Another post from our trip in 2009. Leipzig was a great adventure and our time there was memorable beyond belief. To walk in the steps of history was humbling.
July 03, 2009
Our next adventure was to get from Achern to Leipzig and to our next destination. We had tickets for Monday morning and were going to have to make several transfers with a lot of luggage. Unfortunately, we missed the first transfer in Karlsruhe and this made the adventure last one hour longer. We were lucky to be met by our friends Walli and Kai. They have a beautiful flat in Leipzig near the train station. They have three daughters, Eliane, Alina, and Christina. They have an exchange student also staying with them in France. There were ten of us but we all fit very comfortably and everyone had their own space. We had a great adventure getting here but we are glad that we are here in Leipzig.
Our next adventure was to visit Berlin on Tuesday. We had to take a train from Leipzig to Berlin. We all got on the train and waited for it to start. We waited and waited, and waited. After over an hour, we decided that we would not have much time in Berlin so we decided to try the next day and took Tuesday to spend in downtown Leipzig and explore the community. We had a great time and saw things that were mind-boggling. We had the opportunity to walk inside the same church where Bach worked for 27 years from 1723 to 1750. It was awe-inspiring to know that we stood on the same ground as someone with that kind of talent and to visit his grave. The church is another exceptional example of the churches of Germany. We also had a chance to visit the church that was the starting point of the resistance and the movement toward the reunification of Germany in 1989. St. Nikolai is a beautiful church but it stands as a strong focal point for the importance of freedom and connection for the German people. We also had a chance to visit the tallest building in Leipzig and venture to the top observation deck. Have I mentioned that I am afraid of heights? It was wonderful to get this kind of view of the city. They have a huge greenbelt that runs the length of the city and is several kilometers wide and several hundred kilometers long. It is a chance to see a forest and wildlife inside of the city.
The pictures below are from the St. Nicholas courtyard where the 1989 Monday Demonstrations started that began the fall of East Germany. The others are from around and in St Thomas’ church where Bach worked as musical director for 27 years. It is his grave inside the church and statue commemorating him.
