News from the region

The 2026 Training Award of the Metropolitan Region East builds on the successful Marzahn-Hellersdorf 2025 Training Award and expands it through supra-regional cooperation. It serves as a tool for location marketing and for sustainably strengthening the regional training landscape. The application phase will start during the career compass training and job fair from May 8 to 9, 2026.

IHK Ostbrandenburg, owner of the collective brand "Eberswalder Würstchen", insists on Brandenburg regionality. The Eberswalde sausage factories at the traditional Britz site are to be closed. Against this backdrop, the IHK Ostbrandenburg supports all efforts by the Brandenburg state government to preserve the site.

The Oder-Spree district is introducing a baby welcome service for families with newborns from 2026. With this new service, the district wants to support families at an early stage and make it easier for them to start life with their child.

Thanks to the new seat heaters and insulated walls, the season at the Theater am Rand can start earlier: It starts as early as March 7! All events until the end of May are now open for booking. Highlights in spring: Kafka am Rand, Kästner unplugged, the guitar jack-of-all-trades Luca Stricagnoli, the cabaret artist Arnulf Rating and the anniversary concert by Engerling.

Unemployment figures rise slightly due to seasonal factors – mixed picture looking back on the year: In December, a total of 14,782 people were registered as unemployed in the city of Frankfurt (Oder), the district of Märkisch-Oderland and the district of Oder-Spree. That is 149 more than in November and 70 more than in December 2024.

A record number of visitors crowns an extraordinary year at Frankfurt's Kleist Forum theater: 49,543 guests attended performances at the Kleist Forum and guest performances of the theater's own productions in Cottbus, Schwetzingen, Hamburg and Rome. In addition, around 11,000 people took part in workshops and cultural education programs.