Bach's Train Station

Of course, Johann Sebastian Bach died in 1750; long before any railroads were built in Germany. He did, however, spend most of his professional career in Leipzig, where this ginormous train station stands. By square footage under one roof, Leipzig Hauptbahnhof is the largest train station in Europe. It makes such monsters as Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, Paris Gare de l'Est, and Munich Hbf pale in comparison. Why is it so large?

When the station was built, Leipzig was a border city of sorts. The city was served by the Saxon state railway and the Prussian state railway. As the largest city in Saxony, it was a major transfer hub for trains from Berlin and other north German (Prussian) cities with trains from Dresden, Prague, and other points south. With two major railways providing nearly equal levels of service to Leipzig, the station was built as two stations in one. There are two identical waiting rooms feeding onto this community concourse. The tracks are to the left.