Hello Leipzig: This is how Tuesday, 10 November 2026 begins

A home of one’s own – for many, housing has now become a source of anxiety. Extremist developments are also a cause for concern. The long-established football club 1. FC Lokomotive aims to counter this with education. The GEW is fighting against serious problems in the education sector, whilst the City Archives are providing insights into research findings. The city and the Gewandhaus are bidding farewell to Herbert Blomstedt, Leipzig’s most famous Swede.

Looking for more than just a room

How can housing in Leipzig remain affordable, what possibilities do expropriations and socialisation offer, and when can the so-called ‘construction boost’ actually speed up housing development

? These are the questions being addressed today by the local event series ‘Knowledge in Leipzig: The Pub Talk’. The public discussion begins at 6 pm at the Gambrinus pub (Odermannstraße 12) in Leipzig-Lindenau. Doors open at 5 pm; admission is free.

The guests are property economist Prof. Dr Harald Simons and Jana Naerlich, head of the Housing Construction Department at Leipzig’s Office for Housing Construction and Urban Regeneration. Simons is an economist, a board member of EMPIRICA in Berlin and a professor at HTWK

Leipzig. He specialises in housing markets and housing policy and is a member of the Council of Real Estate Experts at the Central Real Estate Committee, which produces annual reports on the state of the property sector.

Jana Naerlich brings the perspective of local housing policy to the discussion. The Office for Housing Construction and Urban Regeneration is responsible, amongst other things, for the implementation of housing policy instruments, regeneration procedures in accordance with the Building Code, and the development of residential neighbourhoods. The panel discussion is rounded off by Dr Andrea Schultz from the Office for Statistics and Elections, who will provide data and figures on the housing situation.

The discussion is set against the backdrop of the ongoing debates surrounding the construction, ownership and financing of housing in Germany. In Leipzig, too, there is debate over which measures can be used to create additional housing whilst ensuring it remains affordable.

On 25 February 2026, the City Council decided on the local implementation of the ‘Bauturbo’ scheme, which is intended to speed up housing construction projects (as reported by the LZ

). Among the points of controversy is how simplified procedures can be reconciled with social requirements for new-build projects.

Today’s ‘Kneipengespräch’ event addresses these housing policy conflicts and offers visitors the opportunity to put their own questions to the experts. As part of the ‘Wissen in Leipzig: Das Kneipengespräch’ series, academics and experts discuss topical issues every second Tuesday of the month.

Memorial concert for Herbert Blomstedt

Leipzig is paying tribute to Herbert Blomstedt today with an extraordinary special concert. The former Gewandhaus Kapellmeister and honorary conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra died on 4 November 2026 in Gothenburg at the age of 99 (as reported by the LZ
). The event begins at 7.30 pm in the Great Hall of the Gewandhaus.

Kapellmeister Andris Nelsons will conduct Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Fifth Symphony in D minor, known as the Reformation Symphony (MWV N 15). The Gewandhaus Choir
will open the musical commemoration, conducted by Gregor Meyer, with Johann Sebastian Bach’s motet ‘Komm, Jesu, komm’ (BWV 229). Following a welcome address by Gewandhaus Director Andreas Schulz, a minute’s silence will be observed…

This will be followed by addresses from Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung
and Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer
. Bernhard Krug, Chairman of the Orchestra’s Board, will also address those present. Michael Schönheit on the Wegscheider and Schuke organ and Felix Leissner on the double bass will also be taking part in the musical programme.

The concert is considered to be sold out. However, anyone interested can check the current availability directly with the Gewandhaus by calling 0341 1270 280 or HERE on the official event website
, and purchase any remaining tickets if available. With this commemorative concert, Leipzig pays tribute to a conductor who helped shape the history of the Gewandhaus Orchestra over many decades.

Blomstedt was born on 11 July 1927 and took over as chief conductor of the long-established orchestra in 1998, succeeding Kurt Masur
. He served as its 19th Gewandhaus Kapellmeister until 2005. His tenure spanned seven years, from the 1998/99 season to the 2004/05 season. Among other things, the family concerts and the Mendelssohn Festival were established on his initiative. As Conductor Emeritus, Blomstedt returned regularly to the Gewandhaus Orchestra
for more than two decades, conducting concerts in Leipzig and accompanying the ensemble on international tours.

