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 and 1945, a forced labor camp for women was established in the town, initially a subcamp of the Ravensbrück concentration camp and later of Buchenwald.[6] Among the inmates were a thousand Jewish women from Hungary and 250 French resistance fighters.[7] In early April 1945, the surviving inmates were transferred to the Mauthausen-Gusen camp in Austria.

Today, Markkleeberg is a growing town because of its proximity to Leipzig.[8]

(Source since 1998: Statistical bureau of Saxony)

Markkleeberg is a well-known tourist destination. Cospudener See, Markkleeberger See, Kanupark Markkleeberg as well as many parks are close to the city.

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  Markkleeberg town hall
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  Markkleeberg castle
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  Musentempel, monopteros in the Agra park
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  Ruined church in Wachau
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  Gründerzeit house in Markkleeberg
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  Kanupark Markkleeberg
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  Keesscher park and Martin Luther church

Markkleeberg is twinned with:[9]

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