Hello Leipzig: This is how Monday 12 October 2026 begins

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Holidays are a time for relaxation – just not for everyone. Whilst most people are away on holiday, jackhammers, diggers and the like are hard at work on local roads. In this morning’s edition, the LZ shows where the work is taking place from today onwards. In addition, the LVB are modernising their customer centre; the winner of the Booksellers’ Peace Prize, announced yesterday, is expected at the Old Town Hall; and the National Library is honouring Ingeborg Bachmann on the 100th anniversary of her birth.

Track works lead to tram disruptions and traffic jams

With the start of the autumn half-term holidays, many families are heading south to warmer climes. But here in Leipzig, the hard-working track and road construction crews are also set to be kept busy. That’s because extensive construction work begins today at Augustusplatz and the main station. Leipzig Transport Authority (LVB) is initially renewing the tracks between Georgiring and Grimmaischer Steinweg, whilst at the same time preparing the track layout on the west side of the main station for shared use with bus services. The entire project is scheduled to last until 13 November.

This will cause significant disruption for tram passengers, motorists and pedestrians. Extensive changes to the tram network have been in place since 4 am. Tram services between Rossplatz and Augustusplatz are suspended during this period. Lines 8 and 10 are operating on shortened routes and are being linked at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz on Peterssteinweg.

Line 11 runs via Thomaskirche and Goerdelerring to the west side of the main station, whilst line 14 is diverted via Gottschedstraße and Goerdelerring. Line 16 and the night bus N10 will also follow the route via Thomaskirche and Goerdelerring. Special arrangements apply to Line 12 during late-night services and early at the weekend: it starts and ends at Johannisplatz and will not be connected to Line 14 during these times.

In addition, the transport authority is operating special service 38 between Wahren and Paunsdorf-Nord, which will take over sections of the routes normally served by lines 8 and 10. From 12 to 25 October, it will run via Chausseehaus, the Zoo, Goerdelerring, the main station (using platforms C and D) and Torgauer Platz. Wilhelm-Liebknecht-Platz will not be served during this period.

From 26 October to 8 November, the route will change: the temporary service will then run via Chausseehaus, the main station (using platforms A and B) and Torgauer Platz. The official disruption notice also lists tram lines 4 and 15 as being affected. For passengers on bus routes 72, 73 and 89, as well as the night routes N1, N2 and N4, there will also be changes at the main station until 25 October.

The renewal of the tracks at Augustusplatz is long overdue. As the LZ looks around the busy junction, a tram driver reports that travelling on the ‘Bimmel’ – as the people of Leipzig affectionately call their tram – is now only possible at a maximum speed of 10 km/h to prevent damage to the vehicles.

It is not only on public transport that Leipzig residents must prepare for disruption. With construction work starting today, traffic lanes will also be restricted at Augustusplatz and on Georgiring. Coming from the direction of Roßplatz, there will be less space available for motor traffic. Anyone coming from Johannisplatz via Grimmaischer Steinweg will only be able to turn right towards the main railway station at the junction with the city centre ring road. The LVB anticipate the risk of traffic jams and recommend taking a wide detour via Dresdner Straße, the B2 or Ludwig-Erhard-Straße, Friedrich-List-Platz, as well as Mecklenburger Straße and Brandenburger Straße.

Pedestrians should also expect changes to their routes, as the two traffic-light-controlled crossings between Augustusplatz and the city centre will be closed alternately. The crossing at Schwanenteich, however, is expected to remain open.

Further restrictions apply on the west side of the main station. From today, a straight-ahead lane will be shortened at Kurt-Schumacher-Straße. At the same time, the western pedestrian crossing in the northern track area of the platform island will be closed. Anyone wishing to move between the northern platform A and the central platform B/C can continue to use the central crossing. These arrangements are expected to remain in place until 27 October.

The reason for the renewed works at the main station is the necessary refurbishment of the track curves for bus traffic. Following the construction work in the summer, an inspection revealed that requirements for track sections A and B had not yet been fully met. LVB is now using the autumn half-term to carry out further work on the affected areas. The transport authority has published a detailed overview of the current construction measures HERE ONLINE on its service page.

LVB Customer Centre in temporary premises

Let’s stay with the topic of trams for a moment. Anyone needing in-person advice from the Leipzig Transport Authority (LVB) from today onwards will now find the doors closed at the former customer centre opposite Kaffee-Richter. This is because the centre is undergoing extensive modernisation until early 2027.

Instead, the LVB is now welcoming customers at the Petersbogen. The temporary location is on the ground floor of the shopping centre on Petersstraße, right next to the escalators. It is open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Staff there can advise on tickets, season tickets and contractual matters.

One important change concerns payment: for logistical reasons, cash is not accepted at the new location. Payments can be made by EC card, Visa and Mastercard (except American Express). Anyone who absolutely must pay in cash can use the Mobility Centre at the main station or the ticket machines in front of the former service centre.

