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A major European intellectual and cultural center, Leipzig grew during the 11th century around a castle in Saxony named Libzi. Leipzig lies at the junction of the Weisse Elster, Parthe, and Pleisse rivers in the middle of a broad plain at the crossing of two ancient trade routes. Its location made it a natural trade center, and Leipzig established a great medieval fair. Today the annual Leipzig Trade Fair, a major forum for international trade, attracts many visitors. The city became the heart of the German book trade and won world fame as a music center. It was the birthplace of Richard Wagner and the home of Robert Schumann and Johann Sebastian Bach. Restored historic places include the Old Town Hall and Auerbach's Cellar. The University of Leipzig, founded in 1409, became a great center of German education. In 1519, in the Leipzig Disputation, Martin Luther and John Eck held a public debate on Christian doctrine. Leipzig is the capital of Leipzig district and one of Germany's largest cities. Its industries include heavy constructional engineering and electrical, textile, clothing, chemical, and machine-tool enterprises. Leipzig is the focus of railway lines and major roads, and there are two airports. Leipzig was badly damaged in the Thirty Years' War, and Napoleon was defeated here in 1813 at the battle of Leipzig. After the devastation of World War II, the restoration and reconstruction of the city and its political and social institutions were carried out under the Communist policies of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Weekly marches protesting Communist party rule and encouraging democracy in 1989 were at the forefront of the largely peaceful revolution that swept across Germany. (See also Germany.) Population (1990 estimate), 513,600.
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