Where culture and inclusion intertwine – excursion to Karlsruhe
On 8 November 2025, members of the University of Strasbourg discovered the Eucor city of Karlsruhe under the theme of culture and inclusion. Arman R. Martirosyan accompanied the group and looks back on the excursion:
“Today the seat of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court, Karlsruhe's recent history is closely linked to the post-war European project. On the site of a former arms and munitions factory stands a redeveloped arts centre, at the heart of a lively new district of the city. For several years now, Karlsruhe has been sowing the seeds of a modern city based on art, inclusion, sustainable development and cross-border interconnectivity. Could Eucor be considered one of the fruits of this European and Rhine-based ambition?
On the morning of 8 November 2025, twenty members of the University of Strasbourg, including lecturers, doctoral students and staff, gathered at Kehl station to travel to Karlsruhe by train. Our first stop was the Tourist Office, located on Marktplatz, in the city centre. There we listened to a fascinating presentation by Ulrike Wernert, Disability Officer for the City of Karlsruhe, on inclusion measures and projects implemented by the municipality. Ms Wernert highlighted the various technological aids available to facilitate everyday tasks not only for people with disabilities, but for all residents. This showed us once again that inclusive measures benefit society as a whole.
Next, Birgit Moht (who had provided spontaneous translation during Ms Wernert's speech) accompanied us on a guided tour of the city. Her historical commentary allowed us to discover our partner city from a different perspective.
We finally made our way to the ZKM, the Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe (Zentrum für Kunst und Medien Karlsruhe). A dynamic guided tour gave us a better understanding of how museums and art centres can accommodate visitors with disabilities. Our guide, Anne Wagner, encouraged us to experience the museum differently and to pay attention to elements that often go unnoticed, such as tactile paving. We experienced the gentle breeze produced by huge rotating mannequins and touched some of the elements used in the installation of this work, allowing us to reconstruct it mentally (see °1 below) – a practice specially designed by the Centre for visually impaired people. The ZKM also offers brochures in ‘easy language’, making the descriptions of the works more accessible and easier to read.
"I really enjoyed this outing with my colleagues, which gave me the opportunity to meet new people from different professional backgrounds – teachers, researchers and administrative staff. Two things particularly struck me: the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, which despite its crucial importance for the proper functioning of democracy in Germany, is housed in a relatively modest complex of buildings and seems open to the city and its citizens thanks to the transparency of its architecture. But also the guided tour of the Zentrum für Kunst und Medien, thanks to the dynamism and good humour of the mediator, who gave us a very inclusive immersion in contemporary art through a multisensory approach to the works, designed for audiences with physical disabilities. Encountering art using senses other than sight allows you to experience creation in a different way and, in a small way, to put yourself in the shoes of people who experience the world differently. So it was a day full of discoveries." Franz Lüthi, participant
At the end of this enriching day trip, our Strasbourg group gained a deeper understanding of a neighbouring German city. We learned a great deal about its inclusive methods, which sometimes led us to reflect on ways to improve our own city. Participants also gained a better understanding of the Eucor network, the initiative that makes such intercultural exchanges possible. In reality, the heart of this excursion was the mutual curiosity between the French participants and our German friends. While we learned a great deal from them, our colleagues from Karlsruhe also had many questions about our culture in Strasbourg and the initiatives implemented by our municipality to promote an inclusive city. This intellectual openness and willingness to learn from each other ultimately formed the essence of this Eucor excursion. It is therefore not surprising that, on returning to Kehl station in the evening, everyone expressed their desire to participate in the next Eucor event; in particular, a meeting with our Swiss colleagues from Basel generated a great deal of enthusiasm!”
Written by Arman R. Martirosyan
°1: This is Ursula Neugebauer's work entitled ‘Tour en l'air’ (1998).
