elections

Karl Leibknecht declared the 1st German Republic just as Kaiser Bill slunk away in 1919. Unfortunately Karl ended up in the Landeswehr Canal in Berlin and as we know the first attempt at democracy here ended in tears.
Karl lived in the house for a while, he was born nearby and in Leipzig a very popular street is named after him. His dad Wilhelm another pioneering socialist has a place in Leipzig named after him.

I just wish that I had been able to discern a valid manifesto from the current bunch of politicians (and I use the word in its derogatory sense) and had been been able to make a reasonable decision. In the end I did, Ididn't vote.

open air music

This little concert took place last weekend in the garden of the Mendelssohn House. Listening was free but the chairs and breakfast afterwards had to be paid for.
I really like the flats in the background!

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Friends that were with me when I took this photo couldn't see why, but every time I pass this house I think how pleasant it must be inside, especially upstairs where the wall is almost all windows.

bikes for tourists

We too have a scheme for those who want a short ride in the centre. It's not free but the bikes are good quality.
I have a feeling that the take-up is not so great, I rarely see a bike being used.

my little Versailles

In "my little Paris" there is a gem of a palace. It has a nice cafe and one can dine there on special occassions. They have regular concerts too, which is a nice way to see the inside.

spinning art

Spinnerei, the old cotton spinning mills. The old warehouses and factory units were adopted by the arts scene some years ago and they regularily hold an open day. Behind one of the units is a small but very interesting exhibition of the works and the supporting plantations in Africa in its heyday before WW1

our freindly green man

He is really popular and you can buy any amount of souvenirs of him. Unfortunately for pedestrians the green man does not provide exclusive use of the road you want to cross but only priority.
Germany is not as "classless" as we are lead to beleive, just the categories are different- in this case drivers first second and third and then pedestrians.