Leipzig daily photo

a snow-drop !

2010-02-21T10:26:00.000+01:00

at last!
I see that I've not posted for 2 months, been wastíng my time on´year end stuff like tax etc.

anti-graffiti

2009-12-28T15:42:00.000+01:00

visiting the Christmas Market

2009-12-23T11:52:00.000+01:00

At the end of term a trip to the Christmas Market seems obligatory. The kids travel by tram and never seem to forget to get off at the right stop.

Here comes the sun

2009-12-22T12:27:00.000+01:00

Actually an old picture ... I was hoping that today the sun would appear... the longest night is over ... lets party!

still dreaming of a white .......

2009-12-20T11:38:00.000+01:00

Winters here

2009-12-19T15:17:00.000+01:00

we like the fox!

2009-12-18T14:18:00.000+01:00

Oh Tannenbaum, oh Tannenbaum

2009-12-17T14:53:00.002+01:00

"Oh Christmas tree,oh.." or " Mon beau Sapin, mon beau..." Its sung in many languages but the words were written here in Leipzig by Ernst Anschütz in 1824. Actually he re-wrote an older song that has its roots in pre-Christian mythology.
The tune is much older, and has accompagnied many different lyrics including of course the English socialists song "Keep the red flag flying"

The version I prefer is

"The working class can kiss my arse,
I've got the foremans job at last"

because it epitomises human selfishness.

In Germany the political connection is unknown.

Cristmas Market

2009-12-16T09:50:00.000+01:00

This is a big German tradition. In almost every town and village a few or a great many stalls are set up selling Christmassy things but also arts and crafts stuff, usually better quality. But the main attraction are the many stalls serving hotdogs, roasted nuts and best of all mulled wine.
Office parties love to visit and of course children. The markets are usually closed by 9pm so it doesnt get out of control.

St Thomas'

2009-12-08T08:33:00.000+01:00

At this time of year, its very popular because the famous boys choir goes into overtime singing Bach Motets

at 10 degrees?

2009-12-05T13:28:00.000+01:00

outside a disco...... frothy suds!

cinema!

2009-12-04T11:05:00.000+01:00

This is a small cinema and restaurant that is being lovingly restored over the years. It was a theatre in the twenties and has lots of fine architechural details. A treasure ( shame the film was rubbish)
http://www.schaubuehne.com

winter festival lights

2009-12-03T14:23:00.001+01:00

This year the Christmas decorations at the main station are not dominated by Santa and a Christmas tree.
These light cascades are possibly 5 or 6 metres high and hang over an opening in the train platform level. Below are two more floors full of shops.

and the wheel turns..

2009-12-02T07:57:00.001+01:00

600 years ago students in Prague were so pissed off that some came to Leipzig and founded another uni here.
In the backgroung behind the big fairground wheel is the new building.
Due to many squabbles among the organisers (not least who should be responsiblé for finalising the plans, and also how to use the space) it isnt finished.

Medieval house

2009-12-01T12:54:00.000+01:00

two photos today to nshow the well restored entrance to a very old building

2009-12-01T12:52:00.000+01:00

seen in the post office

2009-11-30T12:47:00.000+01:00

This design is about 4 metres in size and probably was installed when the building was constructed in the late 60's

First Advent

2009-11-29T08:43:00.000+01:00

this is said to be the world's largest advent calender. The long awaited construction of a building on the second corner of the Picture Gallery has made it difficult to veiw properly, perhaps they 'll find a new wall next year.

a door

2009-11-25T15:06:00.000+01:00

I like autumn

2009-11-24T07:43:00.000+01:00

when it isn't raining!

morning sky

2009-11-23T07:36:00.000+01:00

looking northwest

a few days late

2009-11-22T12:16:00.000+01:00

every year on the 11th Nov flowers appear on this small memorial. a Synagogue is nearby. Just behind is the River Parthe which flows through the railway sidings. The little river , actually only a stream has wide stone banks to allow flood water to pass. Here the Jewish Community was assembled and then led along the river bank to the waiting railway trucks.

no sun all day til.....

2009-11-19T07:31:00.000+01:00

...this ! Quarter of an hour later it was dark.

