Saxony Doubles as Business and Leisure Destination

Saxon Gov. Kurt Beidenkopf (right) hosts visiting Slovak President Rudolf Schuster in Dresden.

With a history spanning nearly 1,000 years and an eye toward its future, the Free State of Saxony today has plenty to attract the tourist and businessman alike.

Once the cradle of the industrial age and a center European culture, Saxony is moving aggressively to regaining its former prominence at the geographic and commercial heart of Europe. Its ambitions also extend to the world of sports.

As Saxony’s Governor, Prof. Dr. Kurt Biedenkopf, has observed, “In Saxony, there has always been a close connection between science, business, art and culture. This is the foundation of that identity from which people draw strength and confidence to shape the future.”

Located in Germany’s southeast corner, bordering Poland and the Czech Republic, Saxony is the most densely populated and most industrialized of the new German states. More than one-fifth of the region's 4.9 million inhabitants live in Leipzig (508,000) and Dresden (488,000).

Throughout its history, the size and borders of Saxony have undergone frequent changes. For example, the Kingdon of Saxony, as one of Napoleon’s former allies, had to relinquish two-thirds of its territory and one-third of its population to Prussia after the Vienna Congress in 1815.

Another significant milestone was the formal dissolution of the state in 1952 and its partitioning into the three German Democratic Republic (GDR) districts of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz (a town that was renamed Karl-Marx Stadt in 1953).

The Free State of Saxony was re-established in 1990 when the former GDR acceded to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany. Immediately after its political reunification, State Parliamentary elections were held again in Saxony on October 14, 1990.

But past commercial ties with eastern Europe and Saxony’s geographic proximity to Poland and the Czech Republic present new opportunities.

Frank Schulz, an executive with Commerzbank AG in Dresden, sees increasing cooperation between eastern Germany and Eastern Europe. Commerzbank, which was created from scratch after German reunification and now employs over 900 people, has started a network of bank branches in Eastern Europe.

“We are very interested in following German companies into the Eastern European marketplace,” says Schulz.

Saxony’s history is also one that is marked by technical innovation. The Saxony textile industry that developed in the 17th century grew out of the development of textile weaving machines.

Mechanical engineering came to the fore in the 20th century when automobile construction became a major pillar of the western Saxon economy. Nameplates like Horch, Wanderer and Audi were built there, and now Volkswagen is making cars at Mosel near Zwickau.

Volkswagen will soon launch a new luxury car line, code named D1, that will compete with Mercedes Benz and Lexus. The D1 represents the first taste of a completely redesigned luxury sedan that will be manufactured in the new “crystal factory” located in Dresden.

Soon customers will be able come to the “transparent” factory and literally watch their car being built.

In addition, automotive manufacturers such as BMW and Porsche are all investing heavily in the state. BMW expects to spend $860 million to build a new plant near Leipzig. Daimler-Chrysler is reportedly considering the area for construction of a new engine plant. Innovation is not new to this part of Germany.

It was in Saxony that the SLR camera was first developed, as well as such everyday articles as the toothpaste tube, the modern tea bag, mouthwash, beer bottle caps, and coffee filters. The first pilsner beer ever made in Germany was produced in Radeberg, a village near Dresden. Camembert cheese was invented, not in France, but in the Saxon village of Heinrichsthaler.

The Saxon tradition of innovation continues as major high tech companies such as AMD, Infineon, and Motorola join the “Silicon Saxony” technology cluster. One additional and notable sign of the arrival of global companies to Saxony is the recent establishment of International Schools in Dresden and Leipzig, where the language of instruction is English.

Saxony’s capital city of Dresden, first mentioned in documents in the year 1206, was the seat of royalty and was once called “Florence on the Elbe”. Almost completely destroyed during World War II, Dresden is re-emerging both as an important business capital and as a cultural center and tourist destination.

