Welcome back reader!

In this entry, I am going to ask the question of what we can expect in the future. Will we see another city with a university? Will the current university cities grow or shrink because the more students there are, the more discounts there will be for different places? Are the places/cities mentioned in my blog the only ones to visit? I am asking these questions because this will probably be my last entry as my lectures are coming to an end and I do not know if I have the motivation that I had at the beginning of the semester.

Will we see another university city?

In the next two years probably not because in the ‘Higher Education Strategy Plan’ there are no other planned and even if we put that aside, where should be another one. Every big city already has a university and why would they build a new one, but who knows what the future will hold. Maybe there will be a bigger spectrum of degrees in Erfurt so that the university can grow a little bit or the universities in Gera and Eisenach will part ways from each other. It has to been seen what will happen. Everything is possible as Thuringia is an up and coming state where a person can study, and a lot of money is put into the support of students.

 

 

Are the places/cities mentioned the only ones worth a visit?

Definitely not, Thuringia has a lot more to offer. All the featured cities were chosen because they have a university and therefore they have more places with a discount. There are a lot more cities that are worth a visit. Just to name a few, Saalfeld (Saalfeld fairy cave), Rudolstadt, Gotha, Apolda, Mühlhausen, Ronneburg or Altenburg. It is also noteworthy that every several years there are ‘garden shows’ (Gartenschau), where parks and gardens of the chosen city will get beautifully decorated. Such a show was already in Apolda (2017), Schmalkalden (2015) or in Ronneburg/Gera (2007) and in the future there will be a ‘Federal Garden Show’ in Erfurt (2021) where the ‘egapark’ and ‘Petersberg’ will be decorated. There will also be a ‘horticultural show’ in Leinefelde-Worbis (2024), but until then there is a lot of time. Other than that, there will probably be a lot of new places such as museums and galleries in the cities which will offer a discount for student, and even the ‘Federal Garden Show’ in Erfurt will most likely offer a discount for students. For example, Weimar is celebrating 100 years of Bauhaus, therefore, a new museum was built (the opening is April the 6^th) and will grant every citizen of Weimar free entry in the first three days. The city is also celebrating 100 years of the ‘Weimar Constitution’. There will be several festivals over the year, already starting this week (Feb. 2^nd – Feb 9^th), with a light show on the ‘National Theatre’ and Angela Merkel visiting several sites in the city.

 

As I mentioned in my introduction, this will most likely be my last entry for this blog because I currently lack the motivation to write more. Despite that, I would like to thank you the reader for showing continuous interest in my blog and supporting me with constructive comments, so that I could improve myself as time went on.

In the end, I would like to thank you very much again and I wish you the best.

Welcome back reader!

The last time, I gave a short explanation about why studying in Thuringia is great. This time, I am going to talk about part-time jobs and future possibilities after graduating, so that you can visit all the sites I have talked about so far in my blog. In the end, I will also introduce Sondershausen, recommended in the comments and where you can save money in that city.

 

Not all of us have the means so that they can easily support themselves and spend on luxuries (clothes, games, accessories) or travel. Therefore, a lot of students work part-time, so that they can treat themselves sometimes. Where do they find their job? Do they ask around to find a company that will take them? Most of the times student jobs are advertised on the campus with flyers hanging on the lampposts or on special boards in one of the university buildings. Sometimes there are also students on the campus, who serve as representative of companies and which will ask if there is a need for a job and will introduce these companies. Big companies of the city search often for part-time workers, so, for example, Zeiss in Jena, Bosch in Erfurt or Diebold Nixdorf in Ilmenau (link). It is not really necessary to work at a big company, it is also possible to work at a restaurant/bar or a shop, as long as they do not pay over €450 per month so that the monthly payment from the BAföG (if you get BAföG) is not impaired.

