A lively tour of Leipzig
A couple of years ago, Else Buschheuer returned to her native city from New York. To an eastern German town where the bright blush of capitalism is, as she puts it, still tarred in places with the old socialist brush. The bestselling author and TV presenter takes us around nighttime Leipzig
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It’s half past seven in the evening and I’m walking around downtown. Doing the “lipsi step.” You’ve never heard of it? Left foot left, right foot left tap, feet together. It was invented here in Leipzig in the 1950s. An East German attempt to combat the twist. Only it never caught on.
Cobblestones. Cold, round streetlamps. Children in hoods. Matching shoes and scarves; stretch jeans tucked into boot tops. Married couples dining out, enjoying traditional food. Brightly lit windows in old facades, a scent of vanilla wafting from a tea shop.
Postcard stands being brought inside. An accordionist plays the Turkish Rondo one last time. Something reminds you of a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff.
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Pubs, clubs & high-rise buildings
One of author Else Buschheuer’s favorite streets is Am Barfußgässchen, also known as Drallewatsch, fun place, because of its many bars
The skyscraper near Mendebrunnen is a city landmark. It was the tallest building in Germany when it was built in 1972
Jazz, funk, disco: The Spizz is one of the hippest clubs in Leipzig and live acts feature regularly on the program
Leipzig - a vast range of ways to spend your evenings
Leipzig is famous for its variety: If you love ice cream, don’t miss the good old Pinguin milk bar
Else Buschheuer savors her favorite Korean dish at the Kim: bulgogi, strips of spiced beef cooked at the table served with Kim-Chi (Chinese cabbage in a sour marinade) and hot sake (rice wine)
First classical, then the blues: The “third” Gewandhaus, completed in 1981 on Augustusplatz, is one of Germany’s largest concert halls. Its two predecessor buildings opened in 1498 and 1884
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Else Buschheuer was born in Eilenburg near Leipzig in 1965. Her first novel, Ruf! Mich! An! (Call me), came out in 2000 and was an immediate bestseller. Her second novel, Masserberg, first published in 2001 was re-released in 2010 by Aufbau Verlag. (Price: €8.95, ISBN 978-3-7466-2587-4). The author and TV presenter is now also on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/buschheuer
Pictures: Jörg Gläscher (6) Jackal/fotolia, Taner/Corbis
