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"... Do not let yourselves again lay the yoke of bondage!"

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 T he memorial commemorates the Battle of Möckern - a battle of the Battle of Leipzig. This was on 16 October 1813 won the by French elite troops under Marshal Marmont to the fortress-developed village Möckern (in the north west of Leipzig) of the Silesian army, led by their commander Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher ("Marshal Forward") and by the Prussian army corps under Johann David Ludwig Graf Yorck von Wartenberg . Some 10,000 French and 5,000 Prussians at the carnage their lives. This victory helped that Napoleon had to make a shortening of the arc drawn by his troops battle. On 19 October Napoleon was finally defeated by the coalition.
The Saxon kingdom belonged by 1806 more or less forced adhesion to Confederation (Confédération du Rhin) to the allies of France and was therefore obliged to make large military contingents to Napoleon. In return, Elector Friedrich August was I (the Just) was elevated to king. Saxony was unwillingly and forced the French, but was nevertheless regarded by the victors as a collaborator and had to fear, such as to be punished by the Congress of Vienna. The aim was to Prussia, in the wake of the rounding of its territory, the Kingdom of Saxony to incorporate as a whole, which was successful, not because it is not the interest of Austria or France (monarchy was restored) corresponded to let Prussia gain strength more than necessary . The European balance of power was at stake. © www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007
After all, Prussia, but fell to about 57% of the Saxon territory and 42% of the Saxon population, up from about 2 million inhabitants, only 1.2 million remained. The area thus obtained was "Province of Saxony", and corresponds to large parts of today's federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. Not only there, the people felt as a "must-Prussians."
As a consolation for not quite get Saxony to have Prussia were granted in the western territories considerable extent, namely the province of Westphalia and the Rhine province, with the side effect that therefore the Catholic population in the hitherto almost exclusively Protestant Prussia significantly increased.
© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 Among the Saxons was a member of Prussia ceded territories in addition to Merseburg, Naumburg, Mansfeld and Wittenberg Querfurt also, the ancient capital of Electoral Saxony - so ursächsisches area. Saxon - - University Leucorea ("leukos" = white in the style of "Wittenberg" = white mountain) merged with the Prussian University of Halle for the United Friedrichs-University Halle-Wittenberg in 1817 by Luther and Melanchthon became world famous.
The village Möckern well, that's long since become a suburb of Leipzig (October 1, 1910 annexation), counted just 300 inhabitants in 1813 and belonged to the manor located there. After the battle, the place is almost completely destroyed (15 houses or estates, the town hall, the school, the shepherd's house, and probably the windmill). In addition, the community had in April 1813 to take out a loan of 300 crowns, to entertain at this time quartered Russian troops. © www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 Perhaps the collective memory of the population Möckerns had in mind that it was not even 200 years ago that Swedish troops stuck in the Thirty Years War in 1637 Möckern fire. Previously in the year 1631 passed by Tilly's troops at the siege of Leipzig Möckern, where they pitched a camp. After all, these were by 21,000 foot soldiers and 11 000 safe rider, whose board was charging Möckern a large economic burden. But Möckern lived later completed with the military, as namely in 1877 after two years of construction, the infantry barracks and was soon after the 7th Royal Decree. Saxon Infantry Regiment "Prince George" No. 106 was stationed there. After untergbracht were on the premises after the First World War, security companies, the barracks served after the Second World War until 1949 as a refugee and resettlement camps as well as a quarantine camp for returning soldiers. From 1952-56, the barracks housed units of the People's Police. From 1956-90 Finally the NVA units were housed there. © www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 For a year the army still used the barracks before they were fed a commercial use. Since 1991, located on the former military area, the National Insurance Institute of Saxony, since 1997 the new building of the Leipzig Labour Office. Together with other institutions located there, the complex is now the social center of Leipzig.
But back to the aforementioned monument. This is now before the Church of the Resurrection, on 10 Inaugurated in November 1901 as an emergency or interim solution, but until today because of two world wars, and Weltwirschaftskrise socialism remains unchanged as a timber-framed building with infill is made of unplastered bricks yellow. Was from 1886 to 1901, were religious services in the auditorium of the 1884-86 built the "red school" was held. Until the year 1543 was Möckern gepfarrt after the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, after the Reformation to the true and from 1544 to 1857 and 1857 after Eutritzsch finally back to True. In 1901 the church was also the first time in their own village.
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Anton Philipp Reclam

