ABSTRACT
The first recorded mention of the East German settlement of Leipzig was in 1015, after which time the town continued to grow, as a result of an advantageous position at the intersection of two old important trade routes. The Industrial Revolution came to Leipzig in 1826, after which time the city also became known for its steel foundries and cotton mills. On July 2, control of Leipzig was handed over to the Red Army, marking the start of the Soviet occupation of East Germany and the German Democratic Republic era, which would last until 1989. Leipzig has been cited often as an interesting creative settlement for young artists driven out of an increasingly expensive and crowded Berlin. In the 1990s, the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei's last production line finally closed down and the Cologne-based owner began looking for a buyer for the site – an opportunity that Florian Busse, Tillmann Sauer-Morhard, and Bertram Schultze seized.
