Leipzig has historically been a commercial center for Jewish traders and by 1925 the city held the largest Jewish community in Saxony with more than 13000 members. This tour will introduce you to the important local sites and people associated with Jewish history and culture. Learn about the past and the future of Jews in Leipzig.

You will meet with your Private Guide in front of the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy monument, located only a couple of steps away from the grand Gothic St Thomas Church. The monument itself tells a story of the ugly anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany, as the original statue was ripped down in 1936 due to the composer’s Jewish ancestry. From there, you will walk to the Holocaust Memorial. Located on the site of a demolished synagogue, the 140 empty chairs represent the 14,000 Jews who once prayed on this spot.

Next, you see the authentic market square and  hear fascinating stories about the many contributions of the Jewish community to the cultural and commercial development of Leipzig throughout history. You will pass by Old Town’s top landmarks, including the Old Town Hall and the Old Stock Exchange, to reach Augustusplatz. Here, you will see the city’s first high-rise building, the Krochhochhaus, built for the private bank of the German-Jewish banker Hans Kroch. You will then walk through Brühl street, where many Jews had their shops and residences before WWII. The 2-hours walking tour will end in front of the Brodyer Synagoge.

Choose the 3,5-hours version to enhance your tour with a visit to the Old Jewish Cemetery. The historic Israelite cemetery consists of about 5,500 grave sites and is an important witness of Jewish culture and tradition in Leipzig. The old tombstones and the religious-ritual space tell a story of the Jews who lived in the city.