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007

T he pictured above sarcophagus is located in the stonework of the old St. John's cemetery in Leipzig. In it, the urns were buried in the family Reclam to know how can an information board. The past tense used here, indicates that the polls are no longer there, so it is, moreover, the sarcophagus is a cenotaph is that has not been established as such, but the literal meaning after one has become one.
The assumption is that the family Reclam took the ballot boxes with them or transfer made when, in 1947, moved to Stuttgart in order first to establish a branch of the Leipzig headquarters, after partial expropriation and dismantling of the Leipzig publishing house by the Soviet Union in 1950 but eventually became the new headquarters, while the parent company was nationalized and Leipzig in DDR aegis parallel persisted. After the reunification of the Leipzig universal library was discontinued in favor of Stuttgart and partly continued as Reclam library. After the re-privatization of the Leipzig branch of Leipzig in 1992 under the name Reclam a subsidiary of Stuttgart Reclam 2 . This branch has already been in its founding year with the post title "Brother of Sleep" by Robert Schneider, a big success, which was published in 30 editions, translated into 24 languages ​​and 1995 even filmed. © www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 Nevertheless, it was decided in Ditzingen 3 in 2005 against a continuance of the Leipzig publishing subsidiary, closed its doors in 2006. Reclam of Leipzig is thus left nothing but the name which is used by more than the Stuttgart publishing imprint 4 . In addition, the book city of Leipzig was still an empty sarcophagus. Another tragedy, the cause is found in the crimes of the Nazis.

Literature:

  • Bode, Dietrich: Reclam - data, pictures and documents on the publishing history from 1828 to 2003. Stuttgart, 2003.
  1. Cenotaph (too:) cenotaph, which,-s,-e [lat kenotáphion cenotaphium <greek to: keno = empty grave and Taphos =] [ ]
  2. Similarly, it also handled the Frankfurt-based Suhrkamp publishing house with the Leipzig Insel Verlag [ ]
  3. In the near Stuttgart located in Stuttgart Ditzingen Reclam has its headquarters since 1980 [ ]
  4. for titles in the fields of philosophy, religion, culture, history and biographies, as well as for the so-called "series myth" [ ]

FA Brockhaus - talk ...

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 T he grave stone of Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus (* 1772 in Dortmund - † 1823 in Leipzig), the founder of the Brockhaus publishing house and editor of the first Brockhaus encyclopaedia, is located in the stonework of the old St. John's cemetery in Leipzig. Stand by the grave stones six other members of the Brockhaus family, namely: Heinrich Brockhaus (* 1804 in Amsterdam - † 1874 in Leipzig), doctor of philosophy, as well as booksellers and print shop owner, Hermann Brockhaus (* 1772 in Dortmund - † 1877 in Leipzig) doctor and professor of philosophy and Royal. Saxon. Privy Councillor, Frederick Clemens Brockhaus (* 1837 in Dresden - † 1877 in Leipzig), doctor and professor of philosophy and pastor of St. John, Heinrich Rudolf Brockhaus (* 1838 in Leipzig - † 1898 in Leipzig), publisher and bookseller, Rudolf Heinrich Brockhaus (* 1864 - † 1943), also a bookseller and publisher Eric Raphael Brockhaus (* 1870 - † 1945), an engineer.
Much like in the case of the Reclam-Verlag publishing house and the island passed under the German Brockhaus publishing division two. Brockhaus said Eberhard began in 1945, the first publisher in the tradition still continues under his name in Wiesbaden, where the publisher after the expropriation of the Leipzig headquarters but was renamed again as FA Brockhaus. In 1984 FA Brockhaus merged from dire, one of his biggest rivals - the Bibliographical Institute AG 2 of the company BIFAB (Bibliographic Institut & FA Brockhaus AG), the joint sitting of 1985 Mannheim was. Four years later rose to the dictionary publisher Langenscheidt as a major shareholder in the company.
© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 In contrast, the Leipzig publishing house was expropriated in 1953 and eventually converted into a state-owned enterprise, namely the VEB FA Brockhaus Verlag Leipzig, who was until 1990. Then came the re-privatization. In 1992, the Leipzig publisher to a subsidiary of the Bibliographical Institute & FA Brockhaus AG, with the name of FA Brockhaus GmbH, unlike in the case of the Reclam-Verlag, founders considered in Mannheim apparently on its own tradition and is still with her. A Leipzig branch continues to exist and was involved in 2005, the 21st Bring out edition of the Brockhaus encyclopedia in 30 volumes and about 300,000 keywords. This is the last printed edition of the encyclopedia. Henceforth, they will appear exclusively in digital form. The first digital edition appeared in 2002 on two CD-ROMs and a DVD. The latest version - the 21st Edition - published in both book form and digitally onto two DVD-ROMs and on a USB stick.

