A Forest for Bach

The History

A few months after taking up the post of Thomaskantor, Johann Sebastian Bach inspected the new Hildebrandt organ in the church of the village of Störmthal – and found it excellent. For its inauguration on 2 November 1723, the cantata »Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest«, BWV 194, specially composed for the occasion by Johann Sebastian Bach, was performed there. Since the organ is one of the few Bach organs which have been conserved largely in their original state, the village of Störmthal occupies a special place on the list of authentic Bach venues. The Bachfest is a regular guest here with its »Bach unterwegs« (Bach Out and About) series of concert trips.

The Location

The new Johann Sebastian Bach Forest is located on the western shore of Lake Störmthal. Störmthal is of further interest today due to its proximity to the former opencast lignite mine of Espenhain: during the 1980s, the entire village was in danger of being laid waste. Today, the opencast mine has been replaced by lake Störmthaler See. It is part of the »Leipziger Neuseenland« area of new lakes created from the conversion of former mines. One key ambition of efforts to restore and recultivate the former mine landscape is to create new stretches of forest for people and animals.