Living in Heidelberg

You have been offered a job in Heidelberg?

Being a native of this city I can assure you: you can count yourself lucky indeed.

But be warned: you will come across strong contrasts between old and young, romanticism and high-tech, multicultural open-mindedness and local southwest German mentality.

Life in this famous university town appeals to many people — not to mention the 3.5 million visitors every year attracted by the touristic highlights the town can offer.

Heidelberg is situated about 90 kilometres south of Frankfurt, and with its university more than 600 years old, is steeped in history.

At the same time Heidelberg is cosmopolitan, vibrant and full of young people, which does not come as a surprise considering that one in five of the 130,000 inhabitants is a student.

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History and scenery

Let’s put one thing straight from the start: the most famous Heidelberger is not a local at all.

When the jawbone of the Heidelberg Man was discovered in 1907 at nearby Mauer, nobody dreamt of naming him Mauer Man.

Heidelberg just had a better ring to it and seemed a more appropriate place to find the earliest evidence of human existence in Europe — about 600,000 years ago.

And the tradition of learning and discovery continues.

In 2001 Heidelberg still has a magical sound for many scientists, specialists and expats.

Sigmund Romberg’s operetta ‘The Student Prince’ pictures the romantic life of university students against the backdrop of a bittersweet love affair.

The well-known song ‘I’ve lost my heart in Heidelberg’ is one aspect of the city, the other – modern – side is the development of important centres of business and high tech.

Baroque and business

While a baroque town and in the idyllic setting of the beautiful Neckar valley, Heidelberg manages to be a player in several areas of global importance.

The city has been a strong player in the fields of protection of the environment, genetic engineering and information technology.

In 1996 Heidelberg was awarded Germany’s top prize for nature preservation and protection of environment.

And in 1997 the EU presented the town with the European Sustainable City Award.

It is a hub of biotechnology research as part of the Rhein-Neckar Bioregion.

Just to mention a few: The German Cancer Research Center is based here, as well as the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

People of more than 27 nationalities work for EMBL, multiculture being part of the concept. Founded in 1974, they specialise in molecular biology in the fields of biochemical instrumentation, cell biology, biophysics and genetic research.

Five faculties of the Max-Planck-Society for the Advancement of Science and more than 30 schools for languages and management training are located on the Neckar river.

In nearby Walldorf is the headquarters of the software giant SAP which is still expanding rapidly – and subsequently hire many expats.

Cultural life

Apart from work, what else has life got to offer in this fairytale setting?

The atmosphere in this town has always inspired creative hearts. Until this day many of their works are still relevant and may provide some good reading before coming to Heidelberg.

Writers and poets like Goethe, Eichendorff, Hölderlin, Jean Paul, Victor Hugo and Mark Twain, to name just a few, have praised Heidelberg.

Goethe’s statement that “this place is ideal” is accepted with cool nonchalance by the locals. After all, it was here that Goethe fell in love with Marianne von Willemer, and the picturesque setting is still a good place to fall in love.

In summer it is a pleasure to sit down and relax in one of the many street cafés along the 1.5 km pedestrian zone, just enjoying the sunshine, a German beer or a cappuccino.

True Heidelbergers refer to their city as the “most northern town of Italy” — a statement which is only slightly exaggerated.

A walk on the Philosopher’s Path with one of Europe’s most beautiful views over the old town and Heidelberg Castle will easily confirm this.

It winds along the southern slopes with an abundance of subtropical plants on either side.

Entertainment and nightlife

More than ten museums, a number of private galleries and five theatres offer a full program all year round.

You may also choose to listen to concerts played by the local Philharmonic and the Heidelberg Symphony orchestras, go for a jazz session in Cave 54 or watch the dance shows in the Unterwegs Theater.

Young people, wherever you look — sometimes even on campus.

If you feel like dancing, try the Tangente in Kettengasse in the old part of the city or hang out in the Nachtschicht, Bergheimer Straße, a former factory complex, where a different type of music from hip hop to house is played every night.

The latest films are shown in several cinemas (prices ranging from 10–15 DM). A good source for information on current events is the “Stadtmagazin Meier” (www.meier-online.de)

Local mentality

On the one hand Heidelbergers are very open-minded and multicultural, indeed and they like foreigners.

On the other hand they occasionally prefer to keep to themselves – which excludes everybody not born in the same suburb.

At the market in Handschuhsheim, you may encounter traditional housewives on a Saturday morning at 7 o’clock having a “gemütliche” chat while pretending to buy carrots.

Security

Part of normal life is to cycle, walk or take the bus, as parking fees in the city center are rather heavy (about 3 DM per hour).

There will be no problem if you feel like strolling through the city at night – not even for women.

The city centre is not only a shopping/cinema/theatre district, but also a residential area – a homely mixture.

You will find it hard to find no-go areas. Of course, there are robberies and burglaries, and you have to lock your car or bicycle, but burglar bars or alarm systems are not really necessary for the average householders nor do they need three dogs to protect their property.

Accomodation

So when you have figured out where to work and where to spend your leisure time, you still need a place to live. Fortunately, there are many websites you can use, including:

• Homelike
• HousingAnywhere
• ImmoScout24
• Immowelt

Nice districts are Neuenheim, Handschuhsheim with its Tiefburg (sunken castle), the village-like Ziegelhausen, Neuburg, Weststadt, and Südstadt.

If you don’t mind driving about 20 minutes, you may also consider attractive nearby towns like Speyer, Schwetzingen, and Schriesheim. Here the houses or flats are sometimes more spacious and suitable for families.

Public transportation

Public transport is quite good.

If you travel in Heidelberg by bus or tram, you must find out how many ‘zones’ your journey goes through.

Fees for four zones for example are higher than for two zones. Two zones (approx. 4km) will cost you about DM2.70. Tickets can be bought at ticket machines at main stops, as the Main Station or Bismarckplatz.

Weekly or monthly tickets are also available. Everybody speaks at least some English, so you can always ask for help when stuck.