A stint at Heidelberg University’s Student Jail (Studentenkarzer) may have been a rite of passage for some of the esteemed institution’s more unruly scholars. Despite its reputation as a center of learning, Heidelberg University received complaints about its troublesome pupils as early as the 16th century. By the 18th century, the university was taking punitive action. Explore the graffiti-laden cells of the university’s prison and experience a snapshot of prewar Germany through the eyes of its misbehaved youth.
Take the rickety stairway from the Alte Universität (Old University) campus and make your way into the prison cells. As you pass through the corridors, you’ll find that the walls, doors and ceilings are covered in graffiti. Check out silhouettes, crests and other paintings, as well as written poems, songs and statements. See the lyrics and music for traditional sing-alongs on one wall.
The small prison was used between 1778 and 1914 to detain students for minor crimes, including disturbing the peace, unruly drunkenness and setting the townspeople’s pigs free. Try to find the small door that allowed students access to the university so that they could attend lectures. The student prison’s list of punishable crimes and relatively lax security meant that jail time became a popular pursuit for some students. Get an insight into the daily life of a Heidelberg scholar in the years before World War I.
The Student Jail is located on the campus of the Alte Universität (Old University) in the center of historic Heidelberg. The prison is open to visitors daily except Sundays in winter and on bank holidays. Purchase your ticket to the Student Jail from the University Museum, which is located a block away. Explore the University Museum and the Alte Aula (Old Assembly Hall) upstairs. Entrance is free for visitors with a Heidelberg Card, which provides access to some of the city’s most popular destinations, free bus and tram transportation and discounts at select attractions.
