Markkleeberg () is an affluent suburb of Leipzig, located in the Leipzig district of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. The river Pleiße runs through the city, which borders Leipzig to the north and to the west.
Markkleeberg is known to be the entry point to a region of recultivated open-cast mining lakes south of Leipzig dubbed the Leipziger Neuseenland.
History The town now called Markkleeberg has its origins in several towns that have been merged over the years. The center of modern-day Markkleeberg used to be called Oetzsch. It was merged with the smaller outlying district Markkleeberg in 1911 and renamed Oetzsch-Markkleeberg. Oetzsch-Markkleeberg was in turn merged with Gautzsch and the whole town was called "Markkleeberg", although Markkleeberg was the smallest, because it sounded most Germanic at a time of Nazi-led Germanisation.
The etymology of Markkleeberg may be "clover hill market town". The name of Oetzsch has most likely a Wendish origin. In 1316 it was mentioned in a document as "Euschiz". The village originally had the form of a Rundling.
In 1813 much of the Battle of Leipzig took place where today's Markkleeberg is situated.
During 1944 and 1945, a forced labor camp for women was established in the town, initially a subcamp of the Ravensbrück concentration camp and later of Buchenwald. Among the inmates were a thousand Jewish women from Hungary and 250 French resistance fighters. In early April 1945, the surviving inmates were transferred to the Mauthausen-Gusen camp in Austria.
Today, Markkleeberg is a growing town because of its proximity to Leipzig.
Historical population (Source since 1998: Statistical bureau of Saxony) Year Population 1946 20,517 1950 20,130 1960 20,545 1981 20,622 1984 19,811 1995 20,415 1997 20,264 Year Population 1998 22,728 1999 23,157 2000 23,157 2001 23,087 2002 23,139 2003 23,306 2004 23,639 Year Population 2005 23,806 2006 23,913 2007 24,021 2008 24,020 2009 24,254 2010 24,338 Year Population 2011 24,402 2012 23,869 2013 23.940 2015 24,240 2016 24,477
Culture Markkleeberg is a well-known tourist destination. Cospudener See, Markkleeberger See, Kanupark Markkleeberg as well as many parks are close to the city, such as the Agra-Park which also houses the German Photography Museum.http://fotomuseum.eu/
Twin towns – sister cities
Markkleeberg is twinned with: Boville Ernica, Italy
Neusäß, Germany Pierre-Bénite, France Zărnești, Romania
References