Can you hear the rumble of the first German long-distance train? Friedrich-List-Platz echoes with its memory. This bustling square, nestled in Leipzig’s heart, isn’t just a traffic hub. It’s a monument to Friedrich List, a visionary whose ideas shaped Germany’s economic destiny. Friedrich List, born in 1789, lived in Leipzig from 1833 to 1837. He envisioned a Germany united not just politically, but economically. A key element of his vision was the abolition of internal customs barriers. He championed this cause, even facing the wrath of German princes and ultimately fleeing to the United States to escape arrest. List’s time in America, where he amassed wealth through coal mining and railroad construction, further solidified his economic theories. He returned to Leipzig in 1833 as a US Consul, ready to put his ideas into action. Friedrich-List-Platz became the epicenter of his ambitious plans for a German railway network. He believed Leipzig, a prominent trade and exhibition city, was the perfect starting point. List, along with Leipzig bankers and merchants, founded the Leipzig-Dresden Railway Company in 1834. Just three years later, the first section of the railway, connecting Leipzig to Althen, opened in 1837. This triumph paved the way for the first German long-distance railway line, linking Leipzig, Riesa, and Dresden in 1839. The very ground we stand on at Friedrich-List-Platz played a vital role in this historic achievement. Originally, the area was skirted by the tracks of the Dresden train station. It wasn’t until the construction of Althner Straße (now Mecklenburger Straße) and its connection to Eisenbahnstraße in 1911 that the triangular shape of Friedrich-List-Platz emerged. The square remained nameless until 1921 when it was officially christened Friedrich-List-Platz. It stands as a testament to the man who saw beyond the present and laid the tracks for a unified and prosperous Germany.
water tower Markkleeberg
From its perch overlooking Markkleeberg this water tower silently guards the town’s history. The Markkleeberg water tower stands tall a