Looking Back: Meet & Greet with Foundation Director Dr. Cord Brügmann
On November 21, the Forum Recht Foundation opened its doors for a meet-and-greet event with its new director, Dr. Cord Brügmann
Meetings with personalities from the Karlsruhe legal and cultural scene shortly after work as well as an open atmosphere for questions and exchange were offered at the first after-work event of the Stiftung Forum Recht on Thursday, November 21.
Dr. Cord Brügmann has been managing the foundation's operations since July 2024. At the Meet & Greet In a relaxed atmosphere, the director served as host to interested citizens and industry professionals, as well as moderator for the evening. Brügmann said his goal with this format is to build bridges, get to know all the many stakeholders in the city, and create a space for networking.
Law is present everywhere in our daily lives, and the points of intersection between cultural institutions, legal organizations, and the city’s educational programs are just as diverse—offering a foundation for creative and fruitful collaborations. In addition to information about the Foundation’s activities over the past year and an outlook for the coming year, the evening focused on fostering dialogue among all guests and Foundation staff from every department. And this opportunity was warmly received! More than 40 participants accepted the invitation to the Foundation’s offices next to the Federal Court of Justice. In an informal setting around bar tables, there was room for valuable suggestions, questions, and plans for collaboration. Many guests were interested in how the Foundation manages to reach the right target groups for offerings such as the city tours "Quite urban!" to define and address. Plans for cooperation were conceptualized, and AI and digitalization were also discussed as both opportunities and challenges for promoting the rule of law.
Law as a physical place?
Previously, Dr. Cord Brügmann had met with the president of the Higher Regional Court of Karlsruhe Jörg Müller discussed possible approaches to engaging with the law. Do we always understand a “place of law” to mean a physical space, or is a Place of Law Rather, a state of being or a service that should be available to people anywhere and at any time? Where can we find approaches for new Access to Justice?
During the discussion, Brügmann and Müller highlighted the digital opportunities that need to be expanded in the field of rule-of-law education, which, in the opinion of both experts, hold a great deal of untapped potential. They agreed that it is often the role of the law to resolve conflicts between people. In cases of doubt, this may also require a face-to-face meeting on site. In this respect, the administration of justice cannot take place exclusively online. This led naturally to Brügmann’s brief outlook on the planned construction projects, which are intended to create actual physical spaces in Karlsruhe and Leipzig—the two “Foren Recht”—that will open up even more opportunities for exchange and creative, multimedia engagement with the topics of law and the rule of law.
Until then, however, Brügmann said the foundation’s team is looking forward to the coming year, 2025, which will be themed Power! will experiment with new formats in the context of law and the rule of law. A key project will be a pop-up traveling exhibition that will be presented at various locations throughout Germany. The exhibition will focus on people’s experiences with law and the rule of law in Germany. „In this way, we want to reach those who tend to be wary of the law or skeptical of the rule of law,“ said Brügmann. An equally open initiative will be the new monthly „Let’s Talk About Law“ Discussion Series“ that will bring citizens and experts in Karlsruhe and Leipzig together on an equal footing to discuss exciting, current topics related to law and the rule of law. After all, the goal of the Forum Recht Foundation—in addition to providing information on law and the rule of law—has always been to foster exchange and participation. Instead of a one-way street of communication #LetsTalkAboutLaw!
