The 20-hectare green area in Leipzig's south-east was opened in 1983 as the Friedenspark. Previously, the complex was used as the New St. John's Cemetery.
The green area on Linnéstrasse in the south of the city was opened in 1846 as the New St. John's Cemetery - the Old St. John's Cemetery had reached its capacity and could not be extended. Due to severe damage from the Second World War, it was closed for burials at the end of 1950 and, 20 years later, completely closed to the public. The earlier use of today's park can still be seen from the remnants of the surrounding wall and less preserved wall areas.
The area was reopened in 1983 - under the new name Friedenspark - as a recreation area with various leisure facilities. The two themed gardens are a special feature: the apothecary garden of the University of Leipzig displays 300 medicinal, homeopathic and poisonous plants, while the fragrance and sensory garden was created in 2007 to integrate blind and visually-impaired visitors.