After graduating from university, it depends on the major and minor how easy it will be to get a job in Thuringia. Right now, everyone who is studying to become a teacher is highly likely to get a job in at least a year after graduating. Other than that, like with the part-time jobs, a lot of big companies are always searching for new employees, but only for the ones with a certain degree. Most of the times jobs are advertised on big sites like these.

 

Under one of my past entries, Romy asked me to introduce her hometown of Sondershausen, which is in the nearby area of Nordhausen. The cinema and the ‘Castle Museum’ are some of the places where the city offers a discount and for those who want to feel like a kid again, the amusement park ‘Possen’ has free entry.

I personally have not worked part-time so far during my study, so I am maybe not that well informed, but I hope that this entry gave you an overview about how to find a job during your study and what your chances are after graduating. I also hope that you liked the short introduction of Sonderhausen and if you want me to talk about another city you like, leave a comment and I will consider doing that. Thank you very much and see you next week.

Welcome back reader!

Like the title of today’s entry indicates, I am going to talk about what makes studying in Thuringia so special and why you should make or have already made the decision to study here. Therefore, if you are reading my blog and you like the style of how I structure my blog, I have to disappoint you this week. I am not going to introduce cities, and which spots you should visit this week, but I will do so in the following week again. There were already some suggestions in the comments about which cities I should look at in the future, and I will do so.

 

What makes studying in Thuringia so great?

First, there is a wide spectrum of opportunities of what to study. There are degrees in Natural Science, Humanities, Engineering Science, Social Science, and more options. Among these, the universities here are in the top ranks according to a national statistic (link), and even when looking at each major and minor, the most are in the top group (German link, English link). The one thing that stands out is that the universities do not have a high reputation within Germany (link, look under Studienwahl and then Reputation), so only Jena is in the extended group of top universities (link). That they are overall considered to be in the top group is (for me) very surprising when bearing in mind that Thuringia is in the lower-third in population and area within Germany, and to be the second best ‘new state’ behind Saxony, which will be unbothered at the top with university cities like Leipzig and Dresden. To be standing on top of Berlin, Hesse (with cities like Frankfurt and Darmstadt for example) and the other ‘new states’ (with Halle, Magdeburg, Potsdam, Cottbus, Rostock, and Schwerin) is really astonishing.

Secondly, there are all the places that were introduced so far in this block and the several available discounts. The best thing is that all the places can be reached for free because of our identification card (called Thoska) and that they are in a short distance of each other, so taking the train to a different city will not take that long. Then each city is different, every city is giving different vibes. Weimar, for example, is a very cultural city, so there will be a lot of tourists and older people because the city is structured around its history. Jena, on the other hand, is a very modern city with a lot of students, therefore, when walking in the city there will be a lot of young people.

Finally, the region is not called the ‘Green Heart of Germany’ without reason. Around a third of the area is forest and about 70% is a natural reserve, so while staying in Thuringia there is no way around enjoying the green landscapes. Even smaller areas like the university campus in Erfurt in summer is very relaxing (though I have to experience it myself).

 

This entry was something different from my usual style and was meant for younger people or for someone from another country. It was meant to give a little insight about studying in Thuringia and what makes it so great do to it here and to give it some recognition. I hope this entry was interesting for you and maybe you can persuade someone you know that studying in Thuringia would be a wise decision. Thank you for reading and see you next time.

Hello dear reader! I hope you had a wonderful start to the New Year and that you accomplish all your goals going forward.

I am now back with my blog about Thuringia’s most beautiful sites and will continue my blog until February. In this entry, the focus will be on the last cities where one can study in Thuringia. These cities are Gera and Eisenach. Both cities are cooperating with each other, which means students must travel between them at some point in their study. This maybe sounds absurd because Eisenach is in Western Thuringia and Gera is in Eastern Thuringia. In total, they are 135km apart from each other. How do the 1,200 students of the university travel between these cities? They can either go by car, which takes about 1.5 hours, or they have the option to take the train, which will take 2 hours. Most of the students will probably choose the latter one because the fuel costs would be too much and taking the train in Thuringia is free for students.  That is one of the disadvantages when dual-studying, that you must travel from time to time, but in my opinion, I think that the problem for that in Thuringia is well dealt with. Now let’s get back to how I normally write my blog and let me introduce some nice spots in these cities.

