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Brühl (Leipzig)
Encyclopedia
The Brühl is a street in Leipzig
, Germany
, just within the limits of the former city wall.
of Leipzig between 1701 and 1704, and one of the finest baroque
buildings remaining in the town.
In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Brühl was part of the Jewish
quarter of the city.
The Brühl retained Jewish connections into the 20th century. The street was the centre of the World fur trade
. Chaim Eitingon, the Russia
n-born 'king of the fur
trade', opened a branch there in 1893, and in the 1920s the street represented one-third of the world trade in furs.
In 1938, under the Nazi
government, 'the entire Brühl district changed hands, as fur firms — the pinnacle of Jewish commerce in the city, along with the department stores — were stolen from their owners.
Today the street contains a few 19th-century and early 20th-century buildings, most of the remaining buildings being from the third quarter of the 20th century. A notable modern building is the town's Museum der bildenden Künste
(Museum of the visual arts
).
was born at no. 3, the 'House of the Red and White Lions'. Ironically, Wagner's disciple Theodor Uhlig
, in an 1850 essay which Wagner was later to build on for his own essay Das Judenthum in der Musik
, condemned the music of Meyerbeer by linking it to the Jewish quarters of Leipzig and Dresden
: 'If that is dramatic song, then Gluck, Mozart, Cherubini and Spontini carried out their studies at the Neumarkt
in Dresden or the Brühl in Leipzig.' Wagner's birthplace was demolished in 1886, three years after his death, and the site is now occupied by a disused (as of August 2008) department store, built in 1968 to a design of the architect Harry Müller. It is hoped to replace this building over the next few years with a new construction that could incorporate parts of the foundations of the Wagner house and will contain a memorial to the composer.
A parallel street to the Brühl is now named Richard-Wagner-Straße.
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, just within the limits of the former city wall.
History
On the corner of the Brühl and Katharinestrasse stands the Romanus house, built for the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Leipzig between 1701 and 1704, and one of the finest baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
buildings remaining in the town.
In the late 18th century and early 19th century, the Brühl was part of the Jewish
History of the Jews in Germany
The presence of Jews in Germany has been established since the early 4th century. The community prospered under Charlemagne, but suffered during the Crusades...
quarter of the city.
The Brühl retained Jewish connections into the 20th century. The street was the centre of the World fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
. Chaim Eitingon, the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-born 'king of the fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
trade', opened a branch there in 1893, and in the 1920s the street represented one-third of the world trade in furs.
Only 4.2% of Leipzigers as a whole worked in the fur industry, but 8.7% of Jewish Leipzigers did. The Brühl was an emblem of Jewish economic activity in Leipzig, and of the city as a whole
In 1938, under the Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
government, 'the entire Brühl district changed hands, as fur firms — the pinnacle of Jewish commerce in the city, along with the department stores — were stolen from their owners.
Today the street contains a few 19th-century and early 20th-century buildings, most of the remaining buildings being from the third quarter of the 20th century. A notable modern building is the town's Museum der bildenden Künste
Museum der bildenden Künste
The Museum der bildenden Künste is a museum in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. On 7,000 square meters of display area, 3,500 paintings, 1,000 sculptures and 60,000 graphical works are shown...
(Museum of the visual arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
).
Wagner's birthplace
It was in the Brühl, in 1813, that the composer Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
was born at no. 3, the 'House of the Red and White Lions'. Ironically, Wagner's disciple Theodor Uhlig
Theodor Uhlig
Theodor Uhlig was a German viola-player, composer and music critic.-Uhlig and Wagner:...
, in an 1850 essay which Wagner was later to build on for his own essay Das Judenthum in der Musik
Das Judenthum in der Musik
Das Judenthum in der Musik is an essay by Richard Wagner, attacking Jews in general and the composers Giacomo Meyerbeer and Felix Mendelssohn in particular, which was published under a pseudonym in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik of Leipzig in...
, condemned the music of Meyerbeer by linking it to the Jewish quarters of Leipzig and Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
: 'If that is dramatic song, then Gluck, Mozart, Cherubini and Spontini carried out their studies at the Neumarkt
Neumarkt (Dresden)
The Neumarkt in Dresden is a central and culturally significant section of the Dresden inner city. The historic area was almost completely wiped out during the Allied bomb attack during the Second World War...
in Dresden or the Brühl in Leipzig.' Wagner's birthplace was demolished in 1886, three years after his death, and the site is now occupied by a disused (as of August 2008) department store, built in 1968 to a design of the architect Harry Müller. It is hoped to replace this building over the next few years with a new construction that could incorporate parts of the foundations of the Wagner house and will contain a memorial to the composer.
A parallel street to the Brühl is now named Richard-Wagner-Straße.