Description & Facts: Leipzig is the largest city in the German federal state of Saxony, with a population of approximately 500,000. It is the industrial center of the region and a major cultural center, offering interesting sights, shopping possibilities and lively nightlife. First documented in 1015, and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165, the city of Leipzig has fundamentally shaped the history of Saxony and of Germany. Leipzig has always been known as a place of commerce and still has a large trade fair ground. Leipzig acquired the nickname Klein Paris ("Little Paris") in the 18th century, when it became a center of a classical literary movement under the leadership of German scholar and writer Johann Christoph Gottsched. The city is also the home of the Nikolaikirche (Church of St. Nicholas) - the starting point of peaceful demonstrations against the communist regime which led to German Unification. The collapse of communism hit Leipzig's economy very heavily, but it is now on the mend.