Leipzig & Bad Duben

Warm overnight again and it is planning to be even warmer today! Leipzig today!

We travelled again through some magnificent farmland. The cereal crop harvest was well underway. When driving from Poland to the then West Berlin in 1979 westerners were only allowed on a tree-lined motorway from the Polish border to West Berlin - I did wonder what the land looked like behind the tree-line! Now we know - beautiful rolling hills and lush farm lands.

By the time we had arrived in Leipzig the temperature was in the 30s - in the van it was over thirty degrees. We weren't quite sure what to expect in Leipzig - we knew that it was an important industrial area but we hadn't expected the charming city we found. Like most major centres in Europe there was a tremendous amount of building activity taking place - looks  like   there is an underground transport system being installed.

The visit to the Nikolaikirche  (Church of St Nicholas) was a very moving experience, for it was here that proved to be the starting point for the peaceful revolution on 9th October 1989, when 600 members of the Socialist Unity Party of the East German Government plus Sasti (the feared secret police) and the militia were sent to break up the peace protest, actually  joined the protesters or left them in peace - and it was the final straw that saw the fall of the East German regime and the Iron Curtain coming down. The whole story is worth reading elsewhere.

Nikolaikirche - outside where 10000 held a candle vigil on the 9th October 1989.

Nikolaikirche - where the peace protests stemmed from and the fall of the GDR.

We came across the Renaissance styled Rathaus - one of Germany's largest. Built many moons ago - 1556 - it has had many functions over the years but now it serves as the city museum.

16th Century Rathaus

The new university in the centre of the city must be one of the most impressive universities built - just completed, it is most impressive.

Part of the new university buildings.

The Thomas Church where Bach worked .. and it was getting hotter. Enough ... and we returned to the van to head for shade and an  afternoon of rest at Bad Duben.

Me cooling off in Leipzig!