Experiencing Germany

The online survey Perspektive Deutschland revealed the Saxon metropolis of Leipzig ranks at the very top in terms of people's expectations of the future. We asked writer Juli Zeh to share her views on her adopted home city.

While Munich and Stuttgart are still the most popular cities in Germany, the Saxon metropolis of Leipzig ranks at the very top in terms of people's expectations of the future.

Ms Zeh, you once described Leipzig as a 'medium-sized, Central German city that has no mountains surrounding it, no majestic river to flow though it, no forests nearby, is far from any coastline, is not a government seat, has no drug-taking culture, no thermal baths and generally nothing to say for itself.' Yet still Leipzig is the city you chose to live in. Why?

I came to Leipzig ten years ago because of the Leipzig Institute of German Literature, where I really wanted to study. And thankfully that worked out. At the same time I simply fell in love with the city. It's not unlike when you fall in love with a person - it's not all about their actual advantages and good sides, it's more about their personality, their entire character. And maybe appearance plays a small role.

To me, Leipzig seemed like a young, adventurous, slightly crazy person trying to enjoy their freedom and experiment with everything. A place that's good for people who are just as free and adventurous and want to put themselves and their abilities to the test. Leipzig was a breath of fresh air to me, unlike west German cities, where everything always seems so fixed and certain.

You were born in Bonn, but moved to Leipzig ten year ago. What is your view of the Leipzigers in their native surroundings and what is your relationship to Leipzig and its people?

I've never really thought much about who, in my circle of acquaintances, is a native Leipziger and who isn't. My generation likes to travel and tends to have friends all over Europe and even around the world. And even at home in Leipzig you meet people from all over Germany. In other words, you have mixed circles of friends whose origin isn't that important. Although you know where they are from, it doesn't change the way you feel about them.

Then there's everyday life and my relationship to people on the street and in my neighbourhood. That really has changed a lot. I used to be very happy and felt quite at home with the general atmosphere in Leipzig and my day-to-day dealings with people. Now I feel very uncomfortable. People often snap at me on the street because they don't agree with something I did. That never used to happen. In Leipzig the priorities are shifting from liberty to safety. While that is currently happening everywhere, I think it's particularly prevalent here. People are starting to control each other, and that drags down the quality of life here quite a bit.

What is a must-see when visitors come to Leipzig?

Visitors should definitely experience the city's different sides. You should experience it as a university town, a night-spot, a place of business, a city of leisure and nature and as a cultural hub. All these aspects are very much represented here, even though Leipzig's cultural life is unfortunately being driven downhill.

The online survey Perspektive Deutschland revealed that Leipzig took 4th place among the 15 largest German cities in terms of its inhabitants' expectations of the future. Are you aware of this optimism, maybe even of a sense of departure in the air?

Yes, I am aware of it. The atmosphere in the town is everything but depressed. There is a sense of pride in Leipzig, and its inhabitants are justifiably proud of their city. Yet this sense of departure is exactly what is causing the everyday quibbles I mentioned earlier. I think Leipzig has decided to become a major business metropolis, a kind of 'Let's go East' wonderland. In return, people accept a regulated, ordered life, cleanliness, safety and control. The other side that appeared so attractive to me when I arrived ten years ago - a touch of anarchy, openness, freedom, tolerance and acceptance of everything that appears 'different' at first glance - is disappearing. People want businessmen, not artists. My partner and I are planning to leave the city soon for precisely that reason.

You recently wrote that your recipe for a 'perfect, happy day' tends to work only in foreign cities. What ingredient does Leipzig fail to offer you? And how do you feel about Leipzig when considering it from afar on one of your many trips abroad?

Today I can feel the freedom I lack in Leipzig in beautiful cities such as Krakow or Sarajevo. I don't really miss anything apart from my friends. At the moment it's more of a relief not to be in Germany or in Leipzig.

Is your relationship with Leipzig reflected in your novels?

No, not really. I tend to write about places where I used to live, not about the place I am when I am writing.

Juli Zeh, born in 1974, lives and works as a writer and lawyer in Leipzig. Her first novel Eagles and Angels (original title: Adler und Engel) earned her the German Book Prize for the most successful debut novel in 2001. Her latest novel Gaming Instinct (Spieltrieb) was published in 2004.