  1. the market was saturated and therefore slow-selling encyclopedias [ ]
  2. Founded in 1824 by Joseph Meyer in Gotha, first to Leipzig to Hildburghausen in 1874 and moved [ ]

guidance - Otto Harrassowitz

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 V erglichen containing the graves of Campe and Meyer is the Harrassowitzsche are modest. The Leipzig sculptor Adolf Lehnert created by children marble figure is on the southern cemetery Leipzig 1 . Only about five feet high 2 , it is a bit off the major roads. The bar on the front of the base inscription is badly weathered, but closer inspection still is to decipher the following: "Gisela Harrassowitz 28.VIII.1919 * - † 11.IV.1925". Given the fact that these Gisela was only six years old, it stands to reason that it is of a sculpture (praying) girls. The other side of the base are not provided with inscriptions, which is why the claim that those discrepancies were due also to the tomb of Otto Harrassowitz, the publication "The Leipzig South Cemetery - History / burial / grave monuments" 3 must be familiar. There the grave on page 153, using a photograph is discussed above and depicted sculpture called without the utterance of any doubt as the tomb of Otto Harrassowitz. Regrettably, however, dealt with a single word on the very young who died in Gisela Harrassowitz, whose name is listed as one on the tomb. Though this should involve the daughter of Otto Harrassowitz, she had survived her father by only five years and he experienced his only daughter for a year. That it is his daughter is, however, very unlikely since he would then become the Biblical age of 74 years, father. Perhaps it is therefore a granddaughter, but this is purely speculative. Apart from the surname Harrassowitz found no indication so that Otto Harrassowitz lie buried there.
In reliance on the validity of a statement in the above publication is therefore assumed here that it is also the final resting place of the publisher Harrassowitz.
© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 This Otto (William) Harrassowitz (December 18, 1845 in Guayara, Venezuela - † June 24, 1920 in the south of Leipzig Gaschwitz) now came at the age of ten years from Venezuela, had built up where his father was a commercial enterprise, to Leipzig, around there at the age of nineteen years, a record book trade.
He later founded the antiquarian book trade and publishing house gained notoriety under him WORLDWIDE. He redesigned the publisher at a special literature for Oriental Studies, Library and Language Sciences, which published nearly 500 Antiquarian catalogs. By far the largest number of its catalogs was devoted to the Orient. Harrassowitz was in the eighties of the 19th Century's most important Orientalist bookseller of the European continent. Other catalogs which had in their quality of scientific merit, classical philology, archeology, the Germanic, Anglistics, Romance languages, theology, art and the Americana dedicated. In addition, the export book trade flourished with the United States. Sun Libraries forty Americans were on the weekly mailing list.

