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:

Burning Beethoven in The New York Times

Whatever happened to German America? German Americans are the largest ethnic group in the United States, and at the turn of the last century, Germans were the predominant ethnic group in the United States — some eight million people, out of a population of 76 million. German was spoken in many homes, in churches, in newspapers. So, what happened? Erik Kirschbaum is asking—and answering—this question in today's New York Times. Here is the story:

When the United States did enter the war, German-Americans came under intense, and often violent, scrutiny, especially after the revelation of an ill-conceived German plan for Mexico to invade the United States. There had long been doubts about the loyalty of German-Americans, especially in the myriad pockets of the Midwest where they were particularly dominant. Many had hoped to stave off assimilation by clinging to their language and dual loyalties — but that commitment to their culture suddenly became a vulnerability.

If you want to read the whole story, here is the link. And here is the book: Burning Beethoven. The Eradication of German Culture in the United States, published by Berlinica in 2015. 

Erik Kirschbaum is a Reuters correspondent living in Berlin. The preface has been written by Herb Stupp,  Trustee of the German-American Hall of Fame, an Executive Committee member of the German-American Steuben Parade, and a member of the American Council on Germany. Burning Beethoven, a 176-page softcover book, is now for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at independent bookstores; also the ebook. The price is $13.95 (or less, depending on the retailer).

Your publisher, Eva C. Schweitzer