When thinking about Eisenach, everyone would think about the ‘Wartburg‘ and they should. The historical castle is a must visit spot in Thuringia. Students can save up to €3 on a tour through the castle, but an additional fee of €2 has to be paid for everyone who wants to take pictures. Other than that, directly in the city, the ‘Bachhaus’, the ‘Lutherhaus’, the car museum ‘Automobile Welt’ and the swimming pool ‘Aquaplex’ are some of the places that offer a discount. The area around Eisenach is also a very good place for hiking. South of the city is a narrow, plant-filled gorge called ‘Drachenschlucht‘ (which I personally can recommend) and North-East of the city is the national park ‘Hainich‘, which is the only world heritage site besides the city of Weimar and the ‘Wartburg’ in Thuringia. The park’s most popular attraction is the fascinating Canopy Walk, which does not disappoint. Sadly, there is not a discount as of now.

In Gera, several museums like the City Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts as well as the zoo, the swimming pool and the cinema all offer a discount. Like in many other cities in Germany and previously mentioned about Erfurt and Weimar, the city of Gera also has a night of the museums, where every museum which participates will be for free when one ticket is paid for.

Thank you very much for continuing to read my blog in 2019 and I hope that the given information, though Gera has been short, will be of some help to you. The area surrounding Eisenach especially should be visited at least once while you are studying in Thuringia. That’s all for now, see you next week.

Hello dear reader!

Just like I mentioned the previous time, this entry is the last one before Christmas Eve; therefore, I give you some recommendations about which Christmas markets could be visited. Nearly every city in Thuringia has a Christmas market, so I apologize if I do not mention the one you perhaps like the best. In this entry, I will also not give any tips about where you can save money as usual because there will not be any places where this would be possible.

To start off, I will introduce the Christmas market in Erfurt. In a recent survey, the Christmas market was voted the most beautiful in Germany and within the top five in Europe. What is it that makes the one in Erfurt so special? The big Christmas tree on the ‘Domplatz’ definitely not. In the media, the tree is often considered not really aesthetic, but it is easily recognizable. All over the inner-city from the main station, the ‘Anger’ area, the ‘Schlösserbrücke’, the ‘Fischmarkt’ to the ‘Domplatz’ and several more places, there are stands where one gets to drink mulled wine or eat something. In the city, there is even a ferris wheel or a fairy-tale forest, so it is safe to say that the Christmas market is very child-friendly. Behind the Erfurt Cathedral, there is even a Medieval Christmas market, which reminds visitors of the long history of the town. The market is opened until December the 22nd. and closes Sunday-Thursday at 8 pm and on Friday and Saturday at 10 pm. For those who want more information about the Christmas market and its events, here is a link.

Let us move to Weimar. The Christmas market there is the one in Thuringia that will be opened the longest. It is opened until December the 29th. and at some points even until January the 1st. next year. The booths also are open until at least 10 pm during the week. On the weekend, they will close at 11 pm and some are even opened longer. The market is well-known for its ice rink around the famous Goethe-Schiller Monument right in front of the theatre, and with music playing the whole time, it could also be considered an ‘ice disco’. Other than on the ‘Theaterplatz’, there are stands on the ‘Marktplatz’ and the ‘Herderplatz’, as well as in the ‘Schillerstraße’.

One market I would really like to recommend is the one in the “Mühltal” near Eisenberg. Sadly, the Christmas market is only opened on the third Advent, which means it is already over for this year, so keep it in mind for next year. What makes this one so special is that it is 7.8 km of stands with mulled wine and food with several events happening at every ‘Mühle’.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that even though two of the markets are better known in Thuringia, the information above will help you about when to visit. I also hope that you keep the last one in mind and maybe visit it next year.  This will also be my last entry for this year and I will come back in mid-January. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Welcome back reader!

