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A Place of Learning for Everyone

Arkadia, a nonprofit organization, operates a learning space in Heilbronn, Germany dedicated to dialog, experimentation, and urban development. Marianna Georgiou explains how OpenSpace works.

14.08.2026
Philipp Nagels

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Ms. Georgiou, OpenSpace certainly sounds inviting. Can you tell us more about Arkadia’s concept for the project and who can take advantage of OpenSpace?
Marianna Georgiou: OpenSpace is a learning and community space in Heilbronn; it’s open to anyone with a sense of curiosity and a desire to make a difference. Users of the space include students from local educational institutions such as TUM Campus Heilbronn, 42 Heilbronn, and Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences; they come to OpenSpace to study or to meet with representatives of the business community or other sectors to exchange ideas and work on new concepts. We also welcome local residents, as well as nonprofit clubs and organizations that get involved in our projects or host their own events here. Here at Arkadia, we also use OpenSpace for our own events, such as labs, exhibitions, lectures, and hackathons.

OpenSpace is located in the former Weipert machine factory, so its industrial history lends it a very special atmosphere. The space is 800 square meters, has very high ceilings, and can be used in a variety of ways. It is divided into different areas and offers whiteboards, monitors, flexible furniture, a stage, and much more. What makes OpenSpace special is the way people learn here: through peer learning, challenges, and the notion of gamification. It’s important to us that OpenSpace isn’t a traditional event space where we would set a schedule or agenda in our role as organizers. Instead, self-organization and voluntary participation take center stage.

About Marianna Georgiou

Marianna Georgiou is a project manager at Arkadia Heilbronn and manages OpenSpace. She is responsible for the operation and development of OpenSpace, handling everything from the design of the space to event management and projects.

Ein Portraitfoto von Marianna Georgiou

Which of Arkadia’s own projects can Heilbronn residents get involved in if they’re interested?
Georgiou: Heilbronn was named the European Green Capital 2027 by the European Commission, so we took that as an opportunity to launch Green City Heilbronn – and all Heilbronn residents are invited to participate in the educational and citizen science events we’re organizing as part of that, for instance. We’ve also set up an area at OpenSpace where we present project updates to anyone interested.

Additionally, in cooperation with aim akademie and the Münster-based education start-up re:edu, we host workshops at OpenSpace for students, teachers, and others. One is aimed at cyclists: Participants in this course build a sensor that they can use to collect real-world data on their daily bike routes. This will help us find out which streets in Heilbronn are the bumpiest and where cars get dangerously close to cyclists when passing them. As part of this project, we’re also organizing a hackathon this fall, where students will analyze the sensor data to show city officials what can be optimized and where. The idea is for the data to then be directly incorporated into urban planning. The project gives people an opportunity to take the initiative and effect real changes in the city.

Ein Foto zeigt den Lernort OpenSpace in Heilbronn, Lernort für Austausch, Experimente und Stadtentwicklung
A look inside Arkadia's OpenSpace. Here, cozy lounge areas meet industrial charm, providing ideal learning conditions for anyone open to new ideas.
Ein Foto zeigt den Lernort OpenSpace in Heilbronn, Lernort für Austausch, Experimente und Stadtentwicklung
Arkadia is located in the former Weipert machine factory. The 800-square-meter hall – divided into different sections – offers plenty of space for a variety of uses.
Eine Frau sitzt mit Handy und Computer an einem Tisch
Popular space: Students can use the rooms to study, for example, or to exchange ideas in study groups or with innovative companies.
Ein Foto zeigt den Lernort OpenSpace in Heilbronn, Lernort für Austausch, Experimente und Stadtentwicklung
OpenSpace offers a wide variety of workspaces that are open to everyone. Equipped with whiteboards, monitors, and movable furniture, the rooms can be used in many different ways.
Viele Menschen sitzen auf Stufen im Lernort OpenSpace in Heilbronn
In a flash, OpenSpace can be transformed into a flexible event area. It is used to host exhibitions, lectures, labs, and hackathons – often organized by clubs or nonprofit organizations themselves.
Zwei Menschen sitzen an Computern im Lernort OpenSpace in Heilbronn, Lernort für Austausch, Experimente und Stadtentwicklung
Some rooms are regularly used by the 42 Heilbronn programming school. Here, young people from all over the world come together to tackle coding challenges and to network.

Arkadia chose Heilbronn as the home for its OpenSpace. Why there, specifically?
Georgiou: Our programs and experiments wouldn’t be possible without the funding we receive from the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, which supports established educational institutions, innovative institutes, future-oriented projects, and disruptive initiatives. This is another reason why, in recent years, the city of Heilbronn has started to attract inquisitive people who want to make a difference – and those are exactly the people our programs are intended to reach. We also have close ties with educational institutions and changemakers in Heilbronn. Having all these organizations in such close proximity makes the Heilbronn region the ideal home for OpenSpace.

About Arkadia Heilbronn gGmbH

Arkadia Heilbronn gGmbH is a nonprofit educational institution based in Heilbronn. It develops new collaborative, accessible educational formats and provides learning spaces precisely tailored to the needs of learners. Its offerings include the LEVEL3 continuing education program, which combines hands-on learning with real-world challenges from the business sector, as well as OpenSpace, a free learning and community space for creatives and people interested in technology. Arkadia’s work is enabled and funded by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation.

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