The monument to the Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, commemorates the victory of the combined European forces over Napoleon in 1813 which led to Napoleon's defeat and first exile to the island of Elba. The monument was completed on the battle's 100th anniversary and at 91 meters high is the largest memorial complex in Europe. The complex includes a viewing platform and the Forum 1813 museum, which contains artifacts from the time as well as a massive 1:72 scale diorama of the battle. Guided tours are available and the complex also houses open-air concerts, events and special exhibitions.
Leipzig played a major part in the musical career of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was musical director of the city and Choirmaster of the St. Thomas' Boy's Choir between 1723 and 1750. Ever since, the city has been committed to preserving and promoting Bach's heritage. In addition to the St. Thomas Boys' Choir, the city is home to the Bach archives and the Bach Museum. The statue stands outside the St. Thomas church, where Bach's remains were relocated in 1950, opposite the entrance to the Bach Archive.
St. Alexei's Russian Memorial Church is another monument to the 1813 victory at the Battle of Leipzig. Like the Battle of Leipzig Monument, it was completed in 1913. The church was built in the Novgorod style in imitation of the Church of the Ascension of Christ in Moscow. The church houses a museum and holds daily services.
The Goethe Monument, a statue of the young Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, stands in the Old Stock Exchange and Naschmarkt. It commemorates the time Goethe spent studying Law at the University of Leipzig between 1765 and 1768.
Schiller House (built in 1717) was preserved as a memorial to the writer Friedrich Schiller, who stayed there in 1785, in the 19th Century. The house opened as a museum in 1999. It houses an exhibition about Schiller's works and life in the eighteenth century. The house offers guided tours and special events.
The "Runde Ecke" (Round Corner) Memorial museum stands as a monument to the Peaceful Revolution of 1990 and as a reminder of the years of oppression carried out by the Stasi. Its permanent exhibition, "Stasi -- Power and Banality," opened in 1990 and contains information about the former German Democratic Republic and seeks to spark debate on issues of freedom, dictatorship and human rights.