Leipzig trade fairs

2009-11-17T08:11:00.001+01:00

"built in the time of King Albert -1895-1896 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Emperor Max's authorisation of the Leipzig Messe (Trade Fairs)" I found this behind the Stadtische Kaufhaus or municipal trade centre. The building is fine and renovated but just doesnt seem to attract well-paying tenants.

hibernation time for statues

2009-11-16T11:25:00.000+01:00

This is a very old graveyard and many of the memorials are delicate and need to be protected from the winter. There must be at least a dozen here.

not the fox!

2009-11-14T15:01:00.000+01:00

If only I had taken my camera! Yesterday evening we saw a beautiful fox in the building site that is right in the centre of the city, not far from a small park but across busy roads with lots of people about, but...
so instead I can only show you these supersize chairs outside the canteen for hospital workers

An egg for democracy?

2009-11-13T08:07:00.000+01:00

This sculture appeared on ous main square recently. It has a gong tone inside but there seems to be no other info about it.

"Leipziger" Stadtmusikanten?

2009-11-12T08:10:00.001+01:00

Outside a hospital for kids. The fairytale takes place in Bremen.

they moved it back again.

2009-11-11T06:56:00.000+01:00

in february (25th) I told you that this arch had been moved so that the tunnel could be dug under it. Well now the tunnel is there and the arch is back in place.
The building behind is the old "Bavarian Station" It has been nicely converted into a pleasant restaurant with lots of different areas that allow for larger groups.

Happy 250th Birthday Frederik...

2009-11-10T08:23:00.001+01:00

Schiller.
He lived in the little house on the right. He wrote "don Carlos" here and also started "Ode to Joy" which is now our European Anthem.
The herbal garden is nicely laid out as a period piece.
I previously showed the front of the house in March 2009.

just a piece of paper..9th November 1989

2009-11-09T08:25:00.000+01:00

This is the press release that declared to the world that permission to leave East Germany was no longer needed.
The declaration did not run quite as anticipated because when asked to say when the new rule would take effect Schabowski , he re-read the release. In German the present tense is often used for a future event, but with a future date, like "tomorrow ". That was missing so the meaning was clear - "at once, without delay".
On youtube you can watch this event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQiriTompdY

20 years isn't long....

2009-11-08T10:40:00.000+01:00

.........enough to get round to removing the old loudspeakers in the middle of this square. But it's somehow rather interesting.

a bike ride along the river

2009-11-05T13:49:00.000+01:00

The weather has been dreadful lately, so here's a little sunshine. This the River Luppe, which is very important in local flood control.

Mendelssohn

2009-11-04T08:17:00.000+01:00

He died in his house in Leipzig, which is today a museum and concert venue, on 4th November 1847.

PIMU

2009-11-03T07:40:00.000+01:00

This is a new cafe nearby.
PIMU is an abbreviation for the German which means Pink Pussy - it has the same double entendre in both languages.

Thanks to the German tax code!

2009-10-27T08:02:00.000+01:00

I've shown similar house fronts before, but I find it marvellous to look up and see such craftsmanship. And to think that it's a recently restored work subsidised by tax concessions.

a small fountain

2009-10-26T08:16:00.000+01:00

quite inconspicously hiding near the main entrance to the old town hall.

Designers Open 2009

2009-10-25T14:02:00.000+01:00

Ysterday the fashion show and for the rest of the weekend the store (its been empty for a while) is home to various young and older designers. You can buy really interestingly designed stuff and clothes which are more or less unique in that they are not mass-produced.

Walk on Air

2009-10-22T23:54:00.000+02:00

Designers Open in Leipzig for the 5th time. Not just fashion but also many other interesting things too.

...but not NY

2009-10-22T13:08:00.000+02:00

..or little venice

2009-10-21T00:40:00.001+02:00

my little paris?

