Heidelberg: the historic uni-city
Few university cities can match the historical significance of Heidelberg. With its famous castle and beautiful setting – not to mention its world-renowned university – the town is popular with both students and those recent graduates who just can’t seem to leave.
City bridge in Heidelberg with castle in background by flickr user kreativmodus.de
Heidelberg introduced
Heidelberg's distinguishing features are its beautiful scenery and its university. Located in the north of Baden-Württenberg, with a population of 143,000, the town sits along the Neckar river valley. On one side of the valley, the ruins of Heidelberg Castle overlook the historic Altstadt; on the other side is the Odenwald, a mountainous region that offers the intrepid explorer acres of nature. So if you love rural settings - and you're looking for a world class university - then Heidelberg may be the perfect place for you.
Thanks to its position as a university town - and the fact it is home to several Max Plank institutes for research - Heidelberg is heralded as a hot business location for biotechnology as well as other fields of research and development. Heidelberg is also home to world-renowned companies such as Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG and MLP AG.
The close relationship between industry and university makes Heidelberg a great place for young professionals to begin their careers. With so many students in one area, the education-to-industry transfer is very strong.
Overview of the universities
Ruprecht Karls University (University of Heidelberg)
www.uni-heidelberg.de
Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany. Since its founding in 1386 by Elector Ruprecht I of the Palatinate, it has been through a number of transformations. Destroyed in the Thirty Years War, it was re-established by Karl Friedrich of Baden, a process which started in 1803. Today, it is a flourishing institution with 26,000 degree seekers.
With over five thousand foreign students, it is also one of Germany's leaders in international higher education. Although its focus on humanities has been a key area since its founding, the uni also enjoys great success in the sciences and medicine - in fact, it currently has six proposals that have advanced to the second round of Germany's Initiative for Excellence (www.bmbf.de/en/1321.php), a scheme that makes available EUR 1.9 billion of funding to worthy academic clusters and graduate programs.
Fachhochschule Heidelberg (University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg)
www.fh-heidelberg.de
A private institution that enrolls some 1,110 students, FH Heidelberg offers programs in engineering and architecture not offered by the main university.
Hochschule for Jewish studies (HfJS)
www.hjs.uni-heidelberg.de
A unique institution in Germany that offers various courses in Jewish studies. HfJS has a relationship with Heidelberg University that allows its 110 students to combine their studies with programs offered by the university.
Hochschule for church music
www.hfk-heidelberg.de
An institution with the special focus of educating its 540 students in the field of church music.
Hochschule for education
www.ph-heidelberg.de
This institution prepares over 4,000 students to be Germany's future educators.
What Heidelberg is like
Sasha Comstock, 23, is majoring in ancient and modern languages and literature at the University of Oklahoma and is currently spending her year abroad studying in Heidelberg.
"At first the cultural transition was overwhelming," says Comstock who found the German classes at the institute helped her meet other young internationals. "I could relate to them, and was able to settle into the uni life."
"It is nice to have German classes with other international students, for some of us German is our only language of communication."
After finding her footing with some international friends, Comstock was able to focus on the language and meet native Germans. "Without those classes it would have been hard to learn the language in a town where many people speak English," Comstock admits, adding that her commitment to the language keeps her from being mistaken for a tourist.
My favorite places
When the streets are crowded with tourists, Comstock likes to retreat to the Philosophenweg, a walking trail on the other side of the valley where she can enjoy the natural surroundings and great views.
She says another popular place for students is the Marstallmensa. Not your typical Mensa (cafeteria), the medieval brick building houses a bar, restaurant and café and also hosts concerts and discos. The courtyard has ample seating and is a great place to study or hang out.
Did you know?
Did you know that the inventor of the bicycle, Karl Drais, went to university in Heidelberg? And in the literary world, Mark Twain not only studied in the city, but wrote A Tramp Abroad about his experiences in Germany - he even mentions the Heidelberg Castle.
Things to check out
The castle may be a major historic site, but it also offers modern attractions that include a restaurant, café and even a theater. While you are there, enjoy a pleasant walk through the courtyard in the picturesque setting of the Neckar Valley - a sight that has inspired poets and writers from Goethe to Twain. The ruins of Heidelberg Castle as well as the old city are in the proposal stages of being declared a UNESCO world heritage site.
What's happening?
Whether you're sitting by the Neckar River watching crew boats paddle by, or reading a book in the courtyard of Heidelberg Castle, the city offers many opportunities to relax. There are also lots of events coming up including the Heidelberg spring concert (http://www.heidelberger-fruehling.de/content/).
Being a university town, Heidelberg also has its fair share of nightlife. Unterstraße is a strip in the Altstadt (old downtown area) that has enough bars and pubs to satisfy everyone's tastes. Be sure to check out the Distille on Unterstraße where you can enjoy (or even buy) art work from local artists. Meanwhile, Karlstorbahnhof is a former railway station that has been transformed into a venue for theater, live music, political discussions and poetry slams (http://www.karlstorbahnhof.de).
Useful links
Stadt Heidelberg (www.heidelberg.de) is the official site for the city. Here you can find information regarding the castle theater, museums, markets and concerts.
The Amerika House of Heidelberg (www.dai-heidelberg.de) hosts numerous cultural events.
DAAD (http://www.daad.de/deutschland/index.en.html) offers useful information and also lists its top five reasons to study in Germany.
Studentenwerk (www.studentenwerk.uni-heidelberg.de) is a very useful organization for students. Their website offers information about student housing, finance, food and events.
Photo 1: Flickr (cc) Markus Schulz/user: kreativmodus.de
Photo 2: Uni Heidelberg Press
Photo 3: Flickr (cc) user: blumensath
