Saarbrücken: Borderline case

Situated right on the border to France, the South German town of Saarbrücken is an interface of cultures and lifestyles. While the approximately 178,000 citizens are connected to their region by a strong sense of home and belonging — as well as a heated passion for barbecuing on traditional swinging grills — they also openly welcome visitors and foreign influences. And thanks to an internationally connected student population of 19,000 people, Saarbrücken mixes small town charms with metropolitan flair like no other university city in the entire country.

Saarbrücken. Flickr(cc)Wolfgang_Staudt

Saarbrücken introduced

Most cities never get a chance to take a vote on which country they want to belong to. The citizens of Saarbrücken, on the other hand, have taken the vote twice! Both in 1935 and 1955, when the Saarland region came under French administration in the aftermath of the two World Wars, the striking majority of Saarbrückeners decided to re-join Germany.

Their attachment to Germany is reflected in strong ties to the beautiful surrounding countryside and local customs. In a recent EUROSTAT survey, over 90% of the citizens said they were satisfied with the quality of life in their town. At the same time, the relatively small city of 177,870 inhabitants has cultivated a metropolitan air that gives Berlin and Munich a run for their money.
In reality, Saarbrücken is not only the capital of the Saarland, but the very heart of a bustling commercial hub encompassing about one million people from two of the European Union’s strongest economies.

The German headquarters of French automotive company Peugot are based here, and Saarbrücken is also known as a progressive research hotbed, especially in the computer sciences. Industrial manufacturers like iron welding firms Halberg Guss, specializing in automotive parts and Saint-Gobain Gussrohr remind of the town’s industrial heritage.

Long before the EU took down its trade barriers, the citizens of Saarbrücken practiced cultural and economic exchange with their French neighbors. This open attitude is reflected in the many commercial joint ventures in the region, as well as the academic ties of the local universities to institutions in Strasbourg and Mets, among others.

With strong roots in the surrounding countryside, the people of Saarbrücken have been able to branch out around the world. And don’t be fooled by the smell of fresh baguettes and pastries filling the streets in the early morning hours — you might be close to France, but you’re still in Germany.

Where it’s at: Overview of the universities

Saarland University
http://www.uni-saarland.de/en

Founded in 1948, Saarland University is the largest institution of higher learning in the region, with 14,867 students enrolled in a total of eight faculties. In terms of competitive edge, Computer Science is one of the strongholds of Saarland University's research profile. State-of-the-art facilities include the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, the Max Planck Institute for Computer Sciences and the International Conference and Research Center for Computer Sciences at Dagstuhl Castle.

This tremendous brainpower in IT also manifests in other disciplines, including computational biology, computational linguistics and cognitive sciences. Computer and research skills are also matched by excellence in athletics: Saarland University scored at the top of the field in sports during the academic excellence ranking of German universities by the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) and DIE ZEIT newspaper.

Strong ties to France can be seen in the interdisciplinary Cross-border Franco-German Studies program, together with a number of integrated, bilateral degree courses in cooperation with foreign partner universities in the fields of business administration, physics, chemistry and materials science.
Academics and entrepreneurial pursuits go hand-in-hand in Saarbrücken. In order to stimulate and guide the formation of spin-off companies and start-ups by researchers and students, the university has launched the Contact Center for Technology Transfer, and the Center for Innovative Production in cooperation with the Saarland University of Applied Sciences (HTW).

Saarland University of Applied Sciences (HTW)
http://www.htw-saarland.de/general/studying

High-tech and progressive, the University of Applied Sciences emphasizes progressive research with an eye for the international market place. A total of 3,838 students — including about 580 international students from more than 50 different countries — are currently enrolled in 19 degree programs.

Like many competitive schools in Germany, the University of Applied Sciences offers attractive Bachelor degree programs — generally six to seven semesters — and Master's degrees from three to four semesters. Not surprisingly, given Saarbrücken’s international connections, nearly all programs feature integrated language courses in at least one foreign language.

Standouts in research include the Environmental Informatics Group (EIG) specializing environmental software applications, nowadays known under the terms Environmental Software Systems (ESS), at work on projects around the world. The school also works closely with the Institute for Future Energy Systems (ZES) on developing sustainable energies. Next to all the research, the students also know how to kick it — quite literally, as the school hosted the German university soccer championships in 2007. 

What Saarbrücken is like
 
Initially, Vanessa Boekemeier had set her sights on an economics degree. But her passion for French culture prevailed and she left her hometown of Bad Oeynhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, for Saarbrücken. Here, right on the border to France, the 24-year-old has found the perfect place to pursue her degree in German-French Studies while filming a documentary on local barbecue customs.

How do you like your new home in Saarbrücken?

I’m totally excited to be here. It was my first choice to be in the south to study, mainly because of the proximity to France, which is just 15 kilometers away. You can even take a tram there — and it’s free for students! The region is ideal if you want to focus on French Studies. The department is closely tied in with the university in Mets, France, and the program will soon go tri-national with a cooperation with Luxembourg.

What’s it like for students?

There’s a considerable student population here, so it’s a pretty young town. Unlike my home town, which is a spa that attracts, well, a more elderly group of people. The Nauwieser Quarter in town is famous for its student residents and offers lots of outdoor cafés and popular pubs and bars. The French influence is manifest all over town. Most citizens speak French, and many French people come here to visit and shop.

How about getting around in daily life?

The university campus is in a bit of a remote location, but you can easily get there by bus. It’s surrounded by woods and really green, so you can lay out on the lawns or take a walk in your off-hours. People are really open and friendly, and there are always student jobs like waiting tables. And a typical room share apartment is around 250 euros.

