Hello Leipzig: This is how Friday 30 October 2026 kicks off the weekend

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The HTWK remains closed due to an upcoming demonstration; a guided tour of the city shows how the protests of 1965 came to an end. Roadworks are coming to an end, but rail passengers will once again have to take the bus. And Germany’s only female Chancellor to date is to receive an award. Jörg Widmann will also be honoured alongside her. Afterwards, both will do what they do best: Merkel will give a speech and Widmann will perform. This will mark the opening of the Mendelssohn Festival.

Checking train by train

Rail passengers must keep a close eye on timetables this weekend and allow extra time. Due to engineering works, trains are being cancelled on several routes. The restrictions begin today and are expected to last until 16 November. They apply from Friday to Sunday each week.

There will be train cancellations on the S1 S-Bahn line between Leipzig Central Station and Miltitzer Allee. The S1 normally runs from the Central Station via Gohlis, Möckern, Leutzsch, Lindenau and Plagwitz, continuing through Grünau to the terminus at Miltitzer Allee. Buses are being used on this section of the route. Passengers wishing to travel from Grünau to the city centre or in the opposite direction should therefore expect longer journey times.

There are also restrictions between Leipzig and Halle (Saale). Several S-Bahn lines usually operate on different routes here. The S3 connects the two cities via Schkeuditz, whilst the S5 and S5X lines run via the airport. Deutsche Bahn has announced train cancellations and replacement bus services for the connection between the two cities.

Construction work is also taking place between Leipzig Central Station and Großkorbetha. This affects the rail service towards Weißenfels and Naumburg. The S6 S-Bahn line, amongst others, runs on this route. Due to the announced construction work, trains on the section between Leipzig and Großkorbetha will be cancelled, with buses provided as a replacement. Passengers from Markranstädt and the western Leipzig area, in particular, should therefore expect changes to their journeys.

Anyone wishing to travel beyond Großkorbetha to Weißenfels or Naumburg should also bear in mind the possible impact on their connecting services. The works will take place over a total of three consecutive weekends.

According to DB, restrictions are scheduled from 1 November, from 6 to 8 November, and from 13 to 16 November. Passengers should check the latest timetable information before setting off. The revised timetables and bus services are available via the online travel information service and the DB Navigator.

From here to there, including from Bad Düben

However, the weekend also brings us some good news with the lifting of several traffic restrictions. On the east side of Leipzig Central Station, construction work is expected to be completed to such an extent that bus route 196 will be able to run as normal to the station again from Saturday (31 October). According to Nordsachsen Mobil, the ‘Hauptbahnhof/Ostseite’ and ‘Messeverwaltung’ stops will then be served again. Bus route 196 has connected Leipzig with Bad Düben via Krostitz for many years. Today, it operates as a PlusBus route within the Central German Transport Association (MDV) and connects Bad Düben with the city centre via the Leipzig Exhibition Centre.

Also today, the complete closure of Pittlerstraße in Leipzig, which has been in place since the beginning of August, is due to end. The closure was necessitated by the reconstruction of two railway bridges, both over 100 years old. The construction work had caused considerable disruption for local residents, particularly during the summer. During the demolition work, there was a great deal of construction noise and severe vibrations. The railway company even offered hotel accommodation to households particularly affected. The footpaths under the bridge are not expected to reopen until April 2027. At the Angerbrücke, the temporary relocation of the bus stop for route 131 is also coming to an end. The special arrangement, under which passengers travelling towards Merseburg must board at the route 74 stop on Zschochersche Straße, is scheduled to remain in place until 10 pm today. A reopening to traffic is also planned in Markkleeberg. According to the Leipzig district authority, the full closure of Städtelner Straße is due to end today. Road resurfacing work has been taking place there since 19 October.

Beat it! A reminder of the SED’s truncheon rampage

In the autumn of 1965, there were 47 rock bands in Leipzig with a performance licence. This coveted document, issued by the state, was the prerequisite for being allowed to perform in public at all. The bands were increasingly a thorn in the side of party officials – or rather, a burning thorn in the heart of their cultural-revolutionary dreams, which had absolutely nothing to do with Western-influenced beat music.

Without further ado, in October of that year, 44 groups had their licences revoked, including the popular ‘Butlers’. The SED regarded their music as ‘Western subculture’ and generally denigrated long-haired youths as ‘hooligans’, ‘slackers’ and ‘anti-social elements’. In protest against the bans, more than 500 young people gathered on 31 October 1965, initially at Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz.

