Goethe loved it as "little Paris". S’ αυτή μεγαλούργησαν ο Μπαχ και ο Μέντελσον, while it was the birthplace of great personalities from the field of Letters, of Arts and Sciences, with the most famous Wagner and Leibniz.
This is where it started, in the fall of 1989, the "peaceful revolution" of the citizens of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), who with the basic slogan "We are the people" flooded the streets of the country, claiming more "freedom", contributing, so, in the fall of the "regime".
Leipzig - about her- it has always been a great commercial center, with a rich culture and a great tradition in the sciences. Despite the damages it suffered during B’ World War, but also its degradation during the period of existing socialism, take advantage, after the fall of the Wall, its comparative advantages and evolved -20 years after the unification of Germany- in a regional "capital" of the economy, of culture and letters.
It's no accident, after all, which Leipzig - has a population of just over half a million and is located in the federal state of Leipzig- recently received two highly honorable awards from equal numbers -internationally- recognized newspapers. On the one hand, the "Financial Times", who evaluated the city's economic development strategy as "excellent" and on the other hand by the "New York Times", which ranked it among the top ten cities internationally, which is worth a visit to watch its musical and artistic events.
Last week, a group of Greek journalists from Thessaloniki was in Leipzig, on the initiative of the Consulate General of Germany in Thessaloniki, and had the opportunity to visit and talk with city officials and local media representatives about the city's economic "miracle", for the past, its present and future, as well as about the relations between Leipzig and Thessaloniki, which from the 1984 they are twinned.
"With the fall of the Wall and the unification of Germany, Leipzig experienced the tragic consequences of deindustrialization. Within a short time there were barely any left 12.000 industry jobs from 115.000 that existed until then. Huge factories were closed and industrial units moved and settled in other areas. In his mid-teens 1990, the city's population declined noticeably, falling into 400.000 residents, a fact attributed to the migration of many city dwellers to urban centers in western Germany. Whole areas were turned into ghosts. Unemployment soared to 23%", said the deputy mayor of Leipzig, Andreas Miller.
continuity: …. www.kathimerini.gr