Leipzig reflections.

 

Leipzig is under reconstruction. This time it is to define its future as a 21st  century city attractive to contemporary living and employment opportunities and driving creativity and innovation in the arts and its cultural scene. It’s a challenge for a city that has suffered under fascist and communist dictatorships and suffered politically and morally. It has had to reinvent its employment base. Its institutions have had to reflect on its past and yet define a future. 

Leipzig has a population of 620,000 and is Germany’s eighth largest city. It is the second largest in the former East Germany. It was East Germany’s centrally planned heavy industry city but was unviable, and closed shortly after unification. In fact within six years, 90% of jobs in industry had vanished, unemployment soured, and the population fell; some 100,000 people left Leipzig in the ten years after reunification, and vacant and derelict housing became an urgent problem. Past industries has seen their buildings repurposed for art whilst retaining their industrial form. 

In 2000 the City commenced an ambitious urban-renewal plan to stop Leipzig's decline but this had a negative impact as the City was plunged into debt.  The plan’s focus on saving the city's urban structure, especially its attractive historic downtown area achieved some success.  But bids to attract the Olympic Games to fast track improvements failed. However some architectural gems were saved, new industries were attracted, and some infrastructure improvements were achieved.

Leipzig continues to be a work in progress.