Traditionally the term Central Germany is used to describe that part of Germany which is located in the heart of Germany. Its natural borders are set up by the regions Börde and Fläming in the north, the rivers Oder and Neiße in the east, the ridges of the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) and the Thüringer Wald (Thuringian Forest) in the south and the river Werra and the low mountain range Harz in the east. Today this area is, in geopolitical terms, extended throughout the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia andSaxony-Anhalt.
The Metropolitan Region Central Germany with the agglomeration Leipzig-Halle as core centre has existed since 1997. Within this region lives a population of about 7 million.
www.region-mitteldeutschland.com
Industry & Transport
The term Central German Industrial Area has been used for more than 100 years to describe the concentration of industrial centres around the cities Leipzig and Halle; vehicle manufacturing, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, biotechnology, solar energy, microelectronics.
The Central German Transport Association (MDV) is a network of public transportation companies in the Leipzig area which extends throughout the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt.
www.mdv.de
The Central German Leipzig-Halle-Airport has existed since 1927. It handles approximately 2.5 million passengers www.leipzig-halle-airport.de and more than 760.000 tons of airfreight a year. www.dhl.de The airport is directly connected to the motorways A9 (E49, E51) and A14 as well as to the German Railway’s high speed train network. www.deutschebahn.com
The intersection and crossing of the motorways A9, A14, A38, A72, A143 (European Magistrales E49, E51) near the cities Leipzig and Halle is called the Central German Loop. Furthermore the federal roads B2, B6, B80, B87, B91, B100, B181, B184, B185 cross them.
As a result a lot of logistics centres are established in and around Leipzig.
Culture & Free time
The Central German Broadcasting (MDR) is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Saxony Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, and it has its headquarter in Leipzig. www.mdr.de
Next to it is located the TV and film production location Media City Leipzig.
The cultural life has set very high standards for years. www.leipziger-freiheit.de
Already since 1990 around Leipzig has been created the Central German Lake District. Former opencast pits originating from 100 years of lignite mining were flooded. It includes a water system of about 30 lakes which partially are connected together or to rivers by canals. After completion the water system should cover 175 sqm. www.neuseenland.de ; www.belantis.de
Education & Shopping
The University of Leipzig was founded in 1409, currently 25,000 students are enrolled.
www.uni-leipzig.de
The German National Library was founded in 1912 in Leipzig. www.dnb.de
In the city centre and its surroundings can be found shopping stores and centres offering a wide range of goods for every taste and wallet.
More information: www.sachsen.de ; www.thueringen.de ; www.sachsen-anhalt.de