TMCE 2012 venue

Venue of TMCE 2012 - Karlsruhe, Germany

Inhabited by over 280.000, Karlsruhe at present is the economic and high-tech capital in south-western Germany providing an attractive, vibrant city centre, countless shops and shopping centres. Unique is the combination of high-tech and the “Baden lifestyle”. For here, an economic centre with exceptional dynamics and a high quality of life do not have to be contradictions. Karlsruhe with its mild climate is one of the sunniest and warmest cities in Germany. Spring comes early to Karlsruhe thanks to the almost Mediterranean climate. The combination of nature, high-tech, culture and lifestyle quality is quite unique.

Read more about: History - Landscape - Culture - City - Research - Celebrities

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History

The city was named for Margrave Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach, who founded the city on 17 June 1715. The legend says that Karl Wilhelm of Baden-Durlach was out for a walk and lied down to take a nap, when he had a dream about a new town with streets arranged like a folding fan and a pompous palace in it's center. He then decided to make that dream become reality, hence the name Karlsruhe, which loosely translates to “Karls rest”.

The city is also nicknamed “Die Fächerstadt” (translated literally “the fan city”) because of its layout, with the tower of the Palace at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like spokes on a wheel, or ribs on a folding fan. The pyramide that has been erected in 1823 on the ‘Marktplatz’ over the grave of the city's founding father, Karl Wilhelm, became Karlsruhe’s brand label. Both characteristics, the fan shape and the pyramide, can be identified in today’s logo of Karlsruhe.

Landscape, Lifestyle and Leisure - Every day’s a holiday in Karlsruhe

Karlsruhe with its mild climate is one of the sunniest and warmest cities in Germany. Spring comes early to Karlsruhe thanks to the almost Mediterranean climate. In the lowlands of the Rhine, between the Black Forest and the Palatinate mountains, not far from Alsace and the Kraichgau right on the doorstep, the international city of Karlsruhe provides a storybook landscape and make it one of Germany’s most scenically charming regions. It offers the unique opportunity of driving from the Rhine through the city along the River Alb and on up the heights of the Black Forest. Oases of green are to be found all over the city – relief and relaxation for mind and spirit. Karlsruhe can be traversed on country roads through more than 60% green parklands, extensive woodlands stretching right into the downtown area, as well as countless parks such as the City Garden and Zoo and the botanical gardens and many other delightful areas. A mix that arouses holiday feelings not only in the city's guests.

Life unfolds outdoors in the city’s countless open spaces. Charming open¬air extend an invitation to while away the time, while the many ‘Biergärten’ offer heartier fare. Karlsruhe’s natural side is just as impressive. With over 900 hectares of public parks, gar-dens, and green spaces, open space and fresh air is never far from any city residence. There’s a wide variety of recreation and leisure at practically every doorstep as well. In Durlach, the Turmberg is perfect for a good climb – or maybe a ride to the top on Germany’s oldest funicular railway. For those who’d rather lace up their hiking boots, the Kraichgau region and the Murg and Alb River valleys offer unspoiled nature at the city’s edge. In Karlsruhe, free time is synonymous with activity, and the green swathe is a paradise for inline skaters, walkers, and joggers. Cyclists also enjoy the extensive network of cycle paths.

Karlsruhe is a city for people who enjoy life; it’s easy to fall under the spell of ‘Baden’s Metropolis’. Baden lifestyle with its legendary ‘joie de vivre’ and Karlsruhe’s sunny atmosphere appeal to visitors, natives, and newcomers alike. The rich, tasty regional cuisine also enjoys a worldwide reputation. And no less famous are Baden’s sun-drenched wines, as the palates of many a connoisseur will attest. Cosy romantic restaurants and wineries in centuries-old villages dot the nearby countryside, beckoning visitors to relax amidst dreamy hillside vineyards and valleys.>

Cultural Landscape

Karlsruhe’s cultural life is richer than that of any other German city of comparable size. With the ZKM - the “Centre for Art and Media Technology”, Karlsruhe can pride itself on a globally unique cultural institution, whose field of activity is at the interface of science and art. The ZKM – the “Centre of Art and Media Technology” as well as the “Museum of Modern Art”, the “College of Design” and the “Municipal Gallery” are situated in a complex of integrated atria or inner courtyards. Video art, interactive art, electronic-acoustic music, installations, painting, and sculpture of the 20th and 21st centuries lend this facility a unique diversity.

Likewise museums and exhibition halls display top class, internationally significant collections of fine art, history and natural history, technology, literature and local arts and history. When it comes to music and theatre, the Baden City Theatre, as a tri-purpose building, is as noteworthy as the many fine concerts of the choral and orchestral societies, together with the church music ensembles. The Karlsruhe theatre scene is augmented by qualitatively high class private and amateur dramatic groups, as well as the independent touring companies.

