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A shock for a 19-year-old petrol station employee in Leipzig: during the night, his workplace became the scene of a brutal robbery. The Saxon Minister for Finance has tabled the government’s draft budget for the next two years, totalling 53.5 billion euros. And: Leipzig’s ‘Health Clowns’ are celebrating their 20th anniversary. The LZ summarises the key events from Wednesday 26 August 2026 in Leipzig and beyond.
Night-time petrol station robbery
A young petrol station employee in the west of Leipzig had anything but a quiet night shift yesterday, as he fell victim to a robbery at his workplace at around 11.10 pm. The scene of the crime was the Star petrol station on Brünner Straße, in the ‘border area’ between Kleinzschocher and Grünau. According to a report from the Leipzig Police Headquarters, three young men aged between 18 and 20 were involved in the crime.
One of them initially approached the employee – who was also just 19 years old – at the night counter. Meanwhile, the other two forced their way through the door into the petrol station’s sales area. There, they attacked and threatened the employee, stole a large quantity of tobacco products as well as cash, and fled the scene. The haul is estimated to be worth several thousand euros in total. Fortunately, the employee did not require immediate medical attention despite the physical assault.
The Criminal Investigation Department is now investigating the incident as a robbery and is also seeking information regarding the three perpetrators. However, the descriptions of the suspects are rather vague: all are believed to be aged between 18 and 20; two of them are estimated to be 1.80 metres tall and were wearing black trousers and black tops. The third was wearing light-coloured clothing. The police are accepting further information on 0341-96646666 or in person at Dimitroffstraße 1.
Milestone anniversary for health clowns
The Leipzig Health Clowns visit children in hospital and elderly people in care homes, and also bring a smile to the faces of staff and relatives. Their aim is to make the daily lives of children and adults who are ill or in need of care more colourful and cheerful through clown visits. Now, however, they are taking centre stage themselves: the non-profit organisation Clowns & Clowns e.V. Leipzig is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
This is all the more remarkable given that, at the very start of this journey, a great deal of persuasion was needed just to be allowed to visit medical and care facilities on a regular basis. Yet the perseverance and, above all, the impressive work carried out on the ground by the health clowns eventually opened the doors. Today, the clowns are in greater demand than ever – they collaborate with more than 15 permanent partner organisations in Leipzig, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt and work with health insurance companies on joint projects.
During their visits, they have time and again encouraged people who had not spoken for a long time to speak, made people who had not laughed for a long time to laugh, and got people who otherwise felt immobile, tired or resigned to move. This consistently elicits a mix of admiration and amazement from carers and relatives alike: “The lady who was just singing so nicely with you usually throws her crutches at us!” was just one comment that has stayed with us. To mark their 20th anniversary, the clowns are hosting a celebration at Haus Steinstraße on 7 September.
Saxony’s 2027/2028 budget tabled
Saxony’s Finance Minister Christian Piwarz (CDU) today tabled the government’s draft for the 2027/2028 biennial budget in the state parliament. The budget provides for a total of around 53.5 billion euros, of which approximately 26.5 billion euros is earmarked for 2027 and 27 billion euros for 2028. Despite limited financial leeway, the Free State is prioritising investment, education and research, as well as support for local authorities.
Investment is set to rise from 3.18 billion euros in 2026 to 3.21 billion euros in 2027 and 3.25 billion euros in 2028. Taking into account federal funding for infrastructure and climate neutrality, which is made available via the Saxony Fund, this results in an investment ratio of 13.5 per cent in 2027 and 13.4 per cent in 2028.
Local authorities are to receive particularly strong support. According to the draft, allocations to municipalities, towns and districts will rise from around 8.1 billion euros in 2026 to just under 9 billion euros in both 2027 and 2028. In addition, investment funds from the Saxony Fund are earmarked. Under the municipal financial equalisation scheme, additional support of around 930 million euros is planned for both years. This is primarily due to increased social and integration costs.
To ensure the necessary financial leeway, the draft also provides for borrowing totalling 1.456 billion euros. Half of this is earmarked for local authorities and forms part of the overall agreement on the municipal financial equalisation scheme. Piwarz described borrowing as a possibility in exceptional circumstances, but urged that it be limited in time.
Despite the balanced draft budget, the Finance Minister continues to see a structural deficit. Consequently, government tasks and services must be reviewed, structures adapted, bureaucracy reduced and the workforce further downsized. By 2040, a total of 8,721 posts are to be cut, without any redundancies for operational reasons. Furthermore, by 2038, around 37,000 employees of the Free State will retire due to reaching retirement age. This natural turnover is to be utilised to reorganise tasks, digitise processes and further develop structures.
What the LZ reported today:
Saxony’s labour market in 2025: number of employees of foreign nationality has risen significantly
It’s just like the Christmas season: The opening of ‘Feuerland’ at Leipzig Zoo is drawing nearer
Hello Leipzig: Here’s how Wednesday, 26 August 2026, will begin ‘From
The Golden Thread: With Nobel Laureate Han Kang in the Garden of Language
What else was important:
Thousands of people in plush costumes attended this year’s ‘Eurofurence’ in Hamburg. It is Europe’s largest gathering for people who identify with the furry subculture. Worldwide, their numbers are now estimated at over one million, and in Germany at around 100,000.
Meta is set to dig deep into its pockets. Several US states had sued the company, accusing it of deliberately making young users addicted to its social media platforms, Facebook and Instagram. A settlement has now been reached. Under the terms of the settlement, Meta will pay the states up to 16.68 billion euros.
An earthquake in Nepal has triggered a violent flash flood. The masses of water and mud caused extensive destruction to villages and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi River. At least 98 bodies have now been recovered, whilst hundreds of people are still missing.
Following the two-day cabinet retreat in Neuhardenberg, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) sought to convey a sense of optimism in his press statement. He called for people to “shake off the widespread discontent”, as reported by welt.de. He said he saw Germany returning to economic growth after three years of recession.
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