Postbahnhof Leipzig

Leipzig's Postbahnhof (postal railway station), located in the Schönefeld district, was the largest terminal station in Europe and the largest postal railway station in the world when it opened in 1912. Until it was shut down at the end of 1994, it served as the central hub for railway mail traffic across central Germany. The complex was built on a 58,000-square-meter site that had previously consisted of fields, meadows, and the popular Rohrteich swimming lake, which was filled in for construction. The 200-meter-long main building housed an eight-aisle hall spanning 29 tracks and 16 platforms. Up to 90 railway mail cars fit inside the hall, which underscores the enormous capacity of the facility. To support operations, the station had its own signal boxes as well as a diesel-powered engine plant for water and electricity supply.

At its peak, the station processed millions of parcels and letters, which were transported along an extensive rail network to Dresden, Chemnitz, Frankfurt am Main, and other cities. To keep operations running smoothly without blocking the main tracks of the neighboring Hauptbahnhof (main station), special traffic tunnels were built. The station's development kept pace with rising demands; in 1936, for example, a large extension was completed on Rohrteichstrasse. It was shut down in the 1990s, when Deutsche Post discontinued railway mail throughout Germany and shifted its transport to road and air freight.

Today, the historic site is a protected landmark and is known as the Mariannen-Campus. The buildings have stood largely empty since the closure, although various uses have been discussed, such as building a soccer stadium or production halls. Part of the grounds is currently owned by a company that filed for insolvency in 2024 and is in liquidation. Visitors can view the imposing, landmark-protected structures of the former postal station, which stand as a testament to Leipzig's industrial and postal history.