Bach Archive and Bach Museum
Located at St. Thomas’ Churchyard XNUMX/XNUMX, the Leipzig Bach Archive is a world-renowned research centre dedicated to studying the life, work, and influence of Johann Sebastian Bach and his extensive family of musicians. The adjoining Bach Museum, located in the historic Bose House, features a permanent exhibition dedicated to Bach’s life and work. Original Bach manuscripts and jewels from the collection are exhibited in the treasure chamber. The historic baroque summer hall regularly hosts chamber concerts. https://www.bachmuseumleipzig.de/de/bach-museum
St Thomas’ Church - Centre of Bach's Work and Final Resting Place
St. Thomas Church is arguably the most famous Bach site in Leipzig. Here he worked as St. Thomas Cantor, performed many of his works for the first time, and was finally buried. Bach's grave is located directly in front of the altar of St. Thomas Church. Every Friday and Saturday, motets are sung in the church by the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig), which has existed for over 800 years and is considered the "Bach Ensemble." In front of the church stands the famous Bach statue by Carl Seffner, which is a popular photo subject. The Old Bach Monument, erected in 1843 on the initiative of Felix Mendelsohn Bartholdy, is also located very close to St. Thomas Church – on the Promenadenring. It is the world's oldest monument to Bach.
https://www.leipzig.travel/en/poi/thomaskirche
THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) – musical tradition for over 800 years
The THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) Leipzig was founded in 1212 and is one of the oldest boys' choirs in Germany as well as the oldest cultural institution in the city of Leipzig. The structures of the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig), which Bach directed for 27 years and for which he originally composed his Leipzig works, have remained the same for over 800 years. The musical focus of the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) Leipzig is on the cultivation of Bach's work, but its programs include choral works from all eras of music history. Every Friday at 18 p.m. and Saturday at 15 p.m., the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) can be heard performing motets in St. Thomas Church. Since 2020, Andreas Reize has been Thomaskantor and artistic director of the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig).
Nikolaikirche – the second most important performance venue of the Thomaner
Bach began his tenure in Leipzig here on May 30, 1723 with a cantata performance during a church service. As Thomaskantor and Leipzig's "Director musices," Bach was responsible for church music at the two main churches, St. Nicholas' Church and St. Thomas' Church, as well as at the New Church "Matthäi" and St. Peter's Church. The St. Nicholas' Church saw the most cantata performances under Bach's direction. Major works by Bach were also premiered here, including the St. John Passion on Good Friday 1724 and the Christmas Oratorio in 1734.
https://www.leipzig.travel/poi/nikolaikirche
City History Museum – Bach Trail and Haussmann Portrait
The famous Bach portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann is located in the City History Museum in the Old Town Hall. This is where Bach signed his contract as Thomaskantor in 1723 and began his legendary work in Leipzig. The Old Town Hall in Leipzig was the seat of the city administration until 1905. The digital Bach trail in the museum shows the urban environment during Bach's time in Leipzig as well as his personal connections.
https://www.stadtgeschichtliches-museum-leipzig.de/besuch/unsere-haeuser/altes-rathaus/
Bach's Leipzig Works – Concerts at the Place of the Premieres
Bach's official duties as Thomaskantor included around 60 cantatas per church year for Sunday and holiday services. Bach's first Leipzig cantata year has been preserved almost completely. In addition, some of Bach's most important works were premiered in Leipzig, including the only completely preserved authentic passions by Bach: the St. John Passion (BWV 245) from the first year of his tenure in Leipzig in 1724 and the St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) in 1727. At the turn of the year 1734-1735, from December 25 to January 6, the six parts of the Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) were performed for the first time in the Nikolai and Thomas churches. Every year these works are heard at Easter and Christmas in the original locations. In Leipzig and the surrounding area, over 50 concerts with parts of the Christmas Oratorio take place during Advent and Christmas alone.
