Markkleeberg

The town now called Markkleeberg has its origins in several towns that have been merged over the years. The center of modern-day Markkleeberg used to be called Oetzsch. It was merged with the smaller outlying district Markkleeberg in 1911 and renamed Oetzsch-Markkleeberg. Oetzsch-Markkleeberg was in turn merged with Gautzsch and the whole town was called "Markkleeberg", although Markkleeberg was the smallest, because it sounded most Germanic at a time of Nazi-led Germanisation.

The etymology of Markkleeberg may be 'clover hill market town '.

The name of Oetzsch has most likely a Wendish origin. In 1316 it was mentioned in a document as "Euschiz". The village originally had the form of a Rundling.

In 1813 much of the Battle of Leipzig took place where today's Markkleeberg is situated.

During 1944–1945, a forced labor camp for women was established in the town, initially a subcamp of the Ravensbrück concentration camp and later of Buchenwald.[2] Among the inmates were a thousand Jewish women from Hungary and 250 French resistance fighters.[3] In early April 1945 the surviving inmates were transferred to the Mauthausen-Gusen camp in Austria.

Today, Markkleeberg is a growing town, thanks to its proximity to Leipzig.[4]

(Source since 1998: Statistical bureau of Saxony)

Markkleeberg is a well known tourist destination. Cospudener See and Markkleeberger See as well as a lot of parks and Kanupark Markkleeberg are close to the city.

• 
  Markkleeberg town hall
• 
  Markkleeberg castle
• 
  agra-Park
• 
  Ruined church in Wachau
• 
  Kanupark Markkleeberg
• 
  Grunderzeit house in Markkleeberg
• 
  Luther church in Markkleeberg

Markkleeberg is twinned with:

• Pierre-Bénite, France
• Zarensti, Romania
• Neusäß, Germany
• Hemmingen, Germany
• Boville Ernica, Italy