Karlsruhe is the "cradle of modern media communication". It is the city where Heinrich Hertz proved electromagnetic waves in 1886, where Germany’s first e-mail was received in 1984, where the ZKM | Center for Art and Media was founded in 1989, today a pre-eminent internationally active institution of media art with an important media art collection. Various rankings list the ZKM among the world’s top museums of contemporary art and media art. Together with the University of Arts and Design (HfG) it unites research on and education of media art under one roof. Media art events such as "GLOBALE DIGITALE," "Open Codes," the "Schlosslichtspiele" and the "ARD Radio Play Days" are proof of the outstanding importance of Karlsruhe as media art location.
The city with seat of Germany's highest courts is home to a booming IT sector, an excellent university and research location and an extraordinarily diverse cultural landscape together with a flourishing cultural and creative economy. The transformation of the Alter Schlachth of complex into a creative park is proving to be a driver of current urban development.
On October 30, 2019, Karlsruhe was designated Creative City of Media Arts by UNESCO and became part of the worldwide UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).
Karlsruhe is looking forward to contributing its competence as City of Media Arts to the UCCN and at the same time to learn from its international partners.

Added Value:
As a Creative City of Media Arts, Karlsruhe envisages:
• Integration of research and education on Media Arts
• Utilizing Media Art Resources for Creative Urban Regeneration
• Function of the world's leading museum of contemporary art and Media Arts, with the focus of ZKM (Art and Media Center)