To mark his 95th birthday in 2022, he performed in Leipzig once again, including at the ‘Klassik airleben’ open-air concerts in Rosental. He gave his final performances in Leipzig in September 2025, when he conducted Anton Bruckner’s Ninth Symphony at the Gewandhaus.

In addition to today’s concert, there is an opportunity to sign a book of condolence in the main foyer of the Gewandhaus. It will be on display today from 10 am to 6 pm. Further dates are Thursday 12 November, from 2 pm to 6 pm, and Friday 13 November, from 10 am to 6 pm.

GEW rallies in Saxony

This afternoon, the Education and Science Union (GEW) is calling for a rally outside the State Office for Schools and Education (LaSuB) at Nonnenstraße 17a in Leipzig. The event begins at 4.30 pm; at the same time, further protests are planned outside the Saxon Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs in Dresden and at the trade union headquarters at 33 Augustusburger Straße in Chemnitz.

With these state-wide rallies, the GEW is opposing an additional burden being placed on teaching staff (PFiU) at Saxony’s special schools. This stems from the state government’s plans to place greater responsibility on schools for providing holiday care for pupils with special educational needs relating to intellectual development from January 2027. This would mean that PFiU staff would also have to take on additional care duties.

The union fears that this could result in a shortage of staff to support children and young people during regular school hours. Educational specialists are already stretched to the limit with their current duties. According to the GEW, the draft bill stipulates that 460 educational specialists are to be deployed for holiday care. The workload required for this is equivalent to the working hours of just under 106 full-time employees.

The union is calling instead for additional staff or greater involvement of independent providers in holiday care. In addition to staff, relatives, friends and colleagues are invited to take part in the rallies.

The “Loksche” is taking action against right-wing extremism

It is not encountered solely in the form of acts of violence, but above all verbally: right-wing extremism is one of the scourges of our time. Stadiums and football pitches, too, are venues for the ugliest forms of misconduct. This makes it all the more important for clubs to recognise their responsibility. Accordingly, 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig is hosting a workshop today at 6 pm entitled ‘Arguing effectively against right-wing extremism’. The event will take place in the VIP lounge at the Bruno-Plache-Stadion.

The event forms part of the socio-political education project ‘Football, History, Democracy’, which the club is running in collaboration with the Erich-Zeigner-Haus e. V. Participants will gain insights into far-right ideologies and learn to recognise associated symbols and codes. The spread of far-right content via social media will also be addressed. Practical exercises based on typical everyday situations are designed to demonstrate how misanthropic statements can be countered with factual arguments.

Through this series of workshops, the football club combines political education with social engagement in sport, thereby addressing democratic values and how to deal with right-wing extremism. There are still a few places available for today’s event. Registration can be done ONLINE HERE via the project website.

The next workshop of this kind, on 23 November, will focus on the topic of ‘anti-Semitism on the political left and right’.

Leipzig Treasures in Book and Exhibition

The Leipzig City Archives (Alte Messe) is presenting the publication “Treasures from the Leipzig City Archives: Selected Historical Sources on the City’s History” today at 7 pm, whilst also opening the exhibition “Sources of Knowledge: Treasures from the Leipzig City Archives”.

The richly illustrated volume showcases 80 historical archive items, explained by 41 authors. Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung will deliver a welcome address, after which five contributors will present selected sources and their stories.

The exhibition provides insights into the archive’s work and explores the challenges of digitisation. At an interactive station, visitors can learn to distinguish historical photographs from AI-generated or altered images. Admission to the event is free; no registration is required.

The exhibition will be open free of charge from Wednesday 11 November during regular opening hours (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 am to 5 pm).

Please note! Due to an event, the City Archives’ research room will be closed for normal use on 10 and 11 November. It will not be possible to view archive materials on site on either day. The digital research portal at recherche-stadtarchiv.leipzig.de
remains available. The book launch and exhibition opening on Tuesday evening will not be affected by the closure of the research room.