Leipzig's history has been shaped by its importance as a trading centre. Initially, its favourable location at the crossroads of trade routes and the privileges granted to its trade fairs gave it its leading position in the trade of goods; later printing and book trade were added. Leipzig was never a royal residence or a bishop's seat, and was always characterised by its bourgeois character. In 1409, the city became the seat of one of the oldest universities in the German-speaking area. Over the last two centuries, Leipzig has experienced strong growth and was for a time the fourth largest German city after Berlin, Hamburg and Breslau, even ahead of Munich. As an industrial location, it has declined in importance since reunification, but continues to assert itself as a trade fair city, a university city and through its cultural heritage.
Prehistory and protohistory The first indications of the settlement of the site occupied by Leipzig date back to the Neolithic period. Remains of the Linear Pottery culture and also of the Globular Amphora Culture have been discovered on the site of the St. Matthew's Cemetery. Bronze Age urns containing cremated remains have been found on the site of the Südfriedhof (South Cemetery) and the former Dominican monastery. Elbe Germanic finds from the time of the Roman Empire and the Migration Period in and around Leipzig are usually attributed to the Suebi as branch of the Hermunduri. Until 531, the area of the future city of Leipzig was part of the Thuringian Kingdom.
Middle Ages Colonization by Slavs After being defeated by the Franks, the Thuringians left the area between the Elbe, Saale and Mulde. Around 600, Slavs from Bohemia repopulated it, mixing with the few remaining Thuringians. The first written record of the presence of the Sorbs is due to the Burgundian Chronicle of Fredegar in 631. The area around Leipzig was called "Chutici".
After several minor confrontations, the Franks invaded the territories of the Slavic tribes and founded, for example, the Diocese of Erfurt. Further expeditions against the Saxons followed and several strongholds were built (e.g. Magdeburg and Halle) to prevent incursions by the Sorbs.
At the beginning of the 10th century, several Frankish strongholds were built on the site of former Sorbian villages, for example Leipzig, where the Sorbs participated in the construction, so that it was probably already finished in 929. The dimensions were about x , and the wall was about thick and . In the center of the complex stood a defense tower. The castle (not to be confused with the later built late medieval Pleissenburg), was divided into several small castles with a main castle, all protected by bastions as outposts. At this time, the first chapels were built, such as the chapel of St. Peter or that of the Irish and Scottish monks,Heydick (1990), p. 14 following the model of the mother abbey of St. Boniface in Erfurt.
Foundation of the city
Leipzig was first mentioned in 1015, when Thietmar of Merseburg cites it as the place of death of Eido I, Bishop of Meissen, calling it ″Urbs Libzi″ (Chronicle VII, 25). The year 1165 is generally given as the year the city was founded: the surviving document by which the Otto II, Margrave of Meissen the Rich grants town and market privileges to the locality located at the crossroads of the Via Regia and the Via Imperii. It does not bear any date, however, and was probably established later.
The location of the oldest German castle in Leipzig is controversial. Due to the geographical name, Alteburg, many researchers wondered whether it was located in Parthe meadows, near today's Lortzingstrasse. In the St. Matthew's cemetery, the Pegau Annals only attest to the existence of a castle from 1216. An outpost settlement (suburbium) surrounded by a moat was located between Große Fleischergasse and Hainstrasse. The oldest pottery found at this location dates from the end of the 9th century.Ringel (2015), p. 13
The first evidence of the Leipzig mint was provided by bracteatessee Walter Schwinkowski: Münz- und Geldgeschichte der Mark Meißen und der Münzen der weltlichen Herren nach meißnischer Art vor der Groschenprägung – 1. Teil: Abbildungstafeln. Frankfurt (Main), 1931 of Margrave Otto the Rich. The first documented mention of a Leipzig coin occurred around 1220.
The Easter and MichaelisMichaelis is the 29 September markets were confirmedLeipzig als ein Pleißathen ... p. 42 from 1190; granted in 1268, the privilege of the protective escort laid the foundations for long-distance trade. Leipzig is considered the oldest fair in the world. Since it was elevated to the rank of Imperial Fair in 1497 and received the fair right from Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor,Heydick (1990), p. 22 the importance of the Leipzig Fair has only grown. The fair privilege was extended by the staple right after the cities of Erfurt, Halle and Magdeburg had repeatedly violated it. In addition, a fine of 50 gold marks was to be imposed on any city that violated the predominance of the Leipzig market. Half of this sum was to go to the Empire and the rest was to be shared between the city and the duke. This did not seriously prevent the cities of Frankfurt an der Oder, Naumburg, Annaberg and Erfurt from establishing additional or new markets. That is why in 1515 a document from the Pope added the threat of ecclesiastical sanctions. Over the centuries, Leipzig continued to develop from a local or regional trading centre to an international trading place. It was particularly the East-West trade that made its reputation.
At the head of the city were originally advocati who represented the sovereign. Since the 13th century, its management was entrusted to a local magistrate (Scultetus).Heydick (1990), p. 18 Assessors (consuls) worked alongside him. In 1301 a mayor and a "municipal council" took over. This Council consisted of 12 to 15 members, changed every year. From the 15th century, their functions were assigned for life.
