MERIAN Heidelberg

A never-ending romance!

13 million visitors travel to the little big city by the Neckar river every year. When tourists from abroad whisk through the continent, then Heidelberg is always a stop on their busy itinerary. It is here in the narrow alleyways of the historic quarters and under the shadows of the castle ruins that they search for “good old Europe”, as Mark Twain did in 1878. Germany’s oldest university does its bit to add to the city’s romantic charm: the “Karzer”, a detention cell for unruly students, is one of the city’s tourist highlights. Yet the university stands for more than just student nostalgia. It is primarily a breeding ground for some of the best research institutes in the world. One of these is the German Cancer Research Centre that is developing new and groundbreaking therapies. The city’s young street art scene is yet more evidence that Heidelberg is far from being marooned in the 19th century.

Our main topics:

Romanticism: Old walls and a ruined castle as a place of yearning: how the city became the cradle of Romanticism.

University: Nobody knows the 600-year-old “Ruperto Carola” as well as Professor Peter Meusburger. A conversation with the academic who researched the university’s history.

Prinzhorn Collection: The museum’s exhibition of art by psychiatric patients is unique. The works of the mentally “ill” come remarkably close to those produced by their “healthy” colleagues in the 20th century.

Medicine: Architects of hope: Heidelberg’s researchers excel in the search for new cancer therapies.

Street Art: Colour on the walls: the Metropolink Festival celebrates young art in the streets of Heidelberg.