  1. Department XVII [ ]
  2. including pedestal [ ]
  3. Katrin Loeffler, Iris Schöpa Sprinz and Heidrun. Published on behalf of the Historical Society eV Leipzig Leipzig, 2, altered edition 2004. [ ]

Education for All - Herrmann Julius Meyer

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 A n the Western Wall of Leipzig in Division III South Cemetery is the burial site of Herrmann Julius Meyer, the most significant addition to Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus German encyclopedia publisher. Meyer was born on 4 April 1826 as son of publisher Joseph Meyer was born in Gotha. His father was the one who founded the publishing house called "Bibliographical Institute," which evolved under Julius Meyer to bloom. To suppress it would mean to tell only half the story. So it was allowed to begin with the father.
Joseph Meyer was born in 1796 in Gotha, grew up there, first attended a grammar school and then headed by a priest Schulpensionat. At the age of thirteen he went on a four-year apprenticeship as a clerk in a grocery store in Frankfurt and was subsequently in 1817 to London to try his fortune as a merchant miscalculated, according to interim successes, however, in 1820, in coffee shops and drive thus his business into bankruptcy. Finally he had to leave London to escape the debtors' prison.
A year later tried his hand as an entrepreneur Bleaching and dyeing entangled, but again in speculation, which led to large losses and failed so did also this company. After he had issued in the meantime, in his former school, language lessons, and was entered as a writer in appearance, Meyer took over in 1824 a position in Henning's bookstore in Gotha, where he was trusted with the publication of a weekly correspondence sheet for merchants, which under his Aegis has been a great success. In addition, Meyer also gave out Shakespeare in German, which is due to criticism of his translation designed but less successful.
After this employment relationship, however, lured him again the independence, so he founded in 1826, the aforementioned Bibliographical Institute. At the third attempt at independence had Meyer - as it should soon see - found his destiny. His first project as an independent bookseller and publisher that is was a resounding success. This project consisted of installing inexpensive editions of the classics under the name "Cabinet Library of the German classics." In this series appeared 150 bands, of which 40,000 copies were ever sold one , which was a huge success. He violated copyrights but also against what the competition is less disturbing than his offensive and including new ways of advertising and marketing bypassed, with whom he sometimes even the established booksellers. Meyer said advertised in newspapers with not a single ad for his publications, but the same on several pages. He had billboards hang at post offices and mail to millions of leaflets. The effect of these campaigns was not enough. Examined the prospects abound at bookstores to buy the advertised title, why did the carrying trade compelled to have these in stock. In the areas that possessed no book stores or book stores which did not cooperate with Meyer, he won from outside the industry as a distributor of commercial agents, which might have hundreds colporteurs 2 sent, so peddlers with abdominal stores in the country.
In addition, Meyer brought in his publications the Subskriptionsprinzip used. Especially in multi-volume or otherwise costly publications could be ordered in advance by the subscription, the subscription is similar to the magazines. This allowed the publisher to determine the run length of one that would be salable and, second, whether this would at least cover the cost of production. Thus did reduce the risk of publishing. The subscriber paid the entire publication in advance, but was only piecemeal as supplied weekly for a period of one year. This was partly so far that not only individual volumes were delivered successively, but only two arcs, corresponding to 32 pages. Did you complete all the sheets together, they could be bound at the bookbinder. On the way, let the production volumes for the publisher manageable. At the same time this piecemeal acquisition also was affordable for less affluent customers, generating new buyers have been developed. Thus Meyer also acted in the spirit of the Enlightenment impetus resulting from corporate motto "Education for All". Another reason for the low prices of Meyer's books and their resulting therefrom large spread was also the above-mentioned fact that Meyer reprinted some works illegally, ie without having acquired the licenses. With such pirated editions, he was able to reduce its production costs and pass these cost savings to its customers. Only about 40 years later - namely on 9 November 1867 - was enacted a law by which all those literary works were public domain, the authors of which at least 30 years had recently died. This was true of a work that now had neither the publisher nor any descendants of the author's eligible compensation to be paid, which accounted for a significant cost factor in the production of books. It is therefore not to be regarded as a coincidence that Philipp Reclam Jr., the publisher. just in the year in which this law was enacted, with the publication of his still sold Universal Library began.