The oldest parish church, St. Nicholas, was built from 1165. In 1212 St. Thomas was added, at the same time as the St. Thomas Choir was created.Leipzig als ein Pleißathen ... p.197. The 13th century saw the founding of several monasteries, including the St. Thomas cloister as a choral foundation of the Augustinians and the Cistercian monastery of St. George.Ringel (2015), p. 16
The oldest hospital in the city was founded in 1213 as part of the St. Thomas Monastery, from which the current Klinikum St. Georg emerged. It served not only to accommodate the sick, but also pilgrims and the homeless. In 1439 it was purchased by the city.Künnemann / Güldemann, p. 24
In 1409 the "Alma Mater Lipsiensis", the University of Leipzig, was founded,Ringel (2015), p.18 which is one of the oldest German universities. At the Charles University in Prague, the voting rights of the University Nations had been changed and there were tensions between traditional theologians and Hussite theologians; for this reason German professors and students emigrated to Leipzig.
In 1485, the Partition of Leipzig gave Leipzig together with the eastern territories of the House of Wettin to the Albertine branch.Heydick (1990), p. 22
The beginning of modern times
As early as 1501, the Leipzig Council ordered the first water supply pipeline. Built using pine trunks by the master fountain builder Andreas Gentzsch, it supplied the public fountains in Brühl and the Markt, as well as the St. Paul's Monastery and many private houses with water from the Marienquelle. In 1519, the Leipzig waterworks made it possible to use water from the Pleisse.Künnemann /Güldemann, p. 31
In 1519 the Leipzig Debate between Martin Luther and the opponent of the Reformation, Johann Eck, took place at Pleissenburg Castle.Ringel (2015), p. 37 After initial resistance, the Reformation was finally introduced in 1539 by Luther and Justus Jonas, who preached at St. Nicholas' Church. Johann Pfeffinger became the first city superintendent.
The old town hall, begun in 1556, was built in less than a year in the Saxon Renaissance style while Hieronymus Lotter was mayor.Ringel (2015), p.39
In May 1593, the houses of wealthy Calvinist-minded merchants were stormed and plundered in the Leipzig Calvinist storm.
On 17 September 1631, during the Thirty Years' War, Leipzig experienced one of the greatest defeats of the Imperials led by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, on the battlefield of Breitenfeld. Today in Leipzig, on the former manorial estate of Breitenfeld, a monument commemorates the memory of the great Swedish strategist Gustavus Adolphus. A year later, the 16 November 1632, Gustavus Adolphus was to fall during the Battle of Lützen, about southwest of the present city limits of Leipzig.Ringel (2015), p. 43
From 1 July 1650 the Einkommende Zeitungen were published,Else Hauff: Die 'Einkommenden Zeitungen' von 1650. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Tageszeitung, in: Gazette. International journal for mass communications studies 9 (1963), Nr. 3, , S. 227–235 a successor publication to the Wöchentliche Zeitung. Appearing six times a week, it was the world's first daily newspaper.
1660 marks the beginning of the history of the city cleaning: the first municipal sweeper was hired for the Market Square. This was very necessary since one in five city dwellers were already dying from epidemics.
18th century
Leipzig acquired the nickname "Little Paris" when this fair town, concerned with progress, equipped itself with street lighting in 1701, and could from then on be compared to Paris as the ″City of Light″.Ringel (2015), p. 63
Polish and Sorbian preaching societies in Leipzig were established in 1706 and 1716, respectively.
In 1710, King Augustus II the Strong first presented Meissen porcelain at the local fair.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Georg Philipp Telemann studied in Leipzig and founded the Collegium Musicum there. From 1723 until his death in 1750, Johann Sebastian Bach was appointed by the city council as Thomaskantor and "Director musices" (music director of all the city's churches). Among other things, the St John Passion, the St Matthew Passion, the Christmas Oratorio, the Mass in B minor and the Art of the Fugue were created.Heydick (1990), p. 43f In 1729, Bach took over the direction of the Collegium Musicum, which performed many of his secular cantatas and instrumental compositions in the Zimmermann Coffee House until 1741.
During the Seven Years' War, Leipzig was occupied by Prussia several times between 1756 and 1763. When King Frederick II of Prussia demanded a contribution of 1.1 million thalers from the city in November 1760, the city council refused, whereupon Frederick had the most prominent councillors and richest merchants thrown into prison. The Berlin merchant Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky intervened and achieved a reduction in the contribution to 800,000 thalers, which he advanced to the intimidated city council. He paid the sum in remelted coins with a deteriorated precious metal content (which had already triggered inflation in Prussia and Saxony in the winter of 1756/57), but had the bond issued in old, high-quality coins, thus making a profit of up to 40 percent.Ingrid Mittenzwei: Friedrich II. von Preußen, pages 108 and 123. Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin 1980, in German
From 1764 to 1768 Goethe studied in Leipzig.Heydick (1990), p. 47 His image of Greece was based on what he saw in the Greek colony in Leipzig, which at that time was the largest Greek community outside Greece.
19th century