Excursion to the Landtag of Baden-Württemberg

A group of international Ulm university students visited the „Landtag“, which is the parliament, of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart.

The „Landtag“ is located in the center of Stuttgart. Constructed in the late 1950s, the building’s modern, fairly simple cube shape remains impressive. During our guided tour, we learned that the transparent glass façade is intended to symbolize the transparency of our democracy. Nothing should be hidden or happen in secret. Even the offices, such as that of the parliament’s president, have glass walls, making them transparent from the inside and outside.

In the chamber, our group sat in the seats of the members of parliament. Our guide explained the basics of German democracy and Baden-Württemberg’s and Germany’s political systems. The tour included an additional stop in front of a book displaying the CVs of politicians who were persecuted by the Nazis before World War II. On the top wall, an important message was posted: „Die Würde des Menschen ist unantastbar,“ the first article of the German constitution, meaning: Human dignity is inviolable!“

The second part of our visit was a lively discussion with three members of parliament representing Ulm and neighboring Heidenheim: Michael Joukov and Clara Resch (both Green Party) and Martin Rivoir (SPD). The students asked questions about study fees in Baden-Württemberg, the difficulty of finding housing, and politicians‘ expectations of foreign students. They also asked how migrants can get involved in the political system. Michael Joukov, who originally came from Ukraine, was able to answer this question from personal experience. After the visit, some of us took the opportunity to explore more of Stuttgart, particularly the newly opened Christmas market.