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  1. Source: website of the publisher [ ]
  2. from queen or colporter from the Old Fr. Use a col porter - on the shoulders, neck wear the [ ]

Three Ages of Woman (Arthur Bock)

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 T his wall-like tomb is located at the Hamburg Cemetery Ohlsdorf on the grave of gynecologist Dr. Richard Moon. The sculpture was created by the sculptor Arthur Bock 1 1920 or 1926 from limestone. Here the motif of age in the three times of day morning, noon and evening was implemented, as the carved sculptures are among the terms.
Presented at the right hand lasciviously then cast the young girl ("Tomorrow"), half-naked. It has lost a myrrh wreath in her hair and another on your lap and looks and carefree.
In the middle of the responsible mother ("lunch") is to see how they are an infant's chest and how a boy hugs with his back to them.
To the left, finally sees the old woman ("Eve"), drawn by age, half veiled, not as it seems, turned away, but turned to a grandson who is half hidden by bushes. The trains of the old woman play about grief and age goodness, affection, but also effort. It is in their attitude not as fluent as the girl of long ago. She looks gaunt and bony, and lean on it prepares clearly more trouble.
Rounding out the sculpture by the fact that their alignment with the corresponding movement of the sun 2 . The girls look to the east and west, the old woman. The mother, the sun is at its zenith.

Literature:

  • Leisner, Barbara; Heiko Schulze KL and Ellen Thormann. Hamburg's main cemetery Ohlsdorf. History and monuments. Volumes 1 and 2 Hamburg, 1990.
  • Behrens, Christine: The sculptor Arthur Bock (1875-1957) in Hamburg. In: Ohlsdorf - Journal of mourning culture. Issue: No. 99, IV, 2007 10/11/2007
  1. Leipzig * 1875 - † 1957 Hamburg [ ]
  2. Behrens, Christine: The sculptor Arthur Bock (1875-1957) in Hamburg. In: Ohlsdorf - Journal of mourning culture. Issue: No. 99, IV, 2007 10/11/2007 [ ]

Will be, pass ... (Arthur Bock)

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007

This sculpture Arthur Bock created one in 1915, probably made ​​of marble. It is located in the cemetery Hamburg Ohlsdorf on the tomb of the factory owner, Dr. Max Albrecht.

Literature:

  • Leisner, Barbara; Heiko Schulze KL and Ellen Thormann. Hamburg's main cemetery Ohlsdorf. History and monuments. Volumes 1 and 2 Hamburg, 1990.
  1. Leipzig * 1875 - † 1957 Hamburg [ ]

Familie Baedeker – Letzte Reise …

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007

W hile Karl Baedeker, Publisher founder and one of the pioneers of mass tourism, buried in Koblenz lies where he laid the foundation for future publishing, his third son of Fritz and his grandson Ernst as well as other family members at the Leipzig South Cemetery (Section VI) are buried. The Baedeker company had moved to Leipzig in 1872 by Koblenz. Fritz Baedeker led to the publishing of its greatest prosperity.
Baedeker's guide that was soon a household name internationally, the following quote from the English translation of the libretto to Jacques Offenbach's operetta "La Vie Parisienne":

Kings and governments may err but never Mr. Baedeker.