2009-10-20T15:33:00.002+02:00

I've shown a similar tourist bus before. They are old Parisian busses with an open platform at the back which was the prefered place for Commisionaire Maigret - he could smoke his pipe outside.
I was pleased to see the writting on the side refers to " little paris", which is what Goethe called Leipzig.

some trees

2009-10-19T15:51:00.000+02:00

Battle of Leipzig

2009-10-17T17:28:00.000+02:00

196 years ago was the battle that Napoleon and his allies lost. Afterwards he was sent to Elba.
The battle is commemorated by 50 small monuments like this one. They each mark a particular point of the battle between 200,000 Napoleonic and 400,000 opposing troops which raged for days around and in the city. The stones are named after the man who paid for them.
I find that in their simplicity and the fact that they are dotted all around they are a more suitable memorial than the colossus that was set up in 1913. That is a glorification of war and ironically seems to be much loved by the people of Leipzig.
Ironic because the Kingdom of saxony was on the losing side!

stormy weather

2009-10-16T16:27:00.000+02:00

...and it rained shortly after.

Industrial sunset

2009-10-15T15:08:00.000+02:00

This was difficult to capture without a tripod. The sunlight is coming through the new University Aula which is still under construction.

?

2009-10-13T14:07:00.000+02:00

I'm glad someone made the effort to make me smile.

Not New England but...

2009-10-12T09:51:00.000+02:00

.......a bit of colour on a very dull day.

.......remembered

2009-10-10T10:28:00.000+02:00

Last night over 100,000 people shuffled through along the historic route. My main impression was that we were all very content and quiet.

The peaceful revolution

2009-10-09T00:01:00.001+02:00

Today we remember that 70,000 people can be too many for a political system that they don't want.
During the autumn of 1989 cautious demonstrations developed out of the church based prayer groups that had met for some years and each Monday more people were brave enough to go onto the streets of Leipzig and other towns and cities in East Germany. On Sept 11th the police counted 1000 and arrested 89, by Sept 25th there were 5,000 and on October 2nd, 20,000. They were well aware of events in Peking that year. On Oct. 7th, 210 out of a crowd of 4,000 had been arrested, hospitals had been advised to make space available.
And on October 9th 1989 the well-armed police retreated before the crowd. Perhaps no-one wanted to take responsibilty for a bloodbath, history suggests that the authorities in Berlin were also unprepared for the size of the crowd.
The demonstrations continued, Oct 16th, 120,000; a week later, 200,000 were demanding reforms to the system. Unification with West Germany was not a demand.
The largest demo was on Nov.6th, 300- 400,000 people.

Old Exchange

2009-10-08T09:21:00.000+02:00

This little gem is behind the old town hall in the Naschmarkt or market for food. It was built as an assembley place for the local businessmen in 1678

at the bus stop

2009-10-06T07:47:00.000+02:00

died waiting?

No to be fair our trams and busses keep good time.

end of summer

2009-10-02T12:59:00.000+02:00

The days are noticeably shorter and cooler and now the colours are changing. A quiet "Allee" past allotments near the centre.

Bach?

2009-10-01T08:24:00.000+02:00

We always seem to see Bach portrayed as an old git, its rather nice to see that in Arnstadt (about 150 km away in Thuringen) where he worked as a young man he is remembered like this.
In the Catholic churchyard there are a number of Bach family graves

cafe with the best view in Germany

2009-09-30T08:56:00.000+02:00

Our trains are actually really good, punctual and well used, despite many complaints.
And this is the best seat in the train, excellent view, sensible choice of food and drink and usually plenty of seats.

news from all over the world

2009-09-29T11:53:00.000+02:00

At the station the international press is just that. On the other side of the stand the papers are mostly Russian and other east European.

city farm

2009-09-28T11:52:00.000+02:00

On a plot that has been vacant for many years we have a small farm. Geese, hens and some other poultry and lots of rabbits who were hiding in their warren when I took the photo.

from the top of the tower

2009-09-25T13:42:00.000+02:00

No, I did'nt take this photo. It's part of a display in the foyer of the Wintergartenhaus about the building and later renovation of the tower with the MM on top.

Gondwanaland

2009-09-24T17:06:00.000+02:00

I have been watching the stell skeleton of this roof being built over the months and now all the major parts are there.
The name refers to the original continent that later split into Asia, Africa and South America.
The building will be home to a huge (2.7 hectare) display of tropical animals and plants in as natural environment as is possible in Northern Europe.
An animation can be seen here, in German but the film is not bad. http://www.zoo-leipzig.de/film/film.php?type=imagefilm_hq&size=720&fullscreen=yes

reflections

2009-09-23T14:09:00.000+02:00

...same lake...

