corsus company outing to the Dialogue House in Hamburg

This year, corsus’ company outing took us to the Dialogue in Silence in Hamburg’s Speicherstadt warehouse district, but our team didn’t miss out on the culinary delights either. A visit to the plaza of the Elbphilharmonie concert hall provided beautiful views.

On 12 December 2023, the entire corsus team came together in Hamburg for a company outing. We started with a vegetarian/vegan breakfast at Karlsons and, well-fuelled and engrossed in conversation, walked to the Dialoghaus Hamburg in the Speicherstadt historical warehouse district. There we were equipped with soundproof headphones and led through the dialogue in silence by a deaf guide. Shadow plays and interactive puzzles allowed us to immerse ourselves in the world of non-verbal communication. In keeping with the pre-Christmas period, we learnt signs for Christmas tree, present and snow, among other things. As a final challenge, we had a lot of fun with the task of silently giving and following instructions in small groups. Finally, we learnt a lot about our guide’s everyday life with the help of an interpreter. We learnt that signing is just as different around the world as other languages (including regional dialects!). Therefore, there is an international sign language for international communication. The experience inspired conversations about inclusion in Germany.

After the Café ElbFaire had once again catered for our physical well-being, we continued on to the barrier-free, interactive Greenpeace exhibition in Hafencity. In line with corsus’ business units (sustainable companies, sustainable municipalities & sustainable food systems), there were many clearly presented facts on climate protection, mobility, biodiversity, the energy transition and more sustainable nutrition. A digital chronicle of the successes of Greenpeace’s decades of work aroused particular interest at corsus, as our founders Dr Ulrike Eberle and Dr Anke Butscher were also active with Greenpeace for a long time.
Deep in discussion, the corsus team then spontaneously walked to the Elbphilharmonie concert hall to experience the view from the plaza in the dark. We reached the Meman restaurant in Schanze, the last stop on our company outing, by underground or bicycle. There we enjoyed modern Afghan cuisine, which also has a lot to offer for the vegan palate. All in all, it was a very enjoyable and eventful team day, which strengthened us for the tasks ahead.