Hello Leipzig: This is how Thursday 17 September 2026 begins

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Children have rights, as laid down by the UN. Until Sunday, Leipzig’s first Children’s Cathedral at the Lutherkirche will be exploring the state of these rights. How should we deal with the architecture of the GDR, which ceased to exist in 1989? This is the question being addressed by a panel discussion at the City Library. The railway is building – and things are taking a picturesque, mystical turn at the Galerie Koenitz on Dittrichring.

Pretty or ugly – a panel discussion on GDR architecture

The preservation and continued use of architecture from the GDR era is the focus of an event taking place today at the Leipzig City Library on Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz. Under the title ‘Commitment through Remembrance: Voluntary Heritage Conservation for the Preservation of East German Modernism’, the Leipzig Heritage Foundation and the Saxony Heritage Network are hosting a series of talks and a discussion as part of the Baukultur Leipzig network’s lecture series. The event begins at 6.00 pm in the Oberlichtsaal. Attendance is free of charge.

Nora Gitter, Coordinator for Building Culture for the City of Leipzig, and Josy Pechstädt from the Saxony Heritage Network will open the event. From 6.20 pm, Stefan Dähne will speak about the revitalisation of the ‘Neues Leben’ cultural centre in Borstendorf. At 6.45 pm, local historian Daniel Fischer will present voluntary heritage research, using the example of the ‘Juri Gagarin’ secondary school (POS) – or the 49th Primary School ‘Bernhard von Lindenau’ – in Dresden-Plauen.

From 7.15 pm, Johanna Knigge will present an interactive atlas entitled ‘Unfold: History and Potential of the VT-Falte’, an interactive atlas. The VT-Falte is a prefabricated prestressed concrete beam with a trapezoidal cross-section, developed in the GDR, which was primarily used for hall roofs. When joined together, these components enabled the creation of large, largely column-free spaces and characterised numerous sports, multi-purpose and industrial buildings. The atlas lists all surviving buildings whose roofs were constructed using this method.

At 7.40 pm, a panel discussion will begin, featuring not only the speakers but also Leipzig’s Councillor for Urban Development and Construction, Thomas Dienberg. Notable examples preserved in Leipzig include the Gewandhaus on Augustusplatz, the City Tower (‘Uni-Riese’), the Wintergarten Tower, the former Interhotel Merkur (now The Westin Leipzig), and the residential development in Grünau.

However, not all buildings from this period have survived: the Robotron Training Centre, built in 1969 and designed by Rudolf Skoda and Ulrich Quester, was demolished in 2012. According to the Leipzig Heritage Trust, four school buildings in Leipzig from this era were granted listed status in 2024.

Railway works between Leipzig and Saalfeld

Work on signalling and safety systems is causing disruption to the train timetable on the Leipzig–Saalfeld route today. Passengers on this route should expect later arrival times, as only one track will be available at Pößneck Upper Station between 7.20 am and 3.40 pm.

The route remains operational; no rail replacement bus service is planned for this work. However, individual services on the RE 12/RB 22 lines between Gera and Saalfeld are affected; trains between Leipzig and Gera are running as normal. According to the special timetable ‘RB 22 Saalfeld – Gera, valid on 17 September 2026’ published by Erfurter Bahn on 24 August 2026, the times of trains RB 80841, RB 80845 and RB 80849 will change.

RB 80841 will continue to depart from Gera Central Station at 9.02 am, but will now arrive at Pößneck at 10.15 am instead of the usual 9.53 am, and at Saalfeld at 10.33 am instead of 10.21 am. RB 80845 departs Gera at 11.02 and arrives at Pößneck at 12.15 instead of 11.53, and at Saalfeld at 12.33 instead of 12.21. RB 80849 will depart from Gera as usual at 1.02 pm and arrive in Pößneck at 2.15 pm instead of 1.53 pm, and in Saalfeld at 2.33 pm instead of 2.21 pm – at least according to the timetable.

According to Erfurter Bahn, none of the company’s other trains are affected by this construction work.

