With 5,450 working hours, 185 litres of primer and 126 litres of top coat, the 42-year-old neon sign has been restored to its former glory by means of an elaborate restoration process. A total of 2,200 meters of the latest LED Neonflex tubes have been installed in the almost 100 meter long, 5 meter high and 30 tonne neon sign. By converting from neon to LEDs, energy consumption has been reduced by 78%. The system is now operated with 100% green electricity from Stadtwerke Leipzig power station.
"The return of this neon sign is a special moment for our city. It is one of the highlights of the Leipzig illuminated advertising systems and has shaped the face of the city centre for decades. And of course we are only too happy to interpret Goethe's Faust quotation as praise, even if it wasn't meant to be quite as flattering," said Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung. The famous saying of Goethe's Faust "Leipzig´s the place for me..." is widely used today and is an expression of pride in this beautiful Saxon city.
The 15.92 meter wide and 4.29 meter high lettering "Mein Leipzig lob' ich mir..." now lights up on the southern side of the courtyards at the Brühl and is visible from the direction of the city center. In addition, international visitors are given a warm welcome to Leipzig by the 62.00 meter wide and 4.25 meter high installation in French, English and Russian.