The modernisation of the existing site will result in more accessible entrances, with the addition of modern advice desks and a waiting area featuring a children’s play corner. Plans also include an electronic call-up system and an express counter for quick enquiries and ticket sales. Staff workstations will also be upgraded to meet technical and ergonomic standards.  “Our aim is to continue offering our customers an efficient, personalised and up-to-date service in the future,” explains Tanja Pohl, Head of Customer Service Centres at LVB.

Incidentally, the Mobility Centre at the main station, Willy-Brandt-Platz, will remain open during the construction period. Customers can receive advice there Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm and on Saturdays from 8 am to 4 pm, except on public holidays. Season tickets can be purchased and managed online at www.l.de/meinABO, regardless of which customer service centre you use. The LeipzigMOVE app allows you to search for connections and buy tickets. LVB can be reached by telephone 24 hours a day, every day, on 0341 19449.

From Frankfurt’s Paulskirche to the Old Town Hall

The Franco-British lawyer and writer Philippe Sands is visiting Leipzig today, immediately after the presentation of the 2026 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade at Frankfurt’s Paulskirche, and is taking part in a public discussion as part of the ‘Literarischer Herbst’ literary festival about his life, his books and his work as an internationally practising lawyer.

The event begins at 7 pm in the ballroom of the Old Town Hall at Markt 1 in Leipzig. The discussion will be led by Stephan Detjen, France correspondent for Deutschlandradio. Actress Verena Noll will round off the evening with readings from Sands’ works. These focus on issues of international law, coming to terms with historical crimes and the significance of legal responsibility. These include, in particular, genocide, crimes against humanity, torture and colonial injustices. In his writings, Sands explores the life stories of victims and perpetrators and examines how personal destinies are intertwined with the development of international law.

With this Peace Prize, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association honours his commitment to human rights, justice and international understanding. In its statement, the jury said of the author: “As one of the most important intellectual voices of our time, the Franco-British lawyer and writer is committed to justice, peace and the steadfast defence of international law.” The prize has been awarded since 1950, is worth 25,000 euros and was presented to Sands yesterday, 11 October, at the Paulskirche in Frankfurt.

Philippe Sands was born in London on 17 October 1960 and comes from a family of Holocaust survivors. He is a professor of international law at University College London and also teaches as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. As a human rights lawyer, he has been involved in significant international legal proceedings, including cases relating to the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. He also campaigns for the criminal prosecution of serious environmental destruction.

Since 2016, in addition to academic works, he has published literary non-fiction books, including *Return to Lemberg* (German edition 2018), *The Rat Line* (2020), ‘The Last Colony’ (German edition 2023) and ‘The Disappeared of Londres 38’ (2025). His awards include the Baillie Gifford Prize (2016), the Wingate Literary Prize and the British Book Award (both 2017), the Prix Montaigne (2018), the Austrian Booksellers’ Honorary Prize for Tolerance in Thought and Action (2023), the George Barrett Award for Public Interest Law (2024) and the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize (2025). In 2026, in addition to the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, he was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Cambridge and Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.

Admission is free; however, due to the limited number of seats, binding registration was required by 10 October. Decisions regarding the allocation of any seats that become available can only be made on the evening itself.

Bachmann tribute to mark the centenary

Entitled “Who the fuck is Malina?”, a theatrical exploration of the life and work of the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann will take place today at 6 pm at the German Book and Writing Museum of the German National Library. The event marks the 100th anniversary of the writer’s birth.

The Austrian actress Charlotte Kaiser focuses in particular on Bachmann’s novel *Malina*, published in 1971, and also draws on the writer’s correspondence with Paul Celan and Max Frisch. The production explores how biographical experiences, interpersonal relationships and literary creation influence one another. At the same time, it highlights Bachmann’s artistic independence and the significance of her work. Admission is free.

Ingeborg Bachmann was born in Klagenfurt, Austria, in 1926 and is regarded as one of the most significant German-language writers of the 20th century. After studying philosophy, German language and literature, and psychology, she obtained her doctorate in 1950 with a thesis on the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. In 1953, she received the Gruppe 47 Prize for her poetry. Among her most significant honours are the Georg Büchner Prize in 1964 and the Grand Austrian State Prize for Literature in 1968. Bachmann lived in Italy, Switzerland and Berlin, amongst other places, and died in Rome on 17 October 1973 at the age of 47 as a result of severe burns.

Charlotte Kaiser was born in Berlin on 3 January 1999 and grew up in Dresden. From 2019 to 2023, she studied acting in Graz, after which she made guest appearances at venues including the Schauspielhaus in Graz and the Landestheater Linz. In 2023, she received a state award in recognition of one of the best graduation projects at Austrian universities for her solo piece ‘Who the fuck is Malina? – A scenic exploration of Ingeborg Bachmann’. Following an engagement at the Theater Hof from 2024 to 2025, she began studying directing at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin in 2025.