{"id":54986,"date":"2026-01-31T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/?p=54986"},"modified":"2026-01-30T22:34:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T21:34:21","slug":"the-call-to-other-worlds-on-cyneburgs-eve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/?p=54986","title":{"rendered":"The Call to Other Worlds on Cyneburg’s Eve"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Photo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The city\u2019s full of story and my own demands attention<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mathematician\u2019s excited. She\u2019s received the latest newsletter from the Leipzig City website and there\u2019s a sale on. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s actor\u2019s clothes,\u201d she says. \u201cShauspiel Leipzig are selling off a lot of old costumes. We have<\/i> to go! Maybe they\u2019ve got a nice hat for me or something you could wear when you\u2019re GMing. I can\u2019t wait to see what they have!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d I nod. \u201cWe could always head out after coffee, walk along the river, cut through the music quarter \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes! A little adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGao\u2019s nearby. We could grab lunch there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She smiles. It\u2019s only Wednesday but I can see her counting down the hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The next days bring two things: a deepening cold and an easterly wind. The temperature\u2019s fine \u2014 we\u2019ve hats and gloves and trams if needed \u2014 but the wind\u2019s carrying over smoke from a legion of Eastern European chimneys. (To add to the coal- and wood-burning activities of the Germans.) The local air quality monitors show numbers topping 150. (Unhealthy for everyone. The EU safe limit is 50.) Come Friday, the city council is issuing warnings to stay indoors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the look on my sweet Mathematician\u2019s face \u2026. I keep my fingers crossed that the wind will shift direction. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Saturday comes, I realise I\u2019ve made the wrong gesture. The Germans squeeze their thumbs for luck, they don\u2019t cross their fingers. The AQI\u2019s still high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about this,\u201d I say, as we sit by the window and drink our coffee. \u201cWe have a relaxed morning \u2014 read a bit, crochet a bit \u2014 then walk to Ouai for lunch (or tram it if things don\u2019t improve). From there, we\u2019ll walk into town to the theatre and see what nice things they have. Sound good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSounds good. I know a nice way we can go, along the backstreets. And I don\u2019t think it\u2019ll be very busy at the Shauspiel \u2014 it\u2019s freezing outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The air quality dips below 100. A sign! We walk to the restaurant. The smell\u2019s not great outside, and it\u2019s hard to tell if it\u2019s cloudy or smoggy, but we\u2019ve been cooped up indoors for the last few days and want to purge the cabin fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We eat a good meal, pay, and put on our coats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mathematician sees me looking at my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs it bad?\u201d she asks. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, kinda. That little drop before was an anomaly. It\u2019s back up above 100.\u201d I look out the window at the people walking past. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we just risk it. I fancy the walk, and we can just hold our breath.\u201d I grin. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nods. \u201cI\u2019m up for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cross into Beethoven past the impressive Federal Administrative Court and skirt the building\u2019s many lion heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey leave messages in the ones with open mouths,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe old 19th century gangs. Can\u2019t be surveilled by modern investigators \u2014 nothing digital to hack. Unless they find the notes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomething you\u2019re working on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm \u2026 no. Kind of. I mean look<\/i> at these buildings! They\u2019re just screaming ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I skip along to the next street and stash my fingers and smiles \u2014 don\u2019t want to be looking like a Person of Interest walking past the guards at the U.S. Consulate General. We cross into Friedrich-Ebert, turn off into the park by the sculpture of a trilobite, and head into the backstreets of Reichel and Elster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of pebble-dash,\u201d I say, looking at the prefab tower blocks. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAffordable housing\u2019s important though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrue, true. But does cheap have to mean ugly? Seriously, who thought pressing pebbles into concrete would make residents smile? It\u2019s like a drunkard\u2019s braille diary. But, it is nice to explore a new street,\u201d I concede. \u201cThought we\u2019d walked the whole of Leipzig.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cApparently not. But we have<\/i> been here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We enter Dorotheenplatz, a peculiar parallelogram of grass divided by paths and surrounded by 80s-style buildings with russet tile fa\u00e7ades. I laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey look like bathroom tiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, you were moaning about the pebble-dash.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still<\/i> pebble dash. Look at the lintels over the windows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t get the thought of toilet freshener from my mind. The place is fascinating, though. The ground floors of all the buildings are given over to shops, restaurants, bakers, and hair dressers. It was built with community in mind, and maybe, for the locals, it still offers it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We turn off into Zentral and take a path across a small green towards Nikischplatz. We pass a large stack of discarded Christmas trees(*). The Mathematician stops me and points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook at these buildings ahead. It\u2019s like a giant\u2019s stepped in and pulled them apart with her hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s right. It looks as if they\u2019ve been opened like some hinged Edwardian apothecary cabinet. We stand and admire the spectacle, then continue up the path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that a memorial stone?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We go in for a closer look. Mounted on a wall is a tablet with a carving of a dying man atop a Pegasus (who\u2019s been struck by lightning) and a dedication to three artists claimed by the First World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid they live here?\u201d I\u2019m unsure. \u201cThese buildings look too modern. And what\u2019s with these two pillars here? Looks like a gateway, but to nothing. It\u2019s completely incongruous.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI agree. It\u2019s really strange.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We walk through and enter the plaza, which is a beguiling mix of Jugendstil buildings and more pebble-dash prefabs. There\u2019s an oval island of snowy grass in the centre, around which runs a road. A tall wooden box stands at each end of the oval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are those?\u201d The Mathematician asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy guess is that they\u2019re statues. Look, there\u2019s a little window in that one. I can see a face. I think they\u2019ve boxed them up for the winter, like the statues in Agra Park in Markkleeberg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re right. I wonder what they look like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can come back in spring and have a look.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe should. Okay, onwards. The theatre\u2019s just up ahead down\u201d\u2014 she looks around \u2014\u201cthis<\/i> road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 100 metres away, about the same length as the queue of people that stretches around the block.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d says The Mathematician. \u201cThey can\u2019t all be queueing for the costume sale, can they? It\u2019s freezing<\/i> \u2014 who comes out on a day like this. Can we go and look? I want to look at the entrance, to check.