Hello Leipzig: Here’s how Wednesday 12 August 2026 gets underway

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Attention! Children who want to take part in Friday’s night race can only be registered today! When the moon blocks out the sun this evening: don’t worry, it’ll be back tomorrow. LZ reveals where and when the solar eclipse can be observed.  In the north of the city, construction work on the congestion-plagued Maximilianallee is due to finish today. And as for the opera, there’s something in store here.

A solar eclipse follows days of heat

If you look around, things can certainly look rather bleak. The sun, which can’t help its own heat, goes through this regularly, though. And it probably doesn’t even realise it. This evening, with a bit of luck, we’ll be able to observe an exceptionally intense partial solar eclipse.

According to consistent reports on relevant websites, the event will begin in Leipzig at around 7.10 pm and reach its peak at 8.12 pm, before the sun sets between 8.36 pm and 8.38 pm.  Anyone wishing to watch this celestial spectacle in Leipzig will need an unobstructed view to the north-west. At the moment of maximum eclipse, the sun will be just 1.7 to 4.1 degrees above the horizon in the region. As a result, even houses or slight elevations in the landscape may block the view.

According to MDR, in Leipzig, Erfurt, Dresden and Magdeburg, approximately 86 per cent of the sun’s surface will be obscured by the moon. But, dear friends of the eclipse: despite the extensive coverage, it will not get dark in Leipzig. Observers will, if at all, only be able to see a distinctly pronounced crescent of the Sun – similar to the one on the coat of arms of Leipzig’s charming sister city, Halle
.

The North Saxony Observatory in Eilenburg
is offering a public viewing opportunity today. From 7 pm to 9 pm, telescopes for solar observation will be available on Leipziger Landstraße at the location with the coordinates 51.455006, 12.608195, telescopes will be made available for observing the Sun. Visitors are advised to bring their own solar eclipse glasses, as only a limited number will be available on site. The event will be cancelled in the event of heavy cloud cover or rain.

According to reports, the current solar eclipse is a comparatively rare event of this magnitude for Leipzig. The last one was a partial solar eclipse on 29 March 2025, though this will have been significantly weaker than today’s, assuming it is visible. The next one will follow as early as 2 August 2027: it will begin in Leipzig at 10.14 am and reach its peak at 11.12 am. If this observation doesn’t go to plan, there will be another opportunity on 26 January 2028 (source: www.timeandate.de). Wikipedia
provides an overview of all solar eclipses of the 21st century HERE
.

Renovation of the Kaiserliche Magistrale nears completion

The roadworks on Maximilianallee, which have been underway since early July, are due to be completed today. The construction site information lists 12 August 2026 as the expected completion date for the works. This means that the traffic restrictions, which have been in place for several weeks on one of the main transport routes in the north of Leipzig, could be lifted from tomorrow.

Maximilianallee is one of the busiest access routes into the city and is used by tens of thousands of vehicles every day. It is also a key link to the A14 motorway and the northern surrounding area (including Schladitzer See). The route continues via the Berliner Brücke and the adjoining Rackwitzer Straße towards the city centre, whilst to the north it leads towards the Leipzig-Mitte motorway junction. Commuters were therefore particularly affected by the restrictions during the construction period.

Maximilianallee was not completely closed to traffic throughout the works. The project was carried out in five construction phases with alternating traffic arrangements. At times, only one lane was available in each direction. In this way, the heavily used route remained open to traffic throughout the construction works, albeit with traffic jams. With completion scheduled for today, the restrictions on this major access road to Leipzig, which have lasted for several weeks, are now set to end.

Incidentally, the road owes its name to Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519), who played a significant role in the development of Leipzig as a trade fair city. In 1497, he granted the city the right to hold trade fairs, thereby elevating the three annual fairs to the status of imperial trade fairs. Maximilianallee was constructed as part of the new transport links for the exhibition centre, which opened in 1996.

Registration deadline for the Children’s Night Race

They may be small, but they’ve got the energy of a Duracell bunny. Kids on bikes generate a energy all of their own. The deadline for online registration for the 22nd Leipzig Children’s Night Race, taking place on Friday at the velodrome, expires today. Children can still be registered via the online portal HERE until 11.59 pm.

The event begins at 5 pm and is organised by SC DHfK. According to the city, up to 600 children can take part. Anyone who misses today’s online deadline may, with a bit of luck, still be able to get their child on the starting line: late registrations will be accepted on the day of the event at the registration office at the velodrome. However, there is no guarantee that places will still be available.

The entry fee is 10 euros per participant. For online registration, payment is made by SEPA direct debit; for late registration on the day, the fee must be paid in cash. Informal registrations by email, post or fax are not accepted. Registration must be carried out by a parent or guardian, or with their consent, and will subsequently be confirmed by email.

Children born between 2014 and 2023 are eligible to take part. Membership of a cycling club is not required. However, children or young people with a valid racing licence are excluded. Legal guardians must assess for themselves whether a child is medically fit to take part.

Important: All participants must wear a helmet throughout the entire race! A helmet bearing the seal of a recognised testing institute is mandatory; the terms and conditions cite DIN EN 1078 as an example. It is not possible to start without a helmet. Only technically sound and roadworthy two-wheeled bicycles with functioning brakes are permitted. According to the organiser, bicycles with training wheels, road bikes and bicycles with racing handlebars may not be used.

The race packs will be handed out on Friday at the registration office at the velodrome. According to the organiser, the children will also receive a starter bag containing their personal race number, vouchers from partners, and food and drink vouchers.

Singing and hats suit you well

Do you love hats, and can you even make them – but find it impossible to wear them all yourself? Then there might be a role for you! A part-time position as a milliner (formerly known as a hatmaker) is currently advertised in the costume workshops at the Leipzig Opera. You’ll need to act fast, as applications can only be submitted today.

We’re looking for a specialist to start on 1 September 2026 or at the earliest possible date, working twelve hours a week. The job advertisement describes the role as initially fixed-term for one year, but it may be extended until 31 May 2031 subject to suitability and the availability of the post.

The role involves crafting high-quality headwear, masks and accessories for new and current stage productions. This includes hat fittings and attending final rehearsals, as well as the repair, maintenance and alteration of headwear, jewellery and accessories. This role benefits more than just the opera. The theatre workshops produce items for all the city’s theatres, meaning that the successful candidate will contribute to productions by the Opera and Leipzig Ballet, the Musical Comedy, Schauspiel Leipzig and the Theater der Jungen Welt.

A prerequisite for applying is a completed vocational qualification or an equivalent qualification. Experience with modern and historical headpieces, masks and accessories is expected, ideally in the theatre sector. Whilst theatre experience is desirable, it is not a mandatory requirement according to the wording of the vacancy notice. For this role, the Opera House also expressly requires ‘evidence of practical skills’.

According to the Opera House’s general application guidelines, documents should be submitted as PDF files HERE via the careers portal and should, where possible, not exceed a file size of 4 MB. A complete application should include a personalised cover letter or statement of motivation, a CV, school or university certificates, as well as any other certificates and references. These may include training and employment certificates, proof of work experience placements or letters of recommendation. Applicants may also state their earliest possible start date.

For the milliner position currently advertised, interviews are provisionally scheduled for 20 August 2026. Invitations are due to be sent out on 17 and 18 August.