The Leipzig-Dresden railway line through time

The first German long distance railway line

Early history of Saxony, Dresden and Leipzig

The powerful mediaeval Electorate of Saxony had been created in 1423 by the bestowing of the electorate and duchy of Saxony on Frederick of Meissen. The revitalised electorate combined mining wealth (Meissen) with substantial territory (Saxony) to form a state that flourished until overtaken by Prussia in the nineteenth century. Dresden became the capital of the Electorate of Saxony in 1485, displacing Meissen, the former principal centre. Augustus II the Strong (1694-1733), was the architect of the expansion of Dresden and Saxony, wishing to recreate on the banks of the Elbe a city to rival other European centres of the arts. Saxony achieved kingdom status in December 1806 under the Treaty of Posen following an invasion and defeat at the hands of French troops commanded by Napoleon. The former Elector became King of Saxony and joined the Confederation of the Rhine. This association of states had been created by Napoleon following the final collapse of the Holy Roman Empire. The Empire had become a loosely knit collection of nearly four hundred states ruled by the figurehead, Holy Roman Emperor, who was also the Emperor of Austria. The Confederation of the Rhine, although directly controlled by the French, rekindled the spirit of German nationalism that had been dormant for centuries. Unification witnessed a revival after the stagnation of the eighteenth century and the stage was set for one state to become the political leader. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Saxony still had the political and economic ability to lead or at least co-sponsor the unification movement. Prussia had stagnated for some time and Austria had seemingly reached its nadir.

Leipzig was an important commercial centre in this area of Europe. Possessing one of the most ancient and important universities in Europe, European scholars and traders were found in their thousands thronging the Leipzig streets. An old Slavonic settlement, the town of the lime trees, it had grown in commercial strength from the conferring of privileges by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1497 and 1507, which prohibited markets to be held in any town within a wide radius. Its book trade was important for many centuries and attracted travellers from all over Europe. It was also the site of the defeat of the French forces under Napoleon in 1813. 150,00 French troops faced 300,000 Austrian, Prussian and Russian soldiers and were defeated on 18th October. The King of Saxony, whose troops fought with the French, was captured and Napoleon and some 90,000 survivors retreated to the Rhine and eventually France.

It was this area of Europe that was to spawn an industrial expansion based on a railway line from Leipzig to Dresden. The economic development that followed from this single track railway was to be an important contributory factor for the unification of Germany in 1871. The defeat of Saxony and the part it played in supporting Napoleon meant that the Kingdom was unable to grasp the political initiative, but its important business figures were astute enough to make up for this lack of political strength through an economic expansion built around the railway line from Leipzig to Dresden. The political struggle for German primacy became a trial of strength between a weakening Austria and an expanding Prussia. Saxony, throughout the power struggle backed the wrong throne, and drifted into a political backwater, although its economic growth was among the strongest in Germany. At the beginning of the twentieth century with a united Germany, this Saxon industry continued to develop and contributed powerfully to Germany's industrial strength, Saxony at this time was the most densely populated area of Germany. After the Second World War and the division of the defeated Germany into four zones of occupation, Saxony was incorporated into the Russian Zone and subsequently the German Democratic Republic. Saxony was significantly developed as the main industrial centre of the Communist State. The three largest East German cities after Berlin were Leipzig, Dresden and Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnitz, its former name) and half the East German state's people were Saxons. Following reunification, Saxony has found that its industries cannot compete in the new 'open' market and a new 'industrial revolution' must take place if Saxony is to regain its former prosperity.

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