Conne Island

Conne Island is a music venue and cultural centre in Leipzig in the district Connewitz. Conne Island is a stronghold and famous meeting point for the radical left. Outside, there is a large outdoor skate park next to the venue.

History

The building was built in the second half of the 19th Century. Initially it was a restaurant called "Eiskeller (ice pit)". In the 1930s it was used as a centre for the Hitler Jugend, and after 1945 in the GDR it was used as a FDJ youth club. Although the name "Eiskeller" is no longer officially used, this name is still in use by the local population.

In Conne Island, concerts and nightclub events with artists from the alternative scene take place. The cultural center is a centre for the hardcore and punk scene, but also hip-hop, electronic music and heavy metal are in the programm. A performance by the band Mayhem, recorded before the place became Conne Island, was published in 1990 under the name Live in Leipzig. In 1992 there was the first Wave Gothic meeting with about 1,500 participants. in the building, which lies on the outskirts of Leipzig Riverside Forest, a café is open and there are opportunities to play sports. Some rooms of the building are also used as a rehearsal space for bands.

References

• Alexander Lange: Spurensuche – Die Geschichte des Eiskellers bis 1945
• Assaf Uni: The good men of Leipzig (in Haaretz, 27.12.2006)

External links

• Official website of Conne Island