Why Leipzig Is The City Of Heroes

The city of Leipzig is sometimes called the City of Heroes, due to its contribution to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The title is not without its complexities, however.

In 1989, nearly all the buildings in Leipzig – East Germany’s undisputed manufacturing centre – were covered with black soot. It was difficult to breath on hot days. After 41 years of being cut off from the prosperity of their cousins and friends in the West, East Germans were growing increasingly restless. Every Monday, people met at St Nicholas Church in the centre of town to pray for peace and the reinstatement of basic rights like freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom from being spied on constantly by friends and family, in service of the Stasi.

Attendance at this prayer meeting began to grow and inevitably, the crowd spilled into the street and began marching around the ring road that encircles the city centre. They were committed to the power of the people to enact change in a non-violent way. The genius of this strategy was how it confused and confounded the communist leadership. They were aware of the unrest and the winds of social change that were coming, but had planned for an insurrection, which could be quickly crushed without losing face. What could they do against a bunch of people praying and lighting candles?

The nickname, nice as it is, sits uneasily with many Germans. In official tourist literature, Leipzig refers to itself as the City of Music. JS Bach, Mendelssohn, Wagner all lived and worked in town for part of their career as well a wealth of other less famous musicians and artists.

In general, Germans show their approval with respect, not worship, so the revering of heroes in the American sense doesn’t really exist. It shouldn’t come as a massive newsflash that Germans tend to be suspicious of anything that even has a whiff of a hero cult or blind adoration about it.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.