Over the years, a richly diverse festival scene has evolved in Karlsruhe. Taking some examples from the rich diversity of popular music and cabaret, the Tollhaus offers a year-round programme ranging from world music, cabaret, comedy, and dancing to “nouveau cirque”. And when it comes to producing, filmmaking in the City of Karlsruhe can call upon the pool of creative talent from the ZKM and the College of Design. Three renowned art colleges: the National Academy of Fine Arts, the National College of Music and the College of Design are all headquartered in Karlsruhe.

Historically reasoned, the law is permanently in residence. The Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Office of the Federal Prosecutor, the three most significant institutions of German jurisdiction, all have their seats in Karlsruhe. Therefore, Karlsruhe bears the slogan “residence of justice”.

All culture enthusiasts would be well advised to pay a visit to Karlsruhe, and convince themselves of its rich cultural diversity.

city for shopping and wellbeing

As the area’s core city with an attractive, vibrant city centre, countless shops and shopping centres, Karlsruhe is the heart of the region. And to keep it that way, Karlsruhe’s town centre is constantly been expanded and the town’s appeal - with the Kaiserstraße as popular shopping mile - continuously enhanced, for instance by the redesigning of its many squares and plazas. Among others, the Ettlinger Tor shopping centre that is located in downtown Karlsruhe is home to 130 elegant boutiques of all kinds. The variety in fashion, trends and accessories, cosmetics, beauty and wellness products, literature and consumer electronics leaves nothing to be desired. The city’s appeal can be described by the number and frequency of its passing trade or pedestrians. Karlsruhe provides an aggregate pedestrian volume of 300,100 in 2006.

Immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of Karlsruhe. We look forward to welcoming you!

Research, Education and Technology

Fridericiana

University of Karlsruhe was founded in 1825 and is the oldest technical university in Germany. Fridericiana University has become one of Germany’s first official elite universities, having received this honour from the science council and the Deutsche Forschungsgesellschaft (DFG, German research association) as part of an initiative by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to promote excellence in education

The Karlsruhe Research Centre (FZK - Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe) was founded in 1956 and is one of the largest natural sciences and engineering science research institutes in Europe, and is supported by the national as well as regional governments. The R+D programs range from initial industrial research to product and process development, preventive/protective research and fundamental scientific research

With the merger in 2009 of the elite University of Karlsruhe and the Research Centre Karlsruhe into the KIT, the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, the best forces are combined and a strong future concept was created. The University of Karlsruhe and the Research Centre Karlsruhe intend to merge their capacities in research, teaching and innovation in a continuous process by breaking down the traditional barriers between academic and private sector research institutes. Approximately 8,000 researchers work at the KIT that also hosts about 19,000 students, of which almost 4,000 from abroad. In total, they have available an annual budget of 550 million EUR as well as third party funds in the amount of 160 million EUR.

In Addition, more than 80 general schools, 12 professional colleges, 7 universities, a training academy and various research and development institutes, up to and including such international schools as the European School with students from 50 different nations, provide a solid education for the young people of Karlsruhe.

Science and research are key factors for the success or otherwise of a region. By these means, business in Karlsruhe always has first-hand access to the latest advanced and sustainable technologies Companies willing to consider Karlsruhe will find well-constructed support for innovation as well as a vibrant transfer of technology. As the centrepiece of an established region in technology, Karlsruhe is home to many different research facilities. The many technological transfer-centres as good as guarantee that research will turn into innovative products and processes. Research and cooperation with the business world is one of the region's special strengths. Therefore, Karlsruhe and the region have received the European Union's ‘Award of Excellence for Innovative Regions’.

Ideas from Karlsruhe changed the world - Celebrities of Karlsruhe

Johann Gottfried Tulla regulated the river Rhine in order to avoid uncontrolled flooding, to provide new settlement area and to enable navigability. This is where Ferdinand Redtenbacher pioneered scientific engineering. He is not only the founder of scientific mechanical engineering but also made the University of Karlsruhe gain international recognition. Carl Benz and Baron Karl Drais made respective inventions of the automobile and velocipede that ushered in the era of personal mobility. Heinrich Hertz’s discovery of electromagnetic waves in the late nineteenth century paved the way for our modern information age. Ferdinand Braun developed the “Braun Tube” (cathode ray tube) that enabled oscilloscopy and televison, Fritz Haber succeeded in extracting ammonia from atmospheric nitrogen and Karl Steinbuch even coined the term ‘Informatik’ (computer science) in 1957.