This view was probably Kaiser Wilhelm I, who was presented on time every afternoon to the Changing of the Guard in his palace on Unter den Linden, because, he reportedly said: "It is in Baedeker that I am changing of the guard from the window look, and people have come here for that. "
Regarding the proverbial meticulousness Karl Baedeker tells an anecdote of the meeting of the Westphalian Baron Gisbert von Vincke with Karl Baedeker in 1847, as they boarded randomly, both at the same time the Duomo, which said the baron a strange doings in which he still unknown Mr. Baedeker. This frequently intervened in his vest pocket and then immediately into the pocket. When asked about the reason for his actions, said the travel guide author that he thus count the steps exactly: Every twenty steps he put a pea on his vest in the pocket count, up from the final sum by multiplying the peas with twenty and the residual levels add and make the descent to cross-check. The resulting number was the precise specification for the later stages Guide. Therefore, if the proverbial concept of "bean counters" derived? This could be just as good due to the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel, who studied so well known, the rules of inheritance in pea plants based on characteristics. However, came the name "Baedeker" during the Second World War also dubious honor: The German bombing of the culturally and historically important cities of Bath, Canterbury, Exeter, Norwich and York were from April to June 1942 in England as a "Baedeker raids" or " Baedeker Blitz "because rumored, was that the Nazis would be oriented in the selection of culturally and historically most important places in the Baedeker to the usual asterisks (asterisk) 1 . An asterisk indicates "particularly noteworthy" down. The maximum number of two asterisks marks "unique attractions".

  1. Source: Baedeker's homepage, category: publishing history [ ]

Fear God, Christian Gellert - A fabulous grave ...

