Established in the 1600s as a kind of prison to punish misbehaving students, Student Jail (Studentenkarzer) and places like it were prevalent at many German schools until the beginning of the 20th century. Eventually, the punishment became almost a rite of passage among students and turned into more of a social event filled with the sort of debauchery that had once caused a student to land here. Wander the rooms to see the poems, writings, musings, or stories scrawled on the walls, along with the paintings, drawings, and doodles left by the marauding students. If you can read German, you might even be