Old Town Hall gables in Leipzig
Here's a view from the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum overlooking Naschmarkt in Leipzig. The Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) is on the left and a statue of Bach stands in front of the small building... The small building is actually the old stock exchange and one of the oldest buildings in the city. If you want to get around the greater Saxony region with a low-cost Germany car hire, we've got great value deals throughout the country including Leipzig Airport car hire and Desden Airport car hire.
If you're reading the title of this post and thinking what a strange (although certainly interesting) mix that is, you'd be right. However, you'll find exhibitions on each of those subjects at Leipzig's Forum for Contemporary History. In German, it's Zeitgeschichtliches Forum. Located in the city centre, it's easy to find, which is handy because even though I heard 'zeitgeschichtliches' said a few times, I still have no idea how to pronounce it. Despite not being able to say it, it's a great word, don't you think? I'm assuming it comes from the word zeitgeist, which is a German word (I just looked it up!) and means 'the spirit of the time'. As it's a museum for contemporary history, I think it's aptly named!
Zeitgeschichtliches Forum
Post-war Germany
It's a free museum run by the Foundation House of the History of Germany who set it up with the aim of creating a 'visitor friendly and experience oriented' exhibition of post-war Germany to the present day. The main and permanent exhibition at the Forum is dedicated to Soviet Germany.
The space is used cleverly and exhibits basically surround a cylindrical timeline. As you move through the exhibition, you're taken on a journey that begins at the end of World War II when Germany was divided into zones. The ones controlled by the Western Allies (France, the UK and the USA) became West Germany and the remaining zone controlled by the Soviet Union became East Germany.
A small section of the timeline
Tank on the streets
The original sign that greeted you as you entered the former East Germany
From here, you're taken through exhibits that depict what life would have been like as well as a some great posters of the time. Key moments in the history leading up to the reunification of Germany are all portrayed and the museum has a fantastic collection of paraphernalia from the time. As well as including accounts of what life was like and how the government operated, there are also exhibits dedicated to the music and arts in the period - and their role in the eventual peaceful revolution.
The experience created is a fascinating insight into that relatively recent period of Germany's history. They do also include information about the Stasi and if you're keen to know more, I'd thoroughly recommend visiting the Museum in the Round Corner (you can see my post on it here) for more information.
You can't help but walk out of the museum into Leipzig today and wonder at how much has changed. My impression of Leipzig (bear in mind it was just a short visit!) has lots going on in terms of arts, culture and a budding nightlife scene (it's not referred to as the 'new Berlin' for nothing). Its university boasts Angela Merkel as a former student and the low rents are attracting more people to the city - particularly young folk. If the 40-odd years of communist rule slowed development of the city down, I don't think you could tell!
Fashion and other objects from during the period
Some of the art of the time
You can listen to the music of the time too!
Here's a link to a video of Manfred Krug, which is featured on the list above...
Although a lot of the information is in German, there is commentary posted throughout the exhibition both in German and English. There's no audio guide but there's enough in those texts to give you a good gist of what is being portrayed.
The journey ends at the post-reunification stage. Interestingly, despite the build up of what is clearly much wanted change, the last bit of commentary isn't all hurrahs and celebrations. Entitled 'change', it reflects that 'the hopes of many are fulfilled, but others are sorely disappointed'. It's a slightly pessimistic end to the exhibition but you appreciate that there's more truth in it then if it hadn't been.
Having said that, you can't help but walk out of the museum into Leipzig today and wonder at how much has changed. It's over 20 years now since Germany's reunification and my impression of Leipzig today (bear in mind it was just a short visit!) has lots going on in terms of arts, culture and a budding nightlife scene (it's not referred to as the 'new Berlin' for nothing). Its university boasts Angela Merkel as a former student and the low rents are attracting more people to the city. If the 40-odd years of Communist rule slowed development of the city down, I don't think you could tell!
Leipzig, Germany - Zeitgeschichtliches Forum from Luna Dizon on Vimeo. This is a clip of one of the videos they show in the exhibition. It's an almost surreal video that slices clips of the 40th anniversary celebration of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1989 with clips of mass numbers of East Germans frantically making their way across the border.
Temporary exhibitions: Science Fiction in Germany and Eating and Drinking in Germany
Moving onto lighter exhibitions at the I-can't-pronounce-the-name Forum, there are currently two temporary exhibitions - one on Science Fiction in Germany and the other on Eating and Drinking in Germany.
Both exhibitions are smaller and although there is very little (pretty much none at all!) English information available, they really are both worth checking out. I don't just say this because it's all free. The museum have done an excellent job creating fun exhibitions - even when you can't understand the information! There's enough that has been cleverly displayed, a little interactive and just fun to look at for any visitor to enjoy.
A video homage to the currywurst
Inside the science fiction exhibition
An interactive exhibit - complete with joysticks
It might be because I am a big food fan and a little bit of a science fiction fan that I found it more interesting but I think I also just really like how fun they made the exhibitions.
The science fiction exhibition is on until 12 January 2014 and the food exhibition is on until 2 February 2014. If you're heading over to Leipzig to check out the Christmas Market, I'd thoroughly recommend escaping the cold to visit the Zeitgeschichtliches Forum.
Visiting the Zeitgeschictliches Forum
Zeitgeschichtliches Forum (Forum for Contemporary History Leipzig)
Grimmaische Str 6
04109 Leipzig
Germany
Tel: +49 341 22 20-0
www.hdg.de/leipzig (in German)
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 9.00am to 6.00pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am to 6.00pm. Closed on Monday.
Admission is free.
The Zeitgeschichtliches Forum is located just steps from Markt square (at its southern end). Centrally located, it's easy to get to on foot if you're spending a day in the historic city centre. The nearest tram station is Thomaskirche. The Forum is just a few minutes walk east of the tram stop.
If you're taking your Germany car hire to Leipzig, there are car parks listed on their website (they have a map too) showing those that are available in the city centre. You can also find more information about car parking in Leipzig here: www.car-parking.eu/germany/leipzig
Planning a trip to Leipzig and still need to book your Germany car hire? Leipzig Halle Airport has a good selection of hire companies onsite - you can read about them here. And even if you're not flying into the airport, it's just a 15 minute train ride from the centre of Leipzig. Get a quote here on a Leipzig Halle Airport car hire here... Alternatively see where else we have great car hire deals in our Germany car hire page.