Fockeberg

Fockeberg is a hill in southern Leipzig made from rubble left after the Second World War bombing of the city. It stands forty metres above the surrounding land and reaches 155 metres above sea level. The hill overlooks the Südvorstadt district and the city centre on one side and the Leipzig Riverside Forest on the other. It was formed by trains that carried rubble from the ruined districts along lines called Südbahn and Zentrumsbahn. The first loads arrived on 3 November 1947 and were tipped onto a wooded meadow called Bauernwiese. The hill is named after August Adolf Focke, a Leipzig merchant who gave money for a municipal clinic and a poorhouse in the 19th century. In November 1952 all other rubble depots closed but Fockeberg stayed open for several more years. Earth from the site was later reused when the Central Stadium was built in 1956. By the early 1980s paths and benches had been added, fifteen wooden sculptures were placed on the slopes, and the access road of roughly 850 metres was paved. Visitors find a paved road that winds up the hillside to the summit. At the top there are benches and views across the city and the forest. Fifteen wooden sculptures stand among the trees on the slopes. A pergola with sculptures by Jürgen and Rainer Streege marks the entrance. The hill hosts races for gravity racers organised by the naTo culture centre and two running events each year in March and November. On New Year’s Eve it is a popular place for local people to gather.