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We look, and yes, they are all waiting to get in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think it\u2019s already full inside?\u201d I say. \u201cThe queue\u2019s not even moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAw \u2026 I really wanted to see what they had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disappointment on her face is heartbreaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShall we join the line then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shakes her head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m already freezing. I can\u2019t feel my feet. Plus the air quality\u2019s awful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you like to go somewhere else? A caf\u00e9 maybe, or the wool shop?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, I just want to go home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I give her a kiss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s have a nice hot cocoa when we get back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We consider which way would be best to take and decide on the route we just travelled. Serendipity. Back in Nikischplatz we see the other side of the gatehouse. The words Kuenstler Haus<\/i> are written on the lintel and there are plaques on the pillars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, wow,\u201d I say, excitedly, \u201clook at this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a photograph of what once stood beyond the gate: a beautiful Jugendstil house that was a residence for artists, architects, and sculptors. It was built in 1900 to a design that more than 20 of the artists were involved with. It even had a restaurant, artist\u2019s caf\u00e9, and bowling alley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou were right,\u201d I say, pointing to a line of text. \u201cA giant did pull this place apart. But it was a giant bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The place was destroyed on 4th December, 1943, in one of the biggest allied bombing runs on the city. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat memorial stone we saw was once inside, installed in a public passage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least it survived.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, but look at what didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/span>I point mournfully at the picture. We continue on our way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn certain nights of the year, when the full moon shines on the gatehouse, it reappears,\u201d I say. \u201cYou can enter, talk to all the artists there, drink coffee. But you must leave before dawn, else the house will vanish with you still inside, and you\u2019ll have to wait until the next special night before returning.\u201d I rub my eyes, which are starting to feel sandy. \u201cThis city\u2019s a tale that writes itself. Oh, look at that!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve taken a route down a passage beside C\u2019est La Vie, and on the side of a building ahead is a 2-storey black and white photo of what looks like the inside of a synagogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs that a picture of what used to be here?\u201d I look around. There\u2019s a small car park nearby and some garages. \u201cIncredible! All the things we\u2019re finding today. It\u2019s like we\u2019re explorers in a secret city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mathematician smiles at my joy. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, where to next?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUm, let\u2019s just carry on along here and turn right \u2014 which is the way home \u2014 and see what we find. There\u2019s a bridge!<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is indeed a little bridge ahead, crossing the Plei\u00dfem\u00fchlgraben (the River Plei\u00dfe mill stream). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShall we follow the water home?\u201d asks TM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nod, excited. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the way we find steps leading down to the water at various intervals (smuggler\u2019s steps descended at night by coves bearning lanterns). We see a few small artificial islands with ducks and cormorants sheltering from the cold, heads tucked behind wings. We come to a bridge and watch the stream disappear into a tiny tunnel. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOoh,\u201d I say. \u201cI wonder what\u2019s in there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt carries on across the road,\u201d says an elderly gentleman, passing us on the track. \u201cWe\u2019ve just come from there.\u201d His wife nods in agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks for the tip,\u201d I say. \u201cHave a nice day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They wish us the same and leave. We continue on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn old hydraulic roller!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re across the busy Karl-Tauchnitz and alongside Harkort. We\u2019ve been here before, and seen this very piece of 19th century machinery, but not through the lens of waterborne discovery. There used to be a mill here (as you might expect, alongside a mill stream). There\u2019s also a pair of ducks repeatedly dipping their beaks into the water, the drake more often than the hen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are they doing?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot sure. Some kind of courtship ritual?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt this time of year? Half the water\u2019s frozen!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that yes, at this time of year. The drake hops up onto the hen\u2019s back, flaps its wings, half drowns her, takes her head in its beak, pushes it under the water, then hops off. A few seconds later, they\u2019re paddling slowly upstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWow,\u201d I say. \u201cDidn\u2019t expect that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe neither.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

An hour or so later we\u2019re back home, having veered off to explore a coffee rosters housed in an old yellow brick building (with matching chimney). Our eyes and chest feel rough from dirty air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m glad we saw all of it,\u201d I say. \u201cSuch an adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was. But next time it\u2019s like this, we\u2019re going somewhere indoors. Somewhere we can breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Which brings me to Cyneburg\u2019s Eve, the 31st of January, and the last post on the Mole for a while. As much as it saddens me to pause \u2014 not stop \u2014 writing here, there\u2019s a young girl of the Gewisse whose story needs to reach a wider audience. You can find out more on my personal site, https:\/\/christophermollison.is<\/a>. (Which is to say, find out soon<\/i>, once I\u2019ve finished building it.) <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019ll not be weekly posts there, but if you\u2019re interested in Anglo-Saxon history, the craft of writing, or sneak-peeks of the novel, come on by. The hearth of Foxley\u2019s great hall awaits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(*) There are many of these spots across the city: designated areas to drag your once-beloved pine or spruce, to be picked up by city workers. They\u2019re fragrant to walk past, but sad to look at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The city\u2019s full of story and my own demands attention. Plus, there’s a sale on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":54985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[213],"tags":[318,214,209,319,321,320,255],"class_list":{"0":"post-54986","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cf","8":"tag-adventure","9":"tag-city-fables","10":"tag-leipzig","11":"tag-mill","12":"tag-story","13":"tag-synagogue","14":"tag-writing"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54986","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=54986"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54988,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54986\/revisions\/54988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/54985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=54986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=54986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urbanmole.is\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=54986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}