Great Train Journey - Leipzig: Part 4 (9 pics, 1 video, + last thoughts)

The picture above is part of the new main building being constructed (are you sensing a theme here when in comes to Leipzig and construction? <grin>) for the University of Leipzig.  The university was founded in 1409 and is the second-oldest university in Germany.  The university is apparently spread around the city, and this new building should centralize some things.  It's a striking design.

 Another view that shows more of the length of the building and the contrast of the ultra-modern at one end that fades to an interesting modern-historical touch at the end.

Another modern touch that I thought was neat was this structure.  This is the parking garage across the street from the Leipzig zoo.  It is completely wrapped in bamboo.  It's very cool visually, while providing shade and air flow into the parking structure.

I'm not sure what this is supposed to be implying or saying, as what little German I remember isn't nearly enough.  But this mural is right on the edge of the old town (walk out the Starbucks and look left).  And yes, of course I found the Starbucks.  :)

This is the memorial on the site of the Jewish Synagogue that was in Leipzig.  It was founded in 1854 and there were 11,000 people of Jewish faith in Leipzig in 1933.  The synagogue was desecrated and destroyed in November 1938 during the Nazi "Reichspogromnacht" and the Nazi's actually charged the Jewish community to tear it down.  One the placards by the memorial notes that by April 1945, there wasn't a single known person of Jewish faith in all of Leipzig.

One of the things I have to come to absolulely love about every German city I have visited so far is the amount (and quality) of parks.  When you open the tourist map of Leipzig it seems like 15-20% of the area covered is park land.  The day before I left I went for a walk through a part of Rosental Park, which includes the Zoo within its grounds.  The park is great in that is has great big open fields like this.

 Plus forested sections with streams like this.

 And more forested parts like this.

I wanted to include this because it seems to be part of a trend.  In seemingly every German city I go to, there are people (mostly children, but not always) playing around in the fountains).  Across the street from the new Leipzig University building is this big pool with a fountain and it was funny watching this girl just having a ball playing around.  She was dancing, jumping, and kicking the water.  It was really great to see that no one cared either and just let her have fun.

Another thing I have come across fairly often (both here in Poznań and in most of the German cities I have visited) are street musicians.  Unfortunately, most of them are signing what sounds like Polish pop/folk/rock.  And often not very well.  But there are few occasions when you come across talented musicians just playing music.  I came across these guys and managed to get a decent 30 second recording from my camera (and yes, I have them a tip).

A Chiropractic Note

As a side note, I was unfortunate enough that neck did one of it's rare "freak outs" (as I call them) which impacted the first two days of my visit, so I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked, and what I did manage to do in those first day and half were constrained by a fair amount of discomfort and pain.  I tried to go to the nearest chiropractor my hotel could find, but they were closed.  However, I completely lucked out on Friday evening (the night before I left) and stumbled across a chiropractor in the old town who was not only open (rare on a Friday afternoon) but who would treat me.

So first, a very hearty recommendation for Dr. Timo Kaschel of Chiropractic Leipzig if you are in Leipzig and need an English-speaking chiropractor.  He was honestly fantastic and makes me wish he was located closer to Poznań.

However, he did point out a few things I did not know and thought worth pointing out:

1. First, the term "chiropractor" is not regulated in Germany like it is in the US.  As he put it, "anyone who learns a manipulation technique or two can call themselves a chiropractor.  So if you are coming from the US or the UK where chiropractor means a VERY specific set of skills, be careful in Germany.
2. Second, apparently chiropractic medicine is not covered as part of the German national health insurance.
3. Third, apparently chiropractic medicine is not taught in German universities.  If you want an advanced degree in chiropractic medicine as a German, you have to go to the US or UK and pay for your degree yourself (which when you consider other college education is subsidized or free, explains the next item)
4. Fourth, because of the above he said there are currently only 82 people in all of Germany right now with the MsC degree that is a standard requirement to practice chiropractic medicine in the US and UK.  So if you need chiropractic services in Germany, you may have to do a lot of research or travel to find someone with the right skills.  Dr. Kaschel is the only MsC in all of Leipzig.

I was unbelievably lucky to stumble across a GOOD chiropractor at exactly the time I needed one most, since this is the first opportunity I have had for real chiropractic treatment since I left the US.  Luckily for me after my treatment my neck relaxed and held the adjustment over the next day or so, causing the pain to go away.

Last thoughts

Leipzig was an interesting city to visit, and I know I hardly scratched the surface.  According to Wikipedia, the New York Times listed it as one of their Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2010.  I really had the feeling that it was an interesting city and might be worth a return visit.  Be aware that as part of the former Eastern Germany, people who are fluent in English are much rarer than other places in Germany.  As always, look to the younger folks if you need help and don't speak German.

Resources:

City of Leipzig tourist web site (in English)
The WikiTravel.org Leipzig travel guide

Tip

If you are going to almost any major city in Germany, check with the tourist office (or better, online before you arrive) to find out if you can get a "city card" or something similarly named.  These are usually cards you can buy that are good from 1-3 days (depending on the city) and which offer free access to the mass transit systems (subway, trams, buses) and usually discounts or free access to different attractions.  The exact details vary by city, but with a daily tram pass often costing 5 euros or more, and access to a single museum costing 7-9 euros on average, they can really save you some money.