Editing Leipzig (section)

===Origins===
{{See also|Margraviate of Meissen|Electorate of Saxony}}
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[[File:Leipzig 1632.jpg|thumb|Leipzig in the 17th century]]
Leipzig was first documented in 1015 in the chronicles of Bishop [[Thietmar of Merseburg]] as ''{{lang|la|urbs Libzi}}'' ({{lang|la|Chronicon}}, VII, 25) and endowed with city and market privileges in 1165 by [[Otto II, Margrave of Meissen|Otto the Rich]]. [[Leipzig Trade Fair]], started in the [[Middle Ages]], has become an event of international importance and is the oldest surviving trade fair in the world. This encouraged the growth of the [[Leipzig merchant bourgeoisie]].

There are records of commercial fishing operations on the river [[Pleiße]] that, most likely, refer to Leipzig dating back to 1305, when the [[Margrave]] Dietrich the Younger granted the fishing rights to the church and convent of St Thomas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.neue-ufer.de/leipzig/pleisse_geschichte_fischerei.asp |title=Pleißemühlgraben: Geschichte der Fischerei |publisher=Neue-ufer.de |access-date=26 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402161141/http://www.neue-ufer.de/leipzig/pleisse_geschichte_fischerei.asp |archive-date=2 April 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

There were a number of [[monastery|monasteries]] in and around the city, including a [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] monastery after which the [[Barfußgäßchen]] (Barefoot Alley) is named and a monastery of Irish monks ({{lang|de|Jacobskirche}}, destroyed in 1544) near the present day {{lang|de|Ranstädter Steinweg}} (the old ''{{lang|la|[[Via Regia]]}}'').

The [[University of Leipzig]] was founded in 1409 and Leipzig developed into an important centre of German law and of the publishing industry in Germany, resulting, in the 19th and 20th centuries, with the [[Reichsgericht]] (Imperial Court of Justice) and the [[German National Library]] being located here.

During the [[Thirty Years' War]], two battles took place in {{lang|de|[[Breitenfeld, Leipzig|Breitenfeld]]}}, about {{cvt|8|km|mi|0|abbr=off}} outside Leipzig city walls. The [[Battle of Breitenfeld (1631)|first Battle of Breitenfeld]] took place in 1631 and [[Battle of Breitenfeld (1642)|the second]] in 1642. Both battles resulted in victories for the Swedish-led side.

On 24 December 1701, when [[Franz Conrad Romanus]] was mayor, an oil-fueled [[street light]]ing system was introduced. The city employed light guards who had to follow a specific schedule to ensure the punctual lighting of the 700 lanterns.