Bellanixe

This weekend we met our friends Rachel and Brian and their two kids Bellanixe and Isha in Leipzig Zentrum for a coffee and conversation and another tour of the folk festival which ended today. We went to the Moritzbastei which, like most things in Leipzig, has a long and storied history. The complete history is at the link (there is an English option too!) but here is the introduction:

In the heart of Leipzig, nestled behind the Gewandhaus Concert Hall and City Skyscraper, you find the Moritzbastei, the only remaining part of the ancient city fortifications. The Moritzbastei was commissioned by Elector Moritz of Saxony in the 16th century and later named after him. It has survived 400 tumultuous years and it was used in many different ways, only to end as part of the rubble of the Second World War.

In 1974 students began to work on the Moritzbastei, freeing it of the debris it was filled with and turning it into a students’ club, which opened in 1982.
For almost 10 years the club had been a students’ club, but in 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Moritzbastei opened its doors to all visitors interested in culture.

Since 1993 the “MB”, as locals lovingly call the building, has been run by the “Moritzbastei Foundation” as a non-profit organisation without external financial support.

Annually around 300,000 guests visit the impressive vaults to attend one of the 600 events which take place here. The MB has something for everyone, from rock and jazz concerts through readings and play performances to exhibitions and discussions. And those people who are simply looking for a cosy place to enjoy a glass of wine or a snack will be charmed by the atmosphere in the Café Barbakane or one of the comfortable bars.

But the title of this post is Bellanixe. This is the name of Rachel and Brian's wonderful and free-spirited daughter shown in the photo.

I've added a link to a blog (right side of the page) that Rachel maintains to diary the goings on of Bella and her brother Isha. We really enjoyed our afternoon together and appreciate the insights on Leipzig life from Rachel and Brian.