2009-09-22T13:27:00.000+02:00

different view. This time it's the concert hall.

and the lake.

2009-09-21T08:07:00.000+02:00

Pedallos in the shape of swans.

Auensee Pioneerbahn

2009-09-20T13:48:00.000+02:00

At the edge of town there is a small lake around which this "Pioneer Railway" runs. Woo-woo!

Water,water everywhere but not a drop to drink...

2009-09-18T09:50:00.000+02:00

Our manhole covers have some style.
Stupidly because using water here is very expensive, we use only 30 cubic meters each per annum which is a fraction of the consumption in many other countries.
Good!
No bad! If we don't flush away enough water down the sewers it gets smelly and the water authority needs to spend more to clean up, pouring drinking water down the drains - so costs rise.
Solution, raise the price for water.

fitting in

2009-09-17T08:01:00.000+02:00

When the new block was unveiled I thought it was too high, but gradually the shopping mall with some offices and flats at the top is growing on me. The house with the goldern cupola was once a store now its a bank. The building at the front right is the OLd Town Hall.

600 years old

2009-09-16T08:04:00.000+02:00

Not only our university is 600 years old. Just up the road this dispensing chemist or to use an older name apothecary has a nice display in its window showing the various houses/ shops it has occupied on the same site in all that time.

no highrise?

2009-09-15T07:49:00.000+02:00

I just love these old roofs in the Old Market. There must have been a byelaw limiting the height of buildings plus roof.
I like to imagine what the rooms behind the windows are like and who used them.

a bit of colour

2009-09-14T07:58:00.000+02:00

The Mädler Passage (its an Arcade really!) has invited local school children to submit pictures which are now hanging. The arcade is really a posh bit of town but the upper reaches are dull (and under the dead hand of conservation) so it is good to see it all a bit brighter.

highrise?

2009-09-13T14:58:00.000+02:00

Although when you're in the centre it's easy to feel dominated by the buildings there are in fact very few higher than 6 or 7 storeys. From the big green park of Rosenthal you can see just how lucky we are!
The Wintergartenhochhaus, built in 1970-72, with the MM sign on it is 30 storeys tall, the whitish building is the major hotel (27 floors) and was built by the Japanese in the late 70's and the greenish one just in front is used by the Sachsen Bank. Other tall buildings we have are the "weisheitzahn I showed on Feb 16th and a few church steeples - Oh and the hideous Volkerschlachtdenkmal seen on Feb 4.

who were they?

2009-09-12T13:20:00.000+02:00

This small family group is on the corner of a non-descript building. It must have been expensive to commission and in the last hundred years or so the weather, time and probably dreadful air pollution the like of which we can no longer imagine have taken theit toll.

another view

2009-09-11T08:18:00.000+02:00

I like the mixof buildings, the dome belongs to the Leipzig Federal Court and the the glass facade to a firm of accountants.

old and new

2009-09-10T08:01:00.000+02:00

The old DDR sign means "smart as a new pin" because of.... The new sign is for a dry cleaners.

Augustusplatz

2009-09-09T09:08:00.000+02:00

Unusually the square was freeof traffic.

Gewandhaus concert hall

2009-09-08T08:20:00.000+02:00

Every time I visit I am impressed by the inspired architecture. This time we sat in the Organstalls and so got a different ( and better) view.

signs of the times

2009-09-07T07:49:00.002+02:00

I took this because the red and white stripy awnings reminded me of the Mediterranean, but looking more closely the old DDR sign on the roof "Tradition and Progress" appeals to me too. And then - what do all the street signs mean?

yet another fountain!

2009-09-06T08:02:00.000+02:00

Is it me? Do I just like fountains or are there really so many around? In any case they will soon be switched off for winter- so I'll enjoy them for now.

Perfumed garden

2009-09-03T08:03:00.000+02:00

This newish garden is designed for people with disabilities to enjoy. The labels are also in Braille and the plants are chosen for their scent.
Also a nice sunny day -its coming down "cats and dogs" here.

industrial ruin?

