Prague - Southen Germany itinerary advice

Don't overlook Saxony. It's easily the most attractive part of the former DDR. Look into Saxon Switzerland, which features some impressive rock formations. Dresden gets most of the attention, but I actually like Leipzig a little better. If you fancy zoos, Leipzig has Germany's best.

I took a steam train from Moriztburg (well known for it's giant palace) through the Saxon countryside to Radebeul and back. Very pleasent scenery. I wish I had spent more time in Radebeul, because apparently it's the wine capital of Saxony.

Meißen deserves at least a few hours, moreso if you have an interest in ceramics.

For culture, on the way to Munich from Leipzig, consider a stop in Bayreuth if you're a fan of Wagner. But of course, if you're a Wagnerite, you already knew that...

" Interests in WW1 & 2 .history...." While you are in the south, I suggest going to Ingolstadt for the WW1 interest. See the Bavarian Army Museum im Neuen Schloss. It has been refurbished, expanded, etc and has the largest coverage on WW1 in Germany.

Near Leipzig is the town of Colditz, the location of the famous castle where select Allied POWs were brought together. There is a bus for Colditz at the bus depot just outside of Leipzig Hbf.

"...staying a long weekend in Prague... to Leipzig for 2 nights... Flying in and out of Prague - 2 weeks total."

Trying to nail down the actual time you have... I understand a long weekend as 3 nights from FR through SU. Then MO and TU nights in Leipzig. So assuming you have to fly out of Prague on a Friday, that leaves you We - We or 8 nights elsewhere since you will presumably spend a final night (Thursday) in Prague or thereabouts prior to your flight. Is that right?

"...we hope to cover some meaningful ground in tracing ancestry."

Which towns are involved? There are many good train deals in Germany but trains may not work if you must visit places without a train station. Your answer may determine whether you need a car.

"...how many free/reasonably priced places can we squeeze in?"

Free - as in "couch surfing"?? I travel on a snug budget but I don't know much about that. What's a reasonable price for you? I do know that smaller towns tend to offer more reasonably-priced lodging. The words "deals", "costs", "budget" in your post set the tone but need clarification. Will you have free lodging in Leipzig? It would really help to have an idea of your lodging budget and your overall budget excluding the flight.

You are trying to cover a lot of destinations and a lot of ground in the 8 days after Leipzig. You've traveled Europe already so I assume you know the old rule of thumb - the more you travel, the more you spend on transportation, and the more time you spend just moving about (and not necessarily through scenic territory.) It seems to me there's a strong case to be made for shortening your travel route. With so many wartime destinations (Dresden, Munich, Nuremberg, Leipzig) on your plate, it might be wise to swap some of those out for some better-preserved places that weren't as severely devastated 70+ years ago. Erfurt and Bamberg spring to mind; in place of Munich and Berchtesgaden (not a great March destination anyway) you'd travel no further south than Nuremberg and you'd have a direct trip from there to Prague in about 4.5 hours.

Thanks for the wonderful advice. We're mostly planning on Airbnb accommodation. Yes, my concern was trying to fit in too much at one time. Flights are in & out of Prague, so we may spend last couple of nights there. Arrival on Thurs afternoon, 30 March, stay in Prague until Sunday (2 April), then on to Leipzig (free accommodation there) and there until Tuesday (4 April), then we have wide open until we leave Prague again on Thursday, 13 April early a.m.

Would anyone be able to compare car rental gas costs vs. train - have done quite a bit of research, and although the car rental doesn't seem bad & is more flexible, my concern is cost of gas, parking etc. Would be unnecessary in the cities.

Also, does anyone have insight/advice on the refugee situation? Where to avoid etc.

I'd completely forgotten about Colditz - loved the book & will certainly re-read it before going & add it to the 'must see' list.
I've found the 'hop on, hop off' options & free walking tours a great way to see cities as well.

About my husbands ancestry -still waiting for his DNA results, so can't mention specific towns.