Leipzig City Archives: A Journey Through History
How can the city's history be transported into the present? Permanent space that allows for growth is needed – because current events always mean progress and change.
This is precisely the kind of space the Leipzig City Archives have lacked since its founding in the mid-19th century. Leipzig's archives have had to relocate several times over the years, and yet none of them seemed to fit: The journey began in 1483 under a council chamber in a secret chamber, continued via the Museum of Fine Arts to the City Hall, and finally to a building complex in eastern Leipzig.
It finally culminated in 2016 with a move to Hall 12 of the old exhibition grounds – and in the process, Dresden architects Eberhard Pfau and Peter Zirkel were found to take on the challenge of helping the archive achieve new potential. With a holistic, sensitive approach, the architectural duo has been renovating the 13,500 m² portico building in compliance with listed building regulations since 2015. In doing so, both the structural design from its founding around 1920 and the renovation features from the GDR era, such as the unmistakable Soviet star on the tower, were preserved.
The formerly destroyed sections of the exhibition hall were supplemented by an adjacent new building, creating storage capacity until 2030. Modern climatic conditions support the preservation of the archive documents.
In the sanitary areas of the Leipzig City Archives, pre-wall and flushing technology from TECE ensures reliable functionality.