© www.espritdescalier.de - Stefan Fix, 2007 A m 13. Dezember habe der Philosophieprofessor Gellert nach dreizehntägiger hartnäckiger Leibes-Obstruktion und innerlicher Entzündung die Zeitlichkeit verlassen, meldeten Leipziger Zeitungen. 1 Mit ihm hätten Stadt und Universität Leipzig einen ihrer berühmtesten Männer verloren, hieß es dort weiter. In der Tat gingen die Menschen eines der bedeutendsten Vertreter der Leipziger Aufklärung verlustig, die sich auch solch bekannter Namen wie Johann Christoph Gottsched und Gotthold Ephraim Lessing rühmen kann. Mit seinen „Fabeln und Erzählungen” (1746-48), die aus dem aufklärerischen Tugendideal heraus entstanden, wurde Gellert einer der meistgelesenen Autoren des 18. Century. Sein Briefroman „Das Leben der schwedischen Gräfin von G***” begründete in Deutschland den bürgerlichen Roman. Seine Lustspiele führten das „Rührstück” (Comédie larmoyante) aus dem Französischen in die deutsche Literatur ein. Auch als Professor genoss Gellert seitens seiner Studenten große Verehrung und Liebe, wie Goethe in „Dichtung und Wahrheit” berichtet. Seine Vorlesungen über Moral, Poesie und Beredsamkeit seien gedrängt voll gewesen, so Goethe. Zu Goethes Studienzeit in Leipzig neigte sich das Leben Gellerts jedoch bereits seinem Ende zu. Mit seiner Beerdigung hatte Gellert jedoch mitnichten seine letzte Ruhestätte gefunden, wie im Folgenden beschrieben werden soll.
Nach dreifacher Umbettung befindet sich Gellerts letzte Ruhestätte nunmehr auf dem Leipziger Südfriedhof (Abteilung I). Seine erste Grabstätte jedoch befand sich auf dem Alten Johannisfriedhof. Als die heute nicht mehr existierende Johanniskirche 1894 bis auf den Turm abgebrochen wurde, um nach den Plänen des Architekten Hugo Licht im neobarocken Stil neu gebaut zu werden, fand man an der Südwand die Gebeine Johann Sebastian Bachs und diejenigen Gellerts. Man exhumierte sie und setzte sie 1897 in dem fertig gestellten Kirchenneubau in einer Gruft unter dem Altarraum erneut bei.
Nachdem das Kirchenschiff im Jahr 1943 bei Luftangriffen stark beschädigt worden war, wurden 1949 die Trümmer beseitigt und die verbliebenen Ruinen des Kirchenschiffs abgetragen. Im gleichen Jahr wurden die Gebeine Bachs in die Thomaskirche umgebettet, während die Gebeine Gellerts in die Universitätskirche St. Pauli überführt wurden. Der übriggebliebene Turm der Johanniskirche wurde 1956 saniert, was nichts daran änderte, dass das atheistische Regime der DDR ihn 1963 sprengen ließ, sodass an dieser Stelle heute nur noch der Name „Johannisplatz” an die Kirche erinnert. Der weiter südöstlich, hinter dem Grassimuseum gelegene Alte Johannisfriedhof, der heute eine museale Parkanlage ist, ist ein weiterer Hinweis auf die frühere Existenz der Kirche. Der seit 1563 bestehende Alte Johannisfriedhof war 1883 wegen vollständiger Auslastung seiner Kapazitäten für Bestattungen geschlossen worden. Fortan wurde der 1846 eröffnete Neue Johannisfriedhof genutzt, der etwa einen Kilometer südöstlich vom Alten Johannisfriedhof gelegen war. Am 31.12.1950 wurde jedoch auch dieser Friedhof von der Stadtverwaltung für Bestattungen – und zwanzig Jahre später, am 31.12.1970, für die Öffentlichkeit geschlossen. Darauf folgte zunächst die Säkularisation des Gottesackers, in deren Zuge Gruftanlagen und Umfassungsmauern abgebrochen und Gräber eingeebnet wurden. Umbettungen fanden nur dann statt, wenn sie privat finanziert wurden. Nur etwa 120 Grabmale wurden gerettet und auf dem Alten Johannisfriedhof gelagert. Unsachgemäßer Transport dorthin führte jedoch zu starken Beschädigungen der historisch bedeutenden Objekte. Vandalismus und Diebstahl taten schließlich ihr Übriges, sodass nach dem Ende des Arbeiter- und Bauernstaates nur noch 58 Grabmale übrig waren, die saniert werden konnten und daraufhin im südöstlichen Teil des Alten Johannisfriedhofs im eigens für diese Objekte eingerichteten Lapidarium aufgestellt wurden. Im Jahr 1983 wurde der nunmehr säkularisierte Neue Johannisfriedhof der Bevölkerung unter dem neuen Namen „Friedenspark” als städtisches Naherholungsgebiet zur Nutzung freigegeben. Somit fiel hier ein Name weg, der an die Existenz der Johanniskirche erinnerte. Die in nordöstlicher Richtung verlaufende Johannisallee ist jedoch ein heute noch existierender Hinweis auf diese Kirche. Die Johannisallee befindet sich zwischen Altem Johannisfriedhof und dem Friedenspark.
Doch zurück zum Schicksal von Gellerts Gebeinen. Ihnen war nur eine kurz Zeit der Ruhe vergönnt, denn die sie beherbergende Universitätskirche St. Pauli war den sozialistischen Bauplanern ein Dorn im Auge. Religion hatte in einer inzwischen in „Karl Marx” umbenannten Universität, auf einem inzwischen auf den Namen „Karl Marx” umgetauften Platz keine Daseinsberechtigung, hatte doch ausgerechnet dieser den von Lenin abgewandelten Auspruch geprägt, demzufolge Religion Opium für das Volk sei. Nun hatte aber der – seine späteren Jünger des DDR-Politbüros an Intelligenz wohl allesamt weit überlegene – Marx diesen Ausspruch in einer Zeit getätigt, als die christliche Konfession fast ausschließlich auf der Seite der „besitzenden Klassen” stand. Das „Übel” der Existenz dieser besitzenden Klassen hatte das SED-Regime im Jahr 1968 jedoch weitgehend beseitigt. Man war dem Ziel der „klassenlosen Gesellschaft” also bedeutend nähergerückt. Es ist durchaus vorstellbar, dass ein Marx diesem neuen Kontext Rechnung getragen hätte. Seine buchstabengläubigen und parolenverliebten Anhänger waren zu einer solchen geistigen Transferleistung offenbar nicht imstande. Das klerikale Übel musste allem Anschein in ihren ideologisch verblendeten Augen mit Stumpf und Stiel ausgemerzt werden. Weiterlesen ›

  1. Vgl. Löffler, Katrin; Schöpa, Iris ua: Der Leipziger Südfriedhof – Geschichte / Grabstätten / Grabdenkmäler. Leipzig, 2004 2 , S. 46. [ ]

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