Would you recommend it to foreign students?

They’re in good company here, as we have frequent exchanges through organizations such as ERASMUS or the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The Spanish and French contingent is really strong; they host two theater stage companies who perform in their native tongue. The many international summer fests on campus are the best place to meet people from all over.

Did Saarbrücken meet your expectations?

Yes, I’m really content to be here. The town may be a bit smaller than, say, Hamburg or Munich or Berlin, but I’d rather live somewhere more manageable that is less anonymous than the big cities. And you can get around town easily here within a matter of minutes. Even walking home at night it’s generally well lit and safe everywhere.

What is an absolute must for every new arrival?

You have to take part in cooking schwenkbraten, a local specialty consisting of marinated pork neck roast, grilled over charcoal on a tripod hanging grill. The whole thing is called “schwenken,” because the grill “swings” over the flames. It’s a native custom in the Saarland region and as soon as the first days of summer come around, people break out their grills. I’m actually in the middle of filming a documentary about the whole tradition.

My favorite spot:

Vanessa says she enjoys being on the bank of the Saar River. “There’s a large beer garden and when the weather is nice you can sit out right by the river. They’ve even created an artificial beach out of some sand, including a beach volley ball field. You can enjoy live music and sip cocktails and just soak in the atmosphere. If you’re more adventurous, you can hike out to the Saarschleife loop in the river.”

Did you know?

Karl Marx Street: It’s a given for eastern German cities to have a street named after the Father of Communism. But due to Saarbrücken’s strong heritage as a working-class town — with nearby Volklingen steel works and a large number of factories in the area — the southern German city is one of few towns in the west with a Karl Marx Street on its grid. Actually, the founder of scientific socialism was born a few hundred kilometers downstream from Saarbrücken, in the town of Trier, in 1818.

Things to check out

Eclectic films: Saarbrücken prides itself on a rich cinematic tradition. Since 1980, the annual Max Ophuels Prize Film Festival, named for the Saarbrücken-born director, provides a showcase for young cinematic talent from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For an entire week, you can catch participating feature films, shorts and documentaries at local cinemas. The 30th edition of the award will be held in January 2009.

www.max-ophuels-preis.de/en/presentation/

Have some schwenkbraten

There’s just no passing up the richly marinated pork neck roast, grilled over churning charcoal on a swinging tripod grill. Get yourself a slice at one of the many street festivals this summer, or better yet, get invited by the locals to participate in a “Schwenking”-session. It’s the ultimate sign that you’re welcome.

Get industrial

The Saarbrücken region used to be a hotbed of heavy industry. Today, the rusting remains of abandoned Volklinger Huette iron works — about 20 kilometers outside of Saarbrücken — are a reminder of the 20th century industrial landscape across Europe. The impressive site is protected under the UNESCO World Heritage.

Border hop to France!

While Saarbrücken street life already packs a lot of French flair, why not get with real thing and head over to the country known for its fine wines, breads and cheeses? Strasbourg and Metz are nearby, so hop on board public transportation to get there.
http://www.vgs-online.de/cgi-bin/query.exe/en?

Theater, on the cheap

At a capacity of 875 spectators, the Saarlaendisches Staatstheater boasts highly renowned stage productions and is recognized all over the south for its class. Saarbrücken student Vanessa Boekemeier’s inside scoop: “Show up right before a play starts and you can get unsold tickets for 5 euros, for example for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, instead of paying 20 euros.”

http://www.theater-saarbruecken.de/

Catch some street life

Saarbrücken is known for its active street life. The best place to take in the scenery and go people watching is at one of the many outdoor cafés on St. Johanner Markt square.

What’s happening?

Café Jerome
Each morning at 4 am, club goers and early risers are drawn by the smell of fresh pastries and breads to Café Jerome, run by a bona-fide French baker of the same name, on Mainzer Strasse downtown. The café’s specialties include buttery croissants and “Warme Seelen” (warm souls), which literally sell like hot cakes. Lines outside the door are a frequent sight even in the wee hours of the morning.

Achteinhalb Cinema
Year-round, Kino Achteinhalb cinema hosts a variety of original-language films and special events such as the “African Cinematic Festival” and of course the annual Max Ophuels Prize festival.
www.kinoachteinhalb.de

Ice Cream Man
Locals swear by the delicious ice creams of Eiscafé Jesolo, which attracts throngs of visitors with its homemade Italian gelato creations.

O’Dwyer’s Irish Pub
Ah, Irish Pubs! Every city should have one. To foreign visitors they are a haven because most likely, someone in there is bound to speak English, while they serve all kinds of social lubricants in an easy-going atmosphere. O’Dwyer’s Irish Pub is a Saarbrücken fixture, located right behind St. Johanner Markt square.

Feinkost Schmitt Cocktail Bar
This nicely retro-styled cocktail bar is located in the bohemian Nauwieserviertel quarter. Known for its affordable mix of tasty cocktails and young patrons, Feinkost Schmitt fills up early in the night, so make it a starting point on your SB nightlife tour.

Useful links
The International office at Saarland University offers a number of resources on academic and social life, including accommodations and exchange programs.
http://www.uni-saarland.de/en/international/io/

The Waldhausweg page is Saarbrücken’s local student community, and a window to all that’s happening in the entire Saarland region.
www.waldhausweg.de [German language site]

Additional sites that help new arrivals find apartments to rent and share [German language only]:
www.wg-gesucht.de
www.studenten-wg.de

Photo 1+4: Flickr (cc) Wolfgang Staudt

Photo 2: Uni Saarbruecken Press