The last time, I included a short story which introduced you to Thuringian culture. In this entry, I will go back to how I normally write my blog. As mentioned in my last entry, this time I will put my focus on the two Southern Thuringian cities where one can study. These are Ilmenau and Schmalkalden. Both cities combined only have a population as big as Nordhausen, and because of that, I will also include some places close to them.

In Ilmenau, the outdoor swimming pool and the ‘GoetheStadtMuseum’ offer a discount for students. Besides that, and some festivals and markets like the pottery market the student-life happens mostly on the campus. All organized from the ‘Ilmenauer Student Club’. Ilmenau has a lot of nature around it and because of that, there are many things, especially in summer, that are fun to do. For example, the ‘from Bach to Goethe’ route, which is about 24 km long or hiking up to the ‘Kickelhahn’, where one has a wonderful view over the city. Even in the city, with the ‘Ilmenauer Teiche’, there is a place meant for rest (also has a little zoo) but swimming is not allowed.

With only 2,500 students, the university in Schmalkalden is only as big as the one in Nordhausen. There are not that many places that offer a discount because of that. except for the outdoor swimming pool, the art gallery and the museums castle Wilhemsburg.

Right between these two cities is one of the better-known places for lovers of winter sports. When the snow is falling over Thuringia, visiting the Thuringian Forest, especially Oberhof, is something a lot of Thuringians do. There are some weekends when it is better not to visit Oberhof. These are typically the days of the Biathlon World Cup, and the luge race (which sadly do not offer cheaper ticket prices for students).

Thank you for reading my blog up until now. Next week, because it is the last week before Christmas Eve, I will be focusing on the different Christmas markets all around Thuringia. I will mention which are special in some way, and which ones you should visit. Thank you very much and I will see you again next week.

“The old Emperor Frederick Barbarossa has been moved by magic, a supernatural secret force, to an underground castle of the Kyffhäuserberg in Thuringia. Here he sits on a chair made of ivory and props his head upon a marble table. His red beard, similar in life to the yellow flax, shines like the fire’s embers and has grown through the table, almost around it. Sometimes the emperor moves the blond head, half-raises his heavy eyelids and winks or blinks his eyes. Through such a dreamlike wink, he winks in long periods  ̶  of 100 years  ̶  a dwarf, barely the size of a boy, to go up and see if the ravens, the images of discord and misfortune, still fly around the mountain and croak. If this is the case, the emperor closes his eyes with a sigh, and sleeps and dreams again for a hundred years. Only when the beard has grown all around the marble table and a mighty eagle rises in a proud flight, circling the mountain and scares away the raven swarm, only then, the emperor will awaken with his equally enchanted faithful servants.”

The short story above is one of the most common elementary school kids in Thuringia know. It focuses on the Kyffhäuser Monument in Northern Thuringia. The monument is one of the biggest in Germany (the third largest to be exact), and especially those who study in Nordhausen should visit it. With the Barbarossa Cave and several castles, as well as a developed cycle paths in the area, a bike tour as in Weimar would be an option.

For future visitors to Nordhausen, the swimming hall, the cinema, the local football club ‘Wacker Nordhausen’ and several museums offer lower prices for students. Other than that, and because the city is not that big and only has 2,500 students, there are not many more places which offer a discount.

This entry focused more on the Northern part of Thuringia and its university city. The next entry will be around the two Southern universities, in Ilmenau and Schmalkalden, and what you can do when visiting one of these cities. I hope you liked the short story in the beginning and the information about the nearby area, and I will see you next week.

Hello dear reader!

As mentioned in my last entry, I will continue to introduce Jena. This time the focus is not on the activities the university organizes, but more on what other things you could do. This includes activities with student discounts, as well as places you probably did not know about. For example, one thing I did not even know about was the Seven Wonders of Jena. I only happened to know because a colleague of mine at an elementary school where I worked for half a year introduce them to me.

