovered Bach, Erich Kästner wrote his children’s books at the coffee house, and Kurt Masur directed the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Leipzig is the site of one of the world’s oldest and largest trade fairs, and also the Leipzig book fair. It is located at the crossroads of the Via Regia and the Via Imperia, the historic routes from Paris and Moscow, and from Rome to the Baltic Sea. In 1989, Leipzig became the city of heroes, whose rallies at the St. Nicholas Church led to the downfall of Communism. Since then, Leipzig has been splendidly rebuilt, including new fair grounds and new museums.

Leipzig turns one thousand years on December 2015. To that occasion, Berlinica Publishing has a new book out: Leipzig: One Thousand Years of German History. Bach, Luther, Faust: The City of Books and Music. It is written by Leipzig novelist and tour guide Sebastian Ringel. This book brings to life the stories of ordinary and famous Leipzigers.

You can get the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at independent book stores in every town. The book has 230 full color pages, 6.69’’ x 6.61’’, with 170 pictures; it retails for $24.95.

You can also get it at Barnes&Noble and at any independent bookstore: