Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/122

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LEIPZIG. 108 LEIPZIG. large squares, the most important of which is the imposing Augustusplatz, surrounded by the university, postollice, theatre, and museum — one of the largest squares in Germany. In tlie Johan- nisplatz rises the Eeforniation monument to Luther and ]Iehinchthon, unveiled in 188.3 on the four hundredth anniversary of Luther's birth. In the market-place in the centre of the old part of the town stands the great war monument by Siemering, with bronze figures, unveiled in 1888. Architecturally the churches of Leipzig have little to offer. The Thomaskirche has more than a local fame for the weekly motets sung by a choir of boys. This church dates from 1222, and was rebuilt in 1400. The University or Pauline Church was dedicated by Luther. During the reconstruction of the Church of Saint ,Tohn, about 1805, the tomb of Bach was discovered. His remains as well as those of the poet Gellert re- pose in the new church. Leipzig has an Anglo- American church, dedicated in 188.5. Among the prominent secular edifices, the several university buildings are of particular interest. Among these are the extensive .ugustcum with an aula and line reliefs: the Fridcricianum. built in 1843; the Mauricianinn. dating from lt)49; and the im- mense -Vlbertinum. The imivcrsity library, con- taining about 500.000 volumes, was completed in 1801. The imposing new Gewandhaus, with a large concert-room, is enriched with sculptures by Schilling. In front stands the statue of Men- delssohn, who was the conductor of the Gewand- haus concerts for several years. The old Gewand- haus. or Hall of the Cloth-Merchants, where he directed, is now used for business purposes. The splendid Imperial Supreme Court building was completed in 1S05. It consists of a central edifice, crowned by a cojipcr dome, 224 feet high, and of wings appropriately adorned with columns and sculptures. Other conspicuous edifices are the German Renaissance Booksellers' Exchange, with archives and a library; the elegant new Re- naissance Stock Exchange, with an innnense hall; and the Crystal Palace, used for entertainment purposes, in the vicinity stands the curious old Rathaus, built in the middle of the sixteenth century. The Kiinigshaus in the market-place is associated with memories of Xapoleon. Charles XII., and Peter the Great. In the old Castle of Pleissenburg. formerly a citadel and destroyed in later years, Luther and Eck held their dis- putations, and Papponheini died. The iluseum building was completed in 1858. and is orna- mented with statues. The splendid new theatre Was finished in ISfiS in the Renaissance style. Among all the literary associations of Leipzig no other is so famous as Auerbach's cellar, with its curious vaulted ceiling and mural paintings — the scene of a part of Goethe's Fniixt. Among the' monuments not already mentioned are a bronze statue of Leibnitz, who was born in Leip- zig, and the new monument to Bismarck, and the one to Schumann, who lived here for fourteen years. Leipzig is the centre of the German book trade, and is famous for its book-making industry-. Other of its leading industries are wood-cairing and paper-making. Still other products are machin- ery, leather, textile goods, pianos, tobacco and cigars, chemicals, and foodstuffs. Leipzig leads in the book-selling and publishing trade of the world, over .500 publishing firms having their headquarters here. The city is also very prom- inent in the art and music ti-ade of Europe. Its commercial importance is due in part to its favorable situation between the EUje and the Rhine basins, and between the Thuringian moun- tains and the Erzgebirge. It holds famous fairs at New Year's, Easter, and Michaelmas, with furs, glass, cloth, and leather as the principal lines of trade, the fur sales alone amounting an- nually to some .$5,000,000. Leipzig is in fact a world-market for furs. These historic fairs rep- resent a large volume of business, but are not so important or celebrated as in former centuries. Among the countries importing from Leipzig the United States ranks first. Tlie American imports embrace furs and hides, books, leather gloves and leather, chemicals and volatile oils, l)ristles, woolen goods, carpets, and musical and other instruments. Leipzig is famous for its educational advan- tages. Besides its university (see Lkipzig, Uxi- VERSiTY or), there are a nuuiicipal gymnasium founded in 1221. among whose celebrated 'cantors' was Bach ; another municipal g) innasium, dating from 1511: also a royal and a 'real" gymna- sium; a royal art academy; an industrial school; a royal builder's school; and a numicipal indus- trial school. The first commercial high school in Germany was founded in 1898 in Leipzig. Be- sides the university library there is the munici- pal library with over 110.000 volumes and 1500 MSS. The museum of the book trade is per- haps the most valuable of its kind in existence. The Grassi Museum contains art-industrial and ethnographical collections; also a fine Historical iluseum of Music : and the Permanent Exliiliitiou of Machinery and Furniture. The important collections of the Leipzig Museum include some noteworthy sculptures — Thorwaldsen's "Gany- mede," Hildebrand's "Adam." Klinger's "Cassan- dra" and "Salome," and Schilling's "Phidias." Among its valuable pictures are Preller's ear- toons representing scenes from the Ofh/sucii. sev- eral examples of Lenbach and Biicklin. and Dela- roche's "Xapoleon at Fontainebleau." These collections contain more than 750 oil paintings, 275 sculptures, and 100 cartoons and aquarelles. The Royal .cademy of Plastic .rts dates from 17C4. Leipzig abounds in admirable organiza- tions for the advancement of knowledge. There are the Historical Society, with relics of the fa- mous battlefield; the Academy of Art; School of Industrial Art; the Technical School; and the celebrated Royal Conservatory of ilusic. fovinded in 1887, and attended by over GOO students. In the new Gewandhaus weekly concerts are given in winter. Leipzig has been since 1879 the seat of the stipreme law court of the Einpire. It has the seat also of the Imperial Discipline Court, and of numerous important institutions of the Kingdom of Saxony. The city government is administered by an over-burgomaster, a burgomaster, a police dire<'tor, about 25 magistrates and some 75 cnnn- eilnien. The annual budget balances at over 1^5.000.000. The city debt amounts to some $12.- 500.000. There is spent annually for schools about .$1,000,000, and for the sick' and the poor about $450,000. There are two municipal as well as other gas companies. The water-works belong to the city. Since 1897 all the street railways have been electric. Among the many excellent hospitals the most prominent perhaps is that of Saint John's, built in 1872. The municipal