https://www.leipzig.travel/entdecken/musik/leipziger-komponisten
Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum – Where Bach stopped and wrote the Coffee Cantata
Saxony's favorite drink has been served in Germany's oldest coffee house since 1711. Johann Sebastian Bach was also a frequent guest at the famous Leipzig coffee house "Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum," where numerous other prominent personalities have stopped by over the course of its 300-year history. Bach composed the so-called coffee cantata, "Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht" (BWV 211), in 1734 - the premiere probably took place in the Café Zimmermann. The reopening of the Coffe Baum and the coffee museum located there is planned for spring 2025.
www.leipzig.travel/poi/zum-araben-coffe-baum-because-sanierung-closed
Bach and the Leipzig Music Trail
The Leipzig Music Trail connects 22 authentic locations in music history, including the Mendelssohn House. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy campaigned for the revival of Bach's works, including the St. Matthew Passion in 1829, thereby bringing Bach back into the public consciousness and ushering in the Bach Renaissance.
https://www.notenspur-leipzig.de/
Special Bach tours
Various guided city tours "Around Bach" or "Via Thomana - 800 years of church, choir and school" can be booked all year round. The Leipzig city harbor offers a musical journey of discovery of a special kind from April to October. On a motorboat tour with musical accompaniment, guests gain insights into Bach's work in Leipzig and how the Leipzig river landscape inspired Bach.
leipzig-erleben.com/gruppen/stadtrundgang-leipzig/musikstadt-leipzig/
https://www.stadthafen-leipzig.com/motorbootrundfahrt-johann-sebastian-bach-tour
Bach Festival Leipzig
Every year in June, thousands of Bach fans from over 50 nations gather at the Bachfest Leipzig to celebrate Bach's music together. Renowned performers from around the world can be experienced in over 200 events over eleven days, including, of course, the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig) and the Gewandhausorchester to Leipzig. Also participating in 2025 will be The Constellation Choir & Orchestra under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Ton Koopman, and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir under András Schiff. Ticket sales for the following year begin at the end of November.
https://www.bachfestleipzig.de/de/bachfest
Bach specialties, Bach in film, a forest for Bach
Culinary Bach specialties include the “Bachtaler”, a mixture of nougat and marzipan at Café Kandler, and the “Leipziger Lerche with coffee flavor” at Konditorei Kleinert. Bach fans will also find what they are looking for in the Thomas Shop. The film “Living Bach”, available on DVD and stream, shows what makes the Leipzig Bach Festival and the worldwide Bach family so special.
In order to improve the CO2 balance of the Bach Festival, the Bach Festival Leipzig is permanently supporting the “Forest for Saxony” foundation in the replanting of a Bach forest at the historic Bach site of Störmthal in the south of Leipzig.
https://www.thomasshop-leipzig.de/startseite/
https://www.cafekandler.de/produkt/original-bachtaler/
https://www.baeckerei-kleinert.de/shop/shop_detail.php?kat=128
https://www.schmidt-film.com/living-bach.html?language=de
https://www.bachfestleipzig.de/de/bachfest/ein-wald-f-r-bach
travel offers for Bach fans
Leipzig Tourism and Marketing offers general travel packages year-round to explore the musical city of Leipzig. Bach fans will find particularly appealing travel packages including concert tickets with the THOMANERCHOR LEIPZIG (St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig):
St. Matthew Passion: https://www.leipzig.travel/package/ostern-in-leipzig-mit-dem-thomanerchor
Bach Festival 2025: https://www.leipzig.travel/package/reiseangebot-bachfest-2025
Christmas Oratorio: https://www.leipzig.travel/package/weihnachtsoratorium-leipzig
Music city in general: https://www.leipzig.travel/package/kurzurlaub-musikstadt-leipzig
More information about cycling in the Leipzig Region as well as more interesting routes:
https://www.leipzig.travel/entdecken/musikstadt-leipzig
https://www.leipzig.travel/recherchetext/leipzig-hier-lebt-musik