Martin Voigt’s mysticism at Galerie Koenitz

Galerie Koenitz opens the exhibition ‘Der Garten’ (The Garden), featuring works by Martin Voigt, today at 7 pm. Prof. Dr Andreas Schüle will deliver the opening address. The exhibition can be seen at the Leipzig gallery until 26 November 2026.

In his works, Voigt explores natural and landscape settings. Dense forests and primeval landscapes, deadwood, rampant greenery and still waters characterise his visual worlds. In more recent works, figures and motifs from mythological tales have also reappeared. As an example of his current body of work, ‘Rotting Trees on the Shore’ from 2026 is on display, a tempera painting on canvas measuring 110 × 110 cm.

Voigt’s collaboration with Galerie Koenitz extends beyond the current exhibition. The gallery has previously hosted the exhibition ‘HYPERBOREA’ as well as the show ‘FERNE GEFILDE’, presented in collaboration with Soojie Kang. A 200-page catalogue was also published to accompany ‘HYPERBOREA’, with Andreas Schüle among the contributors.

Martin Voigt was born in Leipzig in 1990 and grew up in Delitzsch. From 2006 to 2013, he trained as a stonemason and sculptor and worked in this profession in Leipzig, Merseburg, Balduinstein an der Lahn and Trebsen. He then studied from 2013 to 2018 at the Academy of Visual Arts (HGB) in Leipzig in the Painting and Printmaking department under Professor Annette Schröter, graduating with a diploma. In 2018, Voigt was awarded the Berlin Hyp Prize.

From tomorrow, the exhibition will be open to visitors until 26 November 2026, Monday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm. The gallery is located at Dittrichring 16, just behind the famous Fairy-Tale Fountain.

Children’s rights under the church roof

Leipzig’s first so-called ‘Children’s Cathedral’ begins today at the Lutherkirche in Johannapark. The opening ceremony starts at 4.30 pm inside the church itself (Ferdinand-Lasalle-Str. 25) and is entitled ‘Children Have Rights’. Afterwards, children and families can explore the specially set-up activity zones. At 6.00 pm, there will be an evening blessing beneath the starry sky of the chancel.

The project runs until 20 September 2026 and aims to bring children’s rights to life, alongside participation, education, community, play, leisure and cultural engagement. Among other things, it addresses children’s right to express their opinions and to be heard. At the activity stations, young visitors can, for example, make music, create window displays, make badges and build an organ.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church District of Leipzig describes the concept as a “temporary open church project”. The activities are designed to be child-friendly, inclusive, creative, musical and sensitive to religious sensitivities, and are brought to life through the participation of children and families. With this event, Leipzig is breaking new ground: according to the national Children’s Cathedral organisation, the Lutherkirche is the venue for the launch of what will become an annual Children’s Cathedral event held in various churches across Leipzig.

This morning, from 8 am to 12 noon, there is a discovery session for registered nursery and school groups. The open-to-the-public session will then follow at 4.30 pm. On Friday, 18 September, the group programme is on the agenda again from 8 am to 12 noon. Between 2 pm and 6 pm, the Children’s Cathedral will then host a public family session, followed by a story and the evening blessing at 6 pm.

On Saturday, 19 September, the Children’s Cathedral will be open to visitors from 2 pm to 6 pm. From 3 pm, there will be a family café, followed at 6 pm by another story and the evening blessing, and at 7 pm by the ‘Fizzy Powder Evening’. The final day, Sunday 20 September, begins at 10 am with a family brunch featuring a bring-your-own buffet. The Children’s Cathedral will be open again from 11.30 am to 3 pm, before the closing ceremony begins at 3.30 pm. Admission is free on all days. An overview of the full programme for the Children’s Cathedral is available ONLINE HERE.

Licence notice: The photograph showing the transport of the ‘VT-Falte’ roof elements is by Vtfalte/Wikimedia and is licensed for use via THIS LINK. It has been cropped for use on this page but has not been altered in any other way.