Current events

The German-Polish exhibition "Art and Architecture in the Diocese of Lubuskie. Searching for traces in an undiscovered cultural landscape" began its journey through the former diocese area and through the Lubusz region. The exhibition will be on display at a total of 12 locations until the end of 2026, seven of which are in Poland and five in Germany.

The German-Polish Seniors' Academy invites you to the lecture "Falling birth rates, intergenerational family structures and language barriers on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 at 3 p.m. in the small lecture hall of the Collegium Polonicum: How can senior citizens contribute to the integration and support of families?" followed by a discussion. The focus: the older generation in today's society.

With a joint inaugural lecture, two professors appointed to the Faculty of Cultural Studies at the European University Viadrina in 2025 will introduce themselves to the public: Prof. Dr. Miriam Lind, Professor of Language Practices in Media Cultures, and Prof. Dr. Sarah Speck, Professor of Comparative Cultural Sociology.

The volume "Leopold Rankes Frankfurter Jahre", edited by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Blänkner, offers previously unknown insights into the life and work of Leopold Ranke in Frankfurt (Oder). The Senior Scholar of the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) and the authors of the volume will present the book, which was recently published by Vergangenheitsverlag, on Tuesday, January 20, at the Frankfurt (Oder) City Archive.

The "Altlandsberger Schlossgespräche" series of events will enter a new round on January 22, 2026 with the focus on "Business meets state politics". From 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Schlossgut Altlandsberg, participants can look forward to inspiration for the 2026 business year and the opportunity to contribute their perspectives directly to the dialog with state politicians.

Experience the pure Cuban joie de vivre and let the magnificent voices of Cuba take effect on you. Together with the extraordinary "Buena Vista Band" and the impressive dance formation "El Grupo de Bailar" as well as over 150 tailor-made costumes, "Pasión de Buena Vista" presents you with a unique stage show that will whisk you away to the streets of the Caribbean dream island.

The Frankfurt (Oder) Music School invites you to its Open Day on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Interested people of all ages can get to know and try out instruments and talk to the teachers.

The European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) invites prospective students to an information day on campus on Saturday, January 24, from 11:00 a.m. The offer is aimed at anyone who is interested in starting their studies in April 2026 or who wants to get to know the entire range of courses at Viadrina from the winter semester 2026/2027.

A heartfelt interpretation of "The Little Prince", the famous book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, awaits the audience on January 24 at Frankfurt's Theaterhaus Kleist Forum. A powerful narrative meets incredibly poetic images that are created live in front of the audience in sand, painted by one of the most virtuoso sand artists of our time.

On Saturday, 24 January 2026, the Carl-Friedrich-Gauß-Gymnasium in Frankfurt (Oder), one of the two recognized mathematical, scientific and technical special schools in the state of Brandenburg, is hosting an open day from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. Interested families – especially those with children in years 4 and 6 – can then get to know the school as a whole and the work of the various departments.

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, from 11.00 a.m., political groups of the City Council (SVV) invite you to a New Year's meeting of the City of Frankfurt (Oder) in the atrium of the town hall. Following the speeches by the Chairwoman of the SVV Désirée Schrade and the Lord Mayor Dr. Axel Strasser, interested citizens will have the opportunity to enter into dialogue with the two and the members of the SVV present and to exchange views on local political issues.

Under the motto "Public Rehearsal", the multi-award-winning film and television actor Jörg Schüttauf and the Hamburg actor and theater producer Holger Umbreit invite you to a Ringelnatz program at Frankfurt's Theaterhaus Kleist Forum on 25 January. In it, they will dedicate themselves to the amusing texts of the poet and cabaret artist, who traveled all over Germany and neighbouring countries for engagements and readings during his life, and combine them with their own rehearsal and touring experiences.

At the end of the lecture series "How to deal with right-wing extremism?" at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), practical workshop discussions on dealing with right-wing extremism in Frankfurt (Oder) and the region will take place on Tuesday, January 27 from 4:15 to 6:45 p.m. Experts from the fields of civil society and local politics, journalism and media as well as democratic conflict management in the community will present their experiences and approaches from their practice in dealing with right-wing extremism.

The Frankfurt (Oder) Music School invites you to two public preparatory concerts for the "Jugend musiziert" competition. The concerts will take place on Thursday, January 29 and Tuesday, February 10, both at 6 p.m. at the music school. Pupils from the music school who are taking part in this year's competition will present their program in front of an audience and gain important performance experience in the process.

On Thursday, January 29, at 6 p.m., the Chairs of Popular Cultures and Social Philosophy at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) invite you to a filmosophy entitled "Lachrevue". This time the focus is on a rather ephemeral form of film: funny clips. In order to provide a diverse basis for discussion, the Filmosophy team is asking for support: they are looking for short clips with a length of one to five minutes.

What does the Oder sound like? What do aquatic animals perceive and how does the river change human sensory perceptions? The intermedia performance "OderHive – a multisensory river journey to hear, see and feel" will get to the bottom of these questions on Thursday, January 29, from 5 p.m. at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder).

The Protestant parish of Eisenhüttenstadt is showing the exhibition "Women in Divided Germany" in the community center from 13 February to 3 July 2026. The division of Germany has been history for over three decades. But many clichés about women from East and West Germany persist to this day. Where do these attributions come from? And how much is really behind them? The exhibition explores these questions.

Experience a completely new world full of magic and movement with "On Fire"! The shadow dancers take you on an adventurous journey and present a breathtaking spectacle in which light, shadow and movement merge in thrilling harmony.

Are you rarely able to hear the organ in your village church? Can you play the piano and could you imagine accompanying chorales on the organ? Then you are cordially invited. Under the direction of cantor Patricia Kramer, workshop participants will receive an introduction to organ playing and can try out the organ in the workshop.

How do food delivery services work? How did Heinrich von Kleist write? What can an old oak tree tell us? And what makes the fire department so important? The 20th Viadrina Children's University will address these questions. From March 4, children and young people between the ages of 8 and 13 can take part in four lectures in the lecture hall of the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder).

Kokubu, one of the world's best-known taiko drum groups, is going on a major tour of Germany again in 2026 and, after their acclaimed tours in recent years, is setting new accents with their current show "Infinity". With thunderous rhythms, breathtaking precision, impressive synchronization and pure energy, Kokubu takes the audience into the soul of Japan.

A film about them became a hit: the Hamburg senior citizens' choir "Heaven can wait", whose members are all over 70 years old, will soon be performing at Frankfurt's Theaterhaus Kleist Forum. On April 18, 2026, the 35 or so singers, who together bring over 2,000 years of life to the stage, will charmingly and full of joie de vivre overturn common prejudices about older people.

Originally founded in 1964 in Meissen, Saxony, by Martin Schreier and other musicians, the STERN-COMBO MEISSEN toured live from the beginning of 2024 to mid-September 2025 on its extremely successful anniversary tour with well over 60 concerts under the motto "60 years ... the long way". In 2025/26, STERN-COMBO MEISSEN will once again be performing live on many stages across the country.

With "Blueprint", they not only created a song, but a real blueprint for sophisticated pop music. The sound of the Berlin band around singer and songwriter Katharina Franck still proves its worth four decades after its foundation: When pop is done well, it goes straight to the heart. The Rainbirds can be seen at the Messehallen Frankfurt (Oder) on May 29, 2026.

Annett Louisan is the voice of German-language chanson – and a hugely successful one at that. To date, she has sold well over a million records and inspired, enchanted and deeply touched just as many people with her concerts. Due to popular demand, Annett Louisan is once again inviting her fans to join her on this special journey through time in summer 2026.