A striking 54-square-metre artwork now adorns the heart of Stuttgart, celebrating the forthcoming 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship and turning one of Germany’s biggest cities into an open-air tribute to handball.

Created by Cologne-based artist Gizem Erdem, the mural was officially presented on Monday, exactly 36 days before the opening match between hosts Germany and Iceland on 26 November. Installed at the corner of Königstraße and Schulstraße in the city’s pedestrian zone, the large-scale painting has already become a new landmark, inviting residents and visitors alike to embrace the spirit of the championship.  

Depicting three dynamic female handball players alongside core elements such as a handball court, a goal, and the Stuttgart coat of arms, Erdem’s work conveys the official German Handball Federation (DHB) slogan for 2025: “Handball is now a women’s issue.”

Speaking at the unveiling, artist Gizem Erdem shared her motivation behind the piece: “I wanted to highlight the passion and strength of the players while incorporating the ‘Hands up for more’ campaign, which puts women’s sport in focus. This image puts women where they belong – at the centre of attention.”  

Stuttgart has long-standing experience in hosting major handball events, from the Women’s DHB Cup finals, as well as matches at the 2007 IHF Men’s World Championship. The Porsche Arena will also be one of the six venues of the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship, which is also hosted by Germany.

At the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart will host two preliminary round groups, spanning between 26 November and 1 December. 

The city will host all matches of Germany’s preliminary round group, where the co-hosts side will face Iceland (26 November), Uruguay (28 November), and Serbia (30 November), with all matches scheduled at 18:00 CET. 

Germany’s captain Antje Döll, who attended the presentation, expressed her enthusiasm for both the championship and the campaign. “We fully support this project because it is being created for us, for women’s handball. I hope the World Championship inspires many girls and women to start playing or to get involved in handball in any role,” said Döll.  

Group G, featuring Sweden, Brazil, Czechia and Cuba – will also be played in Stuttgart. The top three teams in each group will feature in the main round, due to be played in Dortmund.

Germany’s coach, Markus Gaugisch, which was also present at the unveiling, is confident: “We know where we stand and where we still need to improve. To reach the top four, we’ll have to use all our tactical strengths – but every player is highly motivated for this home World Championship.”  

Credit photo: DHB / Lars Neumann