--- title: "Hidden Leipzig: Simsonplatz in the music district" url: "https://www.leipzig.travel/en/blog/simsonplatz-im-musikviertel" language: "en" type: "Article, BlogPosting" image: "https://dam.destination.one/923155/df1734ab013e2104d07cd9893e5f090fa8ba7d4c251a80f4b9ad27e17bf996e4/federal-administrative-court-and-bibliotheca-albertina-places-of-interest-in-leipzig.jpg" breadcrumb: "Root > Leipzig Travel > Special > Destination.Data Details > Blog" --- Share Hidden Leipzig: Simsonplatz in the music district ================================================= - Top highlight - 26/08/2015 Federal Administrative Court and Bibliotheca Albertina - Places of interest in Leipzig The **music district** stretches around **Simsonplatz**, between the city center and Clara Zetkin Park. Do many musicians live there? In **Hidden Leipzig**, we reveal where the district got its name from. With our **5 tips**, nothing can go wrong when exploring the music district. People are creative here The music district is bursting with **creative young minds** who cavort in front of the **art academies**. The small district is home to the , one of the **oldest state art academies in Germany**. The HGB has produced a number of artists. The most famous graduate is **Neo Rauch**. The writers of tomorrow hone their works in the white villa opposite the HGB. The is a **university school for writers**, which has trained the , for example. Another hotbed of artists in the music district is the . You can end your stroll through the creative music district at the . After viewing the current exhibition, it's time for a **break in the in-house café**. It is regularly redesigned and renamed by artists. Coffee is currently served in the . With a **view of Johannapark**, of course. ### Our recommendations - Other public institutions - Gallery - Other public institutions There is something to admire here As you stroll through the Musikviertel, don't forget to take a look at the **beautiful houses and villas**. Housing construction in the Musikviertel began in the mid-1880s. Most of the buildings correspond to one of the **neo-styles of historicism** (neo-renaissance or neo-baroque) and resemble the large public buildings in the district. Don't miss the **Roßbach-Eckhaus (Beethovenstraße 8)** in the Neo-Renaissance style. The so-called Roßbach Palais was designed by the architect of the Bibliotheca Albertina and completed in 1893. You will also find Art Nouveau buildings that were built after 1900. There were **detailed regulations** for the development of the area, such as building height, building spacing, number of storeys and degree of overbuilding on the plots. The city council was also responsible for approving the façade view. As a result of all these regulations, the music district has **many architectural gems** and is a **protected monument**. Relax here When the sun is shining, the **Freisitz am Mendelssohnufer** between Mozartstraße and Beethovenstraße is a popular place to relax, lie on the grass, drink coffee and unwind. If you sit down on the steps on the **bank of the Pleißemühlgraben**, you can even dip your feet in the water when the weather is nice. But that wasn't always the case. In 1951, a large part of the ditch was covered with an arched pipeline due to the heavy water pollution from the lignite industry. After the situation had eased, the motto from 1990 was **"Pleiße to the light"**. Work began to uncover and shape the Pleißemühlgraben again. Today you can sit there again and relax. With the magnificent behind you. There are worse views, right? ### Our recommendations - Historical site Cramming here In the past, the district was characterized above all by its musical tradition. Today, the streets are **full of students**. This is mainly due to the fact that the and the in **Beethovenstraße** are located directly opposite each other. The two buildings form a kind of student mecca. The **bicycle stands** on both sides of the street are packed, especially at exam times. When the students aren't studying until their heads are spinning, they sit on the steps in front of the Albertina with coffee and club mate. A short break is a must before heading back into the **glamorous halls** of Leipzig University Library. The library is open to everyone and should be a stop on your exploration tour of the district for the **beautiful entrance hall** alone. Are you a bookworm? Find more libraries in Leipzig here. In the next section, you can read where not only students like to relax in the district. - Staircase in the Albertina Library - University of Leipzig ### Our recommendations - Worth seeing - Library This is where the music plays Is the music district called that because many street musicians perform there? Or is it a popular place for musicians to live? All wrong! Musikviertel is actually just an **unofficial name** for the residential area in Leipzig's Südwestvorstadt district. Important **Leipzig music institutions** are responsible for the name. The first buildings in the district were the **second Gewandhaus**, then called the Neues Concerthaus, in 1884 and the new building of the **Königliches Konservatorium der Musik** in 1887. Robert and Clara Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy wrote music history here. Unfortunately, the Gewandhaus and the conservatory were destroyed in an air raid in 1944. Today, students cram at Leipzig University's Humanities Center on the site of the former Gewandhaus. Despite the destruction, the lets you follow in the footsteps of the musicians. Music has not only shaped the district's past. To this day, many **streets** bear the **names of musicians**. Leipzig Travel26. August 2015 Conclusion Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH Augustusplatz 9 04109 Leipzig Tel +49 (0)341 7104-340 Nearby ------ View on map - Event - Festival - Show - Show - Tours 5.56 km - Themed hiking trail 10.50 km - Canoe 29.99 km - Pilgrimage route