2009-09-02T07:51:00.000+02:00

This is all that's left of the roof of a gasometer. It's future is undecided but the delicate wrought ironwork is under a conservation order (which doesn't mean that it will be preserved only that it cannot be altered by man, nature can do what it wants!)

a fountain too many?

2009-08-31T07:53:00.000+02:00

I showed you this department store before. Curiously on Friday Feb 13th and now the worry is that the store belongs to a company that bankrupted itself by over adenturous financing and that it may close. Still the fountain which shoots up five storeys on the hour as a part of a music and water display is impressive.

Park gate

2009-08-28T08:16:00.000+02:00

33rd Jazz Festival

2009-08-27T08:41:00.000+02:00

I know the picture is crap but I was there to hear the music! The venue is also interesting. It's the Moritzbastei- part of the original fortifications of the city. Later it was used as a store and workshops and then after the second ww filled with rubble and forgotten till 1974 when students revived it. In Wiki it say that 30000 students (including Frau Merkel) removed 40000 cubic meters of rubble!

Since then it has been a favourite student's meeting point, good atmoshere and cheap.

next to St Nicolas' Church

2009-08-26T07:39:00.000+02:00

is this fountain. Actually the water doesn't jet out, it just overflows tis super large stone basin. Kids love it. The blooms were just there waiting for me.

almost 20 years ago

2009-08-25T07:35:00.000+02:00

This extra large mural has recently been finished as an unofficial commemoration of the events of 1989.

storm brewing

2009-08-24T08:11:00.000+02:00

The building is actually our power station. The tops of the cooling towers are just visible at the top. On very cold winter days you can see white clouds coming out.

Schrebergärten

2009-08-23T10:54:00.000+02:00

Early morning and still cool, a walk between the private gardens in the middle of the city.

Leipziger Alps

2009-08-22T11:08:00.000+02:00

We've heard that this building site will soon be developed. The "mountains" are the soil removed during the pre_construction archeological dig.

dancers

2009-08-21T08:42:00.000+02:00

imagine riding this bike!

2009-08-20T08:56:00.000+02:00

Actually it's outside a specialist bike shop in the old spinning works that now accomodate a series of small workshops and art galleries

old and new

2009-08-19T08:09:00.000+02:00

This lovely oriel window on two floors was probably all that could be saved, but set against an unpretentious modern background it's wonderfully accentuaterd. With good sense old and new do work.

nature strikes back

2009-08-16T07:55:00.000+02:00

a few days ago I showed this stream in its new bed, now I notice that weed is building up in a way that never happened before - as usual despite our interferance nature retaliates. Good! After mankind has finished itself in a few thousand years (or less) the cockroaches won't miss us.

an olders child's fantasy

2009-08-14T07:52:00.000+02:00

no seaside here

2009-08-13T07:48:00.000+02:00

but kids still play castles.

not the beach

2009-08-12T07:46:00.000+02:00

but all kids love it.

good idea!

2009-08-11T07:39:00.000+02:00

This old sign is outside a disused printing works. But the motto is still a good one.

Read more,
know more,
be able to do more!

a bit of design

2009-08-09T15:13:00.000+02:00

This small gathering of stalls occurred in the yard of an "ex" printing works (The Grafikhof) that is now rented to a number of small design and other businesses including a very neat herbs shop. The stalls had lots of nice artistic (and unique) jewellery, hats, accessories for sale.

2009-08-09T10:51:00.000+02:00

If the postman can't deliver he can arrange for your packet to be left in this very high technology box. You scan in the barcode on the non-delivery advice, sign your name with your finger and a small locker opens.
I read that in England there is a proposal to leave undeliverable packets at the local pub.
I think low-tech is friendlier.

another special cafe

2009-08-08T10:47:00.000+02:00

This place is really special, just the smell of the coffee!
Unfortunately the spiral stairs lead to a gallery that isn't open. There are only a couple of seats downstairs.

new roof at the zoo

2009-08-07T10:44:00.000+02:00

Our zoo is getting a new facility, and its roof is slowly taking shape. Its going to be very large.

and here they are!

2009-08-06T10:21:00.002+02:00

Self-Service!

2009-08-05T10:17:00.000+02:00

Like many cafes here you can sit it (or outside) and enjoy a cake and coffee. Oppsite the were some guys playing classical music -more tomorrow