Dresden is a leading city in the world of music, with its renowned Opera House (Semper Oper), built in the Italian Renaissance style by Gottfried Semper in 1870-78, now restored to its former glory, the Staatskapelle, and the famous choir, the Kreuzchor. It is an El Dorado of the visual arts with its extensive collections of precious stones, pearls and works of art in the Grunes Gewolbe and its paintings by European masters in the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister.

Saxony has a variety of attractions that will appeal to international visitors. Here are some highlights:

Music. Saxony has 20 major cultural and opera orchestras funded by the state, the local authorities and the private sector. The most famous are the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig and the Saxon State Orchestra in Dresden. The music scene is also enriched by the choir and orchestra of the Mitteldeutsche Rundfunk. Some of the oldest elements of European music culture are the Saxon boys’ choirs – the Dresdener Kreuzchor and the Thomanerchor in Leipzig – which were founded more than 800 years ago.

Dresden Castle, which is due to be renovated in the next few years, was the birthplace of opera in northern Germany in 1662. “Saxony is famous for the production of beautiful musical instruments, the training of virtuoso musicians and the performance of wonderful music,” notes Hans-Jurgen Goller, Managing Director, Tourism Marketing Company of Saxony (TMGS).

Saxony is the land of such composers as Bach, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Wagner. Music festivals are held year around, especially in the cities of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz.

Examples: The Saxon Mozart Festival in Chemnitz in late April, The Leipzig Mendelssohn Festival in late October, the Dresden Music Festival in late May and the International Dixieland Festival in Dresden in early May.

In Leipzig resides the oldest continuously operating concert orchestra in Europe. Saxons love music. They also have a world famous talent for making excellent musical instruments. Violins of masters, guitars and trumpets have been made in the Vogtland “musical nook” at the southwestern tip of Saxony for over 300 years.

Castles. There are more than 1,000 castles, historic gardens and manor houses in Saxony. To simplify the decision process for visitors, the Saxon Castles Administration offers a self-guided castle tour of twenty of the finest castles and gardens. The castle route includes the Dresden Zwinger, the Baroque Palace of Rammenau in Saxon Switzerland, the Schloss Mortizberg lake palace in

Saxony’s wine country, and the magnificent Schloss Augustusburg in Erzgebirge, which is also the home of the famous Erzebirge lace-making craft. Museums. The Zwinger Palace in Dresden houses the notable collection of Friedrich August (the Strong), Prince Elector of Saxony and King of Poland. The palace narrowly escaped destruction in the 1945 bombings. In the Semper wing is the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister, a world famous collection of paintings from 1400-1800.

Attractions in Leipzig are included in the Leipzig section of this report. Natural History. The Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the 'Switzerland of Saxony' is a popular holiday region, but not only on account of the ideal climbing conditions it has to offer.

Great efforts are being made to expand the tourist trade. An 'Erzgebirge Silver Route' is has been organizaed that will lead visitors to 150 places of interest.

The Switzerland of Saxony is so names because of its Swiss-like landscape, sandstone cliffs and breathtaking hikes. The Sachsische Schweiz National Park also features the Felsenbuhne, one of Europe’s most beautiful open air theatres with stone pillars looming over the stage and 2,000 seats carved into a cliff.

Spas. One of the newest spas in Saxony is The Steigenberger Parkhotel Dresden-Radebeul. Built in the early 1990’s, the hotel features a fitness club offering the latest bodybuilding machines, regular aerobics and gymnastic courses and massage services. Also featured are a 25-meter swimming pool, whirlpool, artificial outdoor water torrent, sun beds, sauna and a Turkish bath.

Porcelain. Another testament to the influence of August the Strong is located in Meissen, 30 km from Dresden. In 1710, the Saxon king took an interest in porcelain and decided to convert the city’s castle into a porcelain factory.

The factory was tightly guarded during the Cold War to prevent competitors from learning its techniques. Today, visitors can tour the Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur in Meissen where some of the most exquisite (and expensive) porcelain in the world is made.

For further information about Saxony, see www.saxony.com. An excellent web site for tourist information and events is at www.sachsen-tour.de/lfv-eng.htm (English version).—