Augsburg: A renaissance city
Past eras come alive in Germany's second oldest city. Although Augsburg is often labeled “Renaissance City,” its architecture reflects much more than one stylistic epoch: There are buildings dating from two millennia. Walking around the historic center, you can follow the trails of the Romans or of the powerful Fugger family. The university represents a more recent chapter – it was founded in 1970 and is one of the youngest campus universities in Germany.
Augsburg by night flickr_cc_Fotokisterl[enjoying life]
The overwhelming beauty of Augsburg's majestic architecture is enough to capture the minds of millions of tourists every year. But it wasn’t enough to impress Bertold Brecht, one of the city's most prominent sons. “The best thing about Augsburg is the train to Munich,” said the author about his hometown. Generations of tourists have marveled about this sentence, and most of them can only find one grain of truth in it: Augsburg does have a brilliant transportation system.
But what are four train stations or an Autobahn compared to a world-famous and well-preserved cityscape? Most visitors are enchanted by the pleasant and easy-going atmosphere. Green spaces can be found everywhere and three rivers give the city a distinct – almost Mediterranean – atmosphere. Augsburg has been called Italy's northernmost city, and even Venice can be jealous of its 500 bridge-constructions. The geographical location is just as stunning. Looking for a breath of fresh air? The Alps are just around the corner.
An Overview of the Universities
The University of Augsburg
(www.uni-augsburg.de)
Founded in 1970, the University of Augsburg is one of the youngest and most modern universities in Germany. It's organized in seven faculties and attended by approximately 15,000 students. Foreign students make up 14% of the student body, which is higher than the average in Germany and reflects the high percentage of foreigners in Augsburg's overall population.
The size and structure of the university makes it one of the most congenial places to study in Germany. The typical campus university is conveniently situated near the city center. Going there by public transportation takes only a few minutes from the central station.
The buildings are modern and functional – but far from sterile. It's a pleasant campus with fountains, sculptures and even a lake. Its makeup conveys a special sense of community: Everything is close together, whether it be the faculties, the administration offices, the cafeterias or the libraries.
Foreign students find it especially easy to get connected in Augsburg. They can consult a special office that deals with the different aspects of life in Germany. In 2003, the university's model project “Willkommen in Augsburg”, which was tailored to foreign students, was even awarded a prize by Germany's foreign office.
Hochschule Augsburg / University of Applied Sciences
(www.fh-augsburg.de)
The “Hochschule Augsburg” is one of the oldest universities of applied sciences in Germany. Officially founded in 1971, it has a history of predecessors – among them a private arts academy established in the 17th century. At present, there are 41,000 students enrolled in numerous courses of study in the fields of technology, design and economics.
What Augsburg is like
After graduating from a foreign language school in Bulgaria, Stanislava Nikolova was looking for a place to study in Germany. Without relatives or friends in Germany, the internet was her only source of information. She quickly decided to study in Augsburg as the city is closer to her mother country than others, and it was just the size she was looking for.
“My expectations have been met,” says the 24-year old, who is studying German philology, pedagogics and German as a foreign language. “It's a very old, beautiful and interesting city.
“Although everything looks very neat and a little bit conservative, Augsburg has a multicultural flair, and the people are very open,” she adds. There are many intercultural festivities worth checking out, says Stanislava, naming the Friedensfest or the Karneval der Welten. “You definitely don't feel foreign here in Augsburg.”
My favorite spot
Stanislava's favorite spot is not far from her hall of residence: “I really love our little lake on campus! It's in a park and everyone goes there to meet people, to talk or to simply feed the ducks – it's fantastic in summer.”
Her favorite spot in Augsburg's nightlife is the Maximilianstraße, a street full of pubs. “There's always something going on,” says Stanislava, “and once a year there's the Maxfest with thousands of people gathering and celebrating on the street.”
Did you know?
One third of Augsburg consists of green spaces and forest. In the southeast of the city is the “Stadtwald,” one of the largest state-owned forests in Bavaria. Augsburg ranks among the greenest cities in Germany.
The city’s most popular, contemporary cultural “export” is the Augsburger Puppenkiste (Augsburg Puppet Theater). The marionette theater has enchanted generations of Germans, children in particular, and its productions have also been filmed and broadcast on television.
Things to check out
Don't forget to check out the city’s many festivals. Among many others, there's the Cabaret Festival, the Fountain Festival, the Youth Culture Festival or the Honky-Tonk Music Festival, which is staged in various pubs.
If you like hearty German food, Augsburg is the right place for you. The city not only offers typical Bavarian dishes, but the local cuisine has also been influenced by Swabia. The result? “Kässspätzle” (noodles with cheese) and “Mauldascha” (stuffed pasta pockets), to name a few.
A city like Augsburg has to be experienced from above. Climb the 250 steps up the old city tower right next to the Town Hall and enjoy the panoramic view of the city. When the sky is clear, the view stretches as far as the Alps.
Useful Links
The University Ranking of the DAAD
www.daad.de Gives you up-to-date rankings of Augsburg's main universities.
The Augsburg city site is available in English at www2.augsburg.de/index.php?id=12307
The municipal student housing administration is your spot for living in dorms on and around campus. It hardly gets any more inexpensive and sociable!
www.studentenwerk-augsburg.de/english/about/wirueberuns_Eng.php
Photo 1+2: Flickr (cc) Fotokisterl
