Who is the best reader in the Birkenfeld district? This question will be answered at the regional round of the 67th German Book Trade Reading Competition. The winners of the school finals will compete in the contest. The regional competition will take place on Friday, 20 February 2026, at 2.30 pm in the Idar-Oberstein City Library, organized by the Idar-Oberstein Youth Welfare Office and the Schulz-Ebrecht bookshop. The city library will be closed to the public on this day.
With around 600,000 participants every year, the reading competition, which was launched in 1959, is one of the oldest and largest competitions for schoolchildren in Germany. More than 7,000 pupils in year 6 take part in the regional competitions in cities and districts across Germany. The more than 650 regional competitions are organized by bookshops, libraries, schools and other cultural institutions. All participating children receive a certificate and the book "Rocky Winterfeld" by Marie Hüttner.
The reading competition is organized by the Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung des Börsenvereins des Deutschen Buchhandels. It aims to spread enthusiasm for books to the public, strengthen children's reading skills and help them broaden their horizons, understand social changes and develop an openness to new things. The competition is held under the patronage of the Federal President.
- The current status of the 67th reading competition as well as all information, dates and participating schools can be found at www.vorlesewettbewerb.de. Further information on the regional competition is available from the City Youth Welfare Office, Sebastian Herzig, telephone 06781/645012, e-mail sebastian-herzig@idar-oberstein.de.