Hello Leipzig: Here’s how Thursday 30 July 2026 gets underway

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The opencast mines took up land and displaced people. Yet they also provided jobs and a sense of community… The Minister-Presidents of Central Germany are meeting today at a rehabilitated opencast mine site to discuss the future of structural change following the phase-out. The event features an exciting book launch, the prospect of reduced rail services – and a gesture of which there could be more in everyday life.

Construction phase begins for the listed railway bridges in Wahren

In Wahren, work to replace the two railway bridges over Pittlerstraße and Linkelstraße – both over 100 years old – is entering its next phase today. The structures carry the six-track Leipzig–Halle line across both roads and, according to Deutsche Bahn, have reached the end of their useful life and are being replaced by new structures.

These will initially be built alongside the existing bridges and will subsequently be moved to their final locations. The main construction period began at the end of October 2025, and the central rail closure will continue until 10 October 2026. This will be followed by remaining works (landscaping, dismantling of access roads, etc.) until the second quarter of 2027.

For local residents, the noisiest phase of the demolition is now over, although a quieter daily environment will not be restored until autumn. The site now operates during the day between 6 am and 10 pm at the latest; no further night-time work is currently planned, but may become necessary again should there be any deviations from the construction schedule. 

And despite all the vibrating walls and the deafening noise, there is also understanding for the work and, above all, sympathy for the workers in Wahren. In an official notice, Deutsche Bahn expresses its thanks for a donation of ice lollies to the people in the sweltering sun – handed out by children.

Following the setting up of the construction site and the preparation of the new bridge elements since the end of October 2025, the demolition of the old bridges began in early July 2026. The historic steel components were lifted out using a crane. Once they have been restored, they will be reinstalled in accordance with heritage conservation guidelines.

No information is currently available on how often the underpass closures will change. The only certainty is that local residents are already looking forward to the autumn, when trains will once again glide over the tracks behind the noise barriers as usual.

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Another closure

No trains are running here either. Fortunately, though, it’s only for a short while. There will be a full night-time closure on the railway line between Leipzig Central Station and Leipzig-Plagwitz. This is due to maintenance work, which will take place from 10.00 pm tonight until 5.00 am on Friday morning. The late services on the Erfurt railway lines RE 12 and RB 22 are affected by the closure.

During this period, trains between Leipzig Central Station and Leipzig-Knauthain will be cancelled. A rail replacement service will be provided for this section. Passengers should allow for longer journey times and changes to connections.

Salvador Allende and the Ski Jumper – Book Launch with Clemens Böckmann

Leipzig-based author, filmmaker and editor Clemens Böckmann is presenting his new novel, *Das richtige Leben des Alvaro Maderholz* (The Real Life of Alvaro Maderholz), today at the GRASSI Museum (Johannisplatz). The book centres on the aftermath of the military coup against Salvador Allende, war, exile and family memories.

At the same time, Böckmann follows the trail of a ski jumper and poet who died in an accident, interweaving the two narrative strands. The publisher Matthes & Seitz describes the work as follows: “At one beginning, whilst plumes of smoke still drift over the Chilean presidential palace and news of Salvador Allende’s death is making the rounds, a child’s first cry is heard.

At the other beginning, the writer Clemens Böckmann stumbles upon the trail of a ski-jumping poet who died in an accident whilst conducting research in Eisenerz, Austria. And in between, the whole story unfolds: namely, the true life of Alvaro Maderholz, who, as he took off from the ski jump, hoped to escape the gravity of his own family history, marked by war, exile and ideology. Yet the higher the flight, the deeper the fall.”

Clemens Böckmann was born in 1988 and studied in Kiel, Lisbon and Tel Aviv. He lives and works in Leipzig and has been managing the estate of the poet and ski jumper Alvaro Maderholz since 2018. For his literary work, he received the Ulrike Crespo ‘WORTMELDUNGEN’ Encouragement Prize in 2023, followed in 2024 by the Jürgen Ponto Foundation’s Literature Prize for his novel *Was du kriegen kannst*. His most recent publication is the book *How I missed the war*.

The book launch begins at 6.30 pm. Admission is free, and Nicolas van Veen will be hosting the evening.

Regional leaders discuss structural change

Since the mid-19th century, lignite mining has shaped the character of our region. It has shaped the lives of generations. According to estimates, more than 50,000 people have lost their homes because they fell victim to the devastation caused by opencast mines that ate their way across the countryside. Yet, as destructive as this overexploitation was, it provided people with work and an income. 

The Minister-Presidents of Central Germany – Michael Kretschmer (Saxony), Sven Schulze (Saxony-Anhalt) and Mario Voigt (Thuringia) – are meeting today for a full-day session focusing on structural change following the phase-out of lignite. This has been announced by the Saxon State Chancellery. According to the Chancellery, representatives from business, academia, education and local authorities will also take part in the meeting.

The discussions could provide important impetus for the future direction of structural aid, infrastructure development, industrial development and employment trends. The three Minister-Presidents will begin their meeting with a boat trip on Lake Geiseltal. This is according to a statement from the Office of the Lord Mayor of Halle. Together with representatives from the region, they intend to take stock of the structural change that has taken place so far, discuss upcoming tasks and consult on the further development of the Central German mining region.

They will then continue their discussions at “Hafenwerk 6” in Braunsbedra. There, during a round-table discussion under the theme “Shaping transformation together”, the focus will be on projects in the fields of education, science, digitalisation and industry.