Rondell

Rondell is a public space in Heidelberg’s Kirchheim West district, also known locally as the Roter Elefant. The place anchors community life in the neighbourhood. Its open setting hosts neighbourhood festivals, open-air cinema evenings, art walks, flea markets and local meetings. Music, circus performances and shared meals fill the programme. Residents can also encounter children’s activities, community clean-up days and creative projects shaped by local participation. An illustrator once turned neighbourhood ideas into live visuals. Those drawings appeared on a large screen during an evening event, linking public discussion with visual storytelling. The Rondell forms part of green space sometimes called the Kirchpark. Nearby community institutions include the Bonhoeffer congregation and the Petruskirche, while the Elisabeth von Thadden Schule joined redesign projects. Residents and organisations continue shaping the area together. Their work has supported improvements that make the space more welcoming for gatherings, conversation, relaxation and outdoor time. Rondell reflects the shared life of Heidelberg’s neighbourhood.