Articles

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  When Europe’s Technological Map Fails to Match Reality
  Catalonia launched its first NewSpace nanosatellite in 2021, challenging familiar assumptions about where European innovation happens. Its story reveals how outdated perceptions of Mediterranean regions may obstruct precisely the cross-border technological cooperation Europe now needs most urgently to strengthen its sovereignty.
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  Berlin’s Forgotten Industrial Story—and the Future It Could Build
  Berlin is historically regarded as a hub for politics, culture and start-ups – but hardly as an industrial centre. The ‘Berlin2037’ study highlights the economic potential that already exists and explains why outdated narratives can still obscure investment, growth and home-grown prosperity – even today.
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  Two Pavilions, Two Languages of Europe
  At the Venice Biennale 2026, Germany confronts history through critique and conceptual precision, while France speaks through textiles, colour and material elegance. Two neighbouring pavilions reveal contrasting ideas about art, national representation and the public language Europe needs today.
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  Why Art History Is Taught Differently Across Europe
  Art history may appear to tell a shared European story, but what we learn depends greatly on where in Europe we study it. From Berlin and Barcelona to Vienna and Athens, different artistic traditions reveal how national and regional perspectives shape our understanding of Europe’s cultural heritage.
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  What My Family Tree Taught Me About European Migration
  A family tree is more than a record of names: it can reveal stories of migration, persecution, resilience and unexpected talents passed down across generations. Exploring my own European roots—from Switzerland and Ljubljana to Germany and the United States—has shown me how personal history can help us understand both ourselves and one another.
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  Know Thyself, Europe!
  Europe is more than its institutions: it is a continent shaped by contrasting landscapes, centuries of migration and the continuous exchange of ideas, traditions and experiences. To understand what unites Europeans in their remarkable diversity, we must first learn to see—and know—Europe in all its complexity.

Europe Through Books

Books can help us read Europe more closely—through its history, societies, conflicts, ideas and cultural memory. This personal selection brings together works that have challenged my assumptions, widened my perspective and revealed unexpected connections across the continent. Click here for more…

Europe Through Places

You might have seen pictures from places in Europe: Paris, Rome, Athens, Warsaw, Stockholm…so many cities!
But there is more to Europe than iconic urban places. Think of the rolling vineyards of the Palatinate or Penedès, the rugged cliffs of Alpine lakes, or the serene wideness of Fryslân. More

Europe Through Art

In this section, I share a personal selection of artworks that resonate with me and which have crossed my path whilst living in different places and traveling throughout Europe. More

Let’s Experience Europe’s Diversity

Welcome to my blog!
Context Europe explains Europe not from the perspective of its institutions, but through its people, places, economy, books, memories, and cultural connections. This blog explores a mix of topics from the fields of sociology, technology, and culture, as well as security and solidarity. 

My approach is that we should all get to know one another better and that, within Europe, we should become aware of past conflicts and live together in mutual respect, partly to overcome the traumas of the past and thus ensure a better coexistence in the future. What is important now is that we recognise the potential in one another. We need a strong Europe that sets an example for peace, human rights and democracy. A Europe that shows we can meet as equals, even if we have fought tooth and nail in the past.

“Γνῶθι σεαυτόν“/‘Know thyself’ – this quote from the ancient Oracle of Delphi should guide us in this endeavour. I run this blog myself, but I’ve decided to feature guest articles in future. Fancy contributing one? Drop me a line!

If you enjoyed this intro, read more in About Context Europe

Note: I use Grammarly and other AI-powered text editing tools to revise and improve my writing. The ideas always originate from me.