To know about the Seven Wonders of Jena was in medieval times, a sign that someone had studied in Jena. These wonders would only be told to someone who graduated from the university and would be taken as evidence that the person really had studied in Jena. Of these Seven Wonders, only Weigel House does not exist anymore. Two of them are only accessible when hiking because they are not in the city center. These are the Jenzig Mountain and the Fox Tower. The remaining four are the passage under the altar of the city church, the Schnapphans figure at the town hall, the seven-headed dragon, and the old Camsdorf Bridge. For those who want to know more about them, here is a link.

For students, there are some places in Jena that offer discounts. One of them is the Zeiss-Planetarium, which I highly recommend visiting at least once. The football team ‘Carl-Zeiss Jena’, the female football team ‘USV Jena’ and the basketball team ‘Science City Jena’, like the ones in Erfurt, all offer a discount for students. Jena also holds the Night of the Museums once a year. It works just like the ones in Erfurt and Weimar. The botanical garden, the ‘Schleichersee/Südbad’, the ‘Kulturarena’ and the theatre also offer cheaper prices for students.

As always, if I have forgotten something you know that I must write about, leave a comment. In the end, I would like to recommend something for those who cannot get enough of sports. Once a year there is that 100 kilometers long walk around the city and some friends of mine did that last year. They were exhausted after nearly 24 hours of walking, but said they would do it again because the scenery you experience on that walk is truly amazing. I hope you liked this entry, and I am optimistic that I will see you again next week.

Welcome back reader!

After the last two entries focused on the city I am currently living in, Erfurt, I will now write something about the city I have lived in for the last year. Jena is the largest city for students in Thuringia and with its 23,000 students, so it offers a lot.

One of the best things about studying in Jena is that there are a lot of places to eat. In total, there are nine cafeterias from which a student can choose from.

This is mainly due to the reason that there are a lot of places across the city where students must go for classes and lectures. Four of these are also open after 5 pm, so it is even possible to eat something when having late classes. As well as the many cafeterias, the city also has a lot of libraries. Only a few of them close before 8 pm, so studying until the late evening and combining it with dinner in one of the cafeterias is something a lot of students do.

Another great thing for students is the “Hörsaalkino”. This is a cinema, like the “Lichthauskino” in Weimar. A variety of films can be watched for only 2€. The university themselves also provide a lot of presentations about diverse topics, so for those who are interested, here is a link. Keep in mind, most of these will be presented in German and only a handful in other languages like English or Spanish.

For my next entries, I will continue writing about Jena and what places you should visit. The places that offer a discount will be included, as well as the places you can hike to and have a beautiful view over the city.

 

Hello dear reader!

Erfurt is not just a city with a lot of festivals, it is also a city where you can save a lot of money in your freetime activities while beeing a student. Because the city has nearly 10,000 students, there are some places that offer discounts for students.

The zoo offers a discount of 4€ for every student and is easy reachable by taking the city ̶ rail line number five. The zoo as well as the ice rink,  offers a discount for students so for 2.50€ the rink is yours for the day. There are also some things that are free at a certain time. For example, visiting egapark is free in winter. Seeing the whole park under a layer of snow is a wonderful experience. For those who are searching for something fun, the Corn Maze would be something I recommend, but it is only open in summer. Some of the things they offer are free entry after six o’clock, a beach bar, foosball and table tennis, so going there in summer evenings is very nice.

For those who like watching sports, Erfurt has a lot of different sport teams and many are either completely free or offer a discount for students. An example would be the football team Rot-Weiß Erfurt, the ice hockey team Black Dragons Erfurt or the American Football Team. A few clubs and bars also offer some discounts from time to time. Every Thursday, the Cosmopolar is free for every student and for all girls over the age of 18.

I hope that I could give you some useful information about what you can do for free or when you can save some money. Thuringia has a lot more to offer, so stay tuned for my next entry.  See you next time.