Security forces violently broke up the peaceful demonstration and provisionally detained 267 people. Punitive measures were imposed on 162 young people. Many of those affected were sent to labour camps for several weeks and sentenced to forced labour in the lignite mines. An audio walk through the city on Saturday commemorates the repression of the rock movement and its consequences.

PLEASE NOTE! The tour, originally announced for 2 pm, will now begin at 1 pm following a recent change to the schedule, to avoid clashing with another major event. The meeting point is Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz.

Participation is free of charge, but registration is essential at bildung@archiv-buergerbewegung.de or by telephone on 0341 3065175 – preferably today. The artist Diana Wesser will lead the tour, which is based on an audio walk developed in 2025 in collaboration with the Archiv Bürgerbewegung e. V. Thomas Loest, Gerhard Pötzsch and Sabine Onnasch are scheduled to speak as eyewitnesses.

University locks its doors, student representatives distance themselves: Leipzig braces for youth protests on Saturday

Immediately following the commemoration of the Beat Uprising 61 years ago, a very topical demonstration will take place in Leipzig. A protest has been announced for Saturday under the slogan “Gen Z rules!”. Following a coordination meeting between the organisers, the assembly authorities and the police, 2,500 participants are currently registered.

The gathering will begin at 2 pm on Augustusplatz. The march is set to proceed clockwise along the city centre ring road to Richard-Wagner-Platz and then via Brühl and Goethestraße back to Augustusplatz. A closing rally is planned there. Road users should expect temporary closures, particularly on the city centre ring road, until 5 pm.

The demonstration is part of a nationwide day of action taking place in more than 20 cities. The ‘Gen Z regelt’ initiative is modelled on youth protests in France and is calling, amongst other things, for greater investment in education and social services, an affordable cost of living, more climate protection and greater political participation by young people. The protest is also directed against the possibility of compulsory military service and increased state surveillance.

The movement’s organisational structures, which have not yet been made fully transparent, are controversial. The Federal Pupils’ Conference therefore distanced itself from the planned demonstrations on 24 October and warned against political exploitation. A statement specifically reads: “We distance ourselves from 31 October – not from the campaign for better education.” However, according to their own statements, the Leipzig police have no direct evidence of planned riots.

Nevertheless, the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK) has decided, as a precautionary measure, to close all university buildings for the entire day on Saturday, citing the need to protect university staff and its facilities in light of the announced demonstrations. The closure expressly applies to students and staff who would normally have access via an HTWK card, transponder or other authorisation. Offices, laboratories and workshops will therefore remain inaccessible, as will lecture theatres and other event spaces.

Mendelssohn Festival with tribute to Merkel

With the presentation of the Leipzig International Mendelssohn Prize to former Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the composer and clarinettist Jörg Widmann, the Mendelssohn Festival 2026 will be opened on Sunday, 1 November, at 11 am, the 2026 Mendelssohn Festival will open in the Great Hall of the Leipzig Gewandhaus. The awards will be presented by Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung during a charity concert in aid of the Mendelssohn House.

Angela Merkel is receiving the prize in the ‘Europe’ category because, in the jury’s view, she has rendered outstanding services to the unification and integration of Europe, as well as to its cohesion as a community based on peace and shared values. The jury also recognises her commitment to overcoming the East-West division of Europe and considers her political actions to be shaped by humanist ideals. Merkel will also deliver a speech at the award ceremony.

Jörg Widmann is being honoured in the ‘Music’ category because the jury considers his artistic versatility and his achievements as a composer, clarinettist and conductor to be outstanding. In particular, the jury highlights his international standing, his in-depth engagement with the works of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and his commitment to promoting young musical talent. The opening concert will feature, amongst others, the pianist Elena Bashkirova, Jörg Widmann, his sister, the violinist Carolin Widmann, and the Leipzig vocal ensemble amarcord. The programme includes works by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Jörg Widmann and Sergei Prokofiev.

The Mendelssohn Festival runs until 8 November. Organised jointly by the Mendelssohn House and the Gewandhaus, the festival commemorates Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy – the anniversary of whose death falls on 4 November – with concerts, talks and guided tours. The full programme is available ONLINE HERE for you to browse, select and book events.