Theodor Kunz was born in Dresden on 27 June, 1791. In 1827 he became an inspector for hydraulic engineering, then the director in this field. Theodor Kunz enthusiastically revived Friedrich Lists ideas of the railway. After the founding of the committee for the building of the railway Leipzig- Dresden he was appointed honorary member of this organization. First he went traveling to England in the name of the committee in order to get to know the experience of the English railway building. In contrary to List, Kunz suggested the railway Leipzig- Dresden passing the river Elbe in Strehla, then leading along the river Elbe. This suggestion was confirmed by the committee with the exception of the passing, which was now Riesa. On 1 st November he was appointed head engineer of the project. He solved this task excellently.

When in 1941 the second minor railway line was taken into operation, which was leading from Leipzig to Hof , it was Theodor Kunz again who was appointed leading engineer for the project.

In 1843 he was chosen as the Secret Government Building Officer with the Home Office in Germany . On 30 December Theodor Kunz died, at the age of 72 and was buried on the graveyard in Dresden Neustadt (Innerer Städtischer Friedhof). The Saxon engineers honored his performance with a bronze plaque at the former Leipzig train station in 1869. After the station's demolition, the plaque was attached to the walls of train station Neustädter Bahnhof, on the corner of Hansa Straße.