Weissenfels

Weissenfels, the "shoe metropolis" of the former GDR, is presented in this lovingly compiled picture book. Large and small shoe factories, along with numerous businesses in the metalworking industry as well as furniture and instrument production, shaped the image of the city. Many residents of Weissenfels worked here, and the population of the small town on the Saale River grew to 40,000 by 1985 due to its strong economic structures. With around 200 mostly unpublished photographs, Gerhard Bach paints a vivid picture of everyday life in Weissenfels during the GDR era. The viewer gains insight into businesses, childcare facilities, and consumer and HO retail outlets. They stroll through the car-free shopping street in the city center, which attracted not only locals but also many tourists. Gerhard Bach, an employee at the Weissenfels City Museum, invites you on a special time journey and impressively recalls a completed chapter of Weissenfels' city history.