Studentenkarzer

Introduction

Heidelberg University's Student Prison is a unique and amusing historical sight. This former "prison" for disciplining misbehaving students is now covered wall-to-wall with graffiti and inscriptions left by the confined students, vividly recording a different chapter of university history—a fun and distinctive spot in Heidelberg. The Studentenkarzer was set up in a building near the old-town campus and used from the 19th century into the early 20th. Back then, Heidelberg University (like many German universities) enjoyed a degree of autonomy, including jurisdiction over its students—those who committed minor misconduct (nighttime noise, dueling, drunkenness, pranks, public disorder, etc.) were not handled by the city police but locked up by the university in this special student prison to "reflect" for days to weeks. However, being sent to the student prison was then not a disgrace but rather seen by students as a rather "glorious," boast-worthy experience and even a tradition—confined students could often still attend classes and meet friends, living quite freely, and they covered the prison's walls and ceiling with graffiti, drawings, inscriptions, silhouettes and their "names" to mark the unique experience. Today these graffiti, weathered and covering the walls and ceiling in endless variety, are preserved intact, vividly and humorously telling the youthful stories of those students—great fun. Visiting Heidelberg University's graffiti-covered, one-of-a-kind student prison and glimpsing anecdotes of student life then is a light, fun and distinctive experience.

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