Other highlights
Museums
In the Museum of Fine Arts, visitors with a taste for culture can get to grips with 500 years of European art history. An initiative of the people of Leipzig, the collection has been open in its new home in the city centre since the end of 2004. Art lovers can explore its four spacious, naturally lit gallery floors, which cover a wide variety of artists, periods and themes. Guided tours on request. The museum is closed on Mondays.
» Further information
Steeped in tradition, the Grassi museum complex is one of the most popular cultural attractions in Leipzig. As part of the university, it serves as both an academic institute and a public exhibition, with fascinating objects ranging from musical instruments to historical recording equipment. Held every autumn, the Grassi Arts and Crafts Fair is a highlight of the city's cultural calendar. Public guided tours are held on Sundays, tours for experts or in other languages on request. Closed on Mondays, 24-26 and 31 December, 1 January and Whit Monday.
» Further information
This historic house in Leipzig's Goldschmidtstrasse is the only surviving residence of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1848) – composer, virtuoso, cultural icon and kapellmeister of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. It now serves as the world's first and only museum dedicated solely to his life and work. On show in the rooms are furniture and objects used by Mendelssohn, as well as original documents relating to his private life and his music. During the first half of the 19th century, he was a significant influence on the development of European music. His best-known piece is the Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Open daily.
» www.mendelssohn-stiftung.de
Objects relating to the municipal history have been collected, documented, annotated and displayed in exhibitions at the Museum of City History in Leipzig since 1909. With collections on ten different themes and more than 500,000 exhibits, it is one of the largest cultural history museums in Germany. The centrepiece of the museum is the old town hall built in 1556 by Hieronymus Lotter - one of the most beautiful examples of German Renaissance architecture. Guided tours on request.
» www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de
The German Book and Script Museum in Leipzig, founded in 1884, is one of the oldest specialist museums in the world. It became a department of the East German Library in 1950. Since its merger with the German Library in 1990 the museum has become part of the German National Library. As well as priceless and sometimes unique specimens of books, writing and paper, this specialist library also houses more than 63,000 books about the museum itself. Its 500,000 exhibits include manuscripts, books from the 15th to the 19th centuries, book covers, 20th century book design and book art, book illustrations, typeface design and commercial art, typeface and paper samples, pattern books, watermarks, decorative paper, materials, tools and machinery for the production of books and paper, as well as archive material and documents about the history of book dealing. Closed on Sundays.
» www.leipzig-online.de
The building of the former main pharmacy houses the first Saxon Pharmacy Museum, which documents the development of apothecaries and pharmacies in Saxony with the focus on the last 150 years. Visitors can learn interesting facts about people such as Heinrich Link, look at pharmacy implements such as pill gilders and ergot mills, learn about drugs and herbal books and even compress their own tablets. The museum's exhibits tell the history of Saxon pharmacies: privileges, pharmacy taxes, plastics, faiences and dispensing. Take a look at the fascinating homeopathy exhibits too. Closed on Mondays.
» www.leipzig.de
The most famous landmark in Leipzig and the largest national monument in Germany is the Battle of Leipzig memorial. The massive temple commemorating death and freedom rises 91 metres into the sky, not far from Napoleon's former command post. Designed in 1858-1913 by the architect Bruno Schmitz, it is a reminder of the pivotal victory of the Allied European armies over Napoleon in 1813. The impressive collection of memorials over an area of four hectares and the integrated Forum 1813 museum offer spectacular insights into the events of the Battle of Leipzig and its consequences. The figure on the base is the archangel Michael, a patron for many German battles. The vast cupola roof of the hall of fame contains 324 near life-sized horsemen. Guided tours available.
» www.voelkerschlachtdenkmal.de
The Bach Archive in Bose's House near St Thomas's Church, Leipzig was established in 1950 to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's death. It has an outstanding reputation around the world as a centre for Bach research. The Bach Museum and one of the most comprehensive academic libraries on the subject of Bach form part of the Bach Archive. The museum's permanent exhibition is devoted the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, where he dominated the musical life of the town as cantor and director of music at St. Thomas' Church for 27 years. This is where he composed the St John and St Matthew Passions, five cantata series, the Christmas Oratorio and perfected the art of the fugue. Closed 24, 25 and 31 December. Multilingual guided tours and audio guides are available.
» www.bach-leipzig.de
Leipzig University's antiquities collection began more than 150 years ago and is now one of the foremost university collections of original antiquities. It has than 11,000 original works of art ranging from the Bronze Age to late antiquity, including the so-called minor arts - pottery, terracotta and bronze statuettes, clay lamps, glasses and other objects – as well as marble sculptures and a comprehensive collection of plaster casts of masterpieces of graeco-roman sculpture. Everyday life, mythology, religion and the cult of death on the Mediterranean coast are brought to life through its 2,000-year-old exhibits. Closed on Mondays and Fridays. Guided tours on request.
» www.uni-leipzig.de
Visitors to the School Museum in Leipzig can not only see but also experience "schooling in the past" in a variety of historical settings. There are numerous exhibits and workshops on the theme of school and several classrooms laid out as in days gone by. Children are fascinated to discover that pupils used to write on a slate rather than in exercise books. School groups can attend historical lessons here based on authentic source materials from the "Volksschule" of 1900 or the "Polytechnische Oberschule" of 1970. The museum's specialisms include the school system in western Saxony and the documentation of school history in western Saxony from 1212 to the present day. The library contains 30,000 volumes and brochures about 100 years of school history. Open Monday to Friday.
» www.schulmuseum-leipzig.de
Opened in Leipzig in 1996, the German Allotment Gardeners Museum is one of a kind. Its permanent exhibition documents the 200-year history of allotment gardening in Germany, from its beginnings in the 19th century to the present day. Different lines of origin are examined, including paupers' gardens, the naturopathic movement and the “Schreber” movement, named after Dr. Schreber of Leipzig. One-off and very rare exhibits illustrate the eventful history of the allotment movement, give an impression of the activities in its associations and organisations and of the joys and sorrows of the allotment gardener's everyday life. There is also an allotment hut with 19th century furniture and fittings, historical garden tools, association flags, trophies and much more. A museum garden planted in the style of an allotment around 1900 completes the exhibition. Open Tuesdays to Thursdays, guided tours on request.
» www.kleingarten-museum.de
Opened in 1995, the Museum of the Printing Arts bears testament to Leipzig's rich tradition of books and publishing, boasting one of the most extensive typographic collections in Europe. The museum is unique for the scope and diversity of its exhibits, which include lead and wood types for hand composition, type matrices, composing and casting machines, and a wide variety of printing presses. Of particular importance is the collection of European and oriental casting matrices, letter stencils and masterfully-cut steel punches. Traditional tools and machines are available to try out, bringing long-outdated printing techniques back to life. In the composing room, experts are on hand to help visitors print their own material using the type cabinets and type cases. Closed on Sundays. Guided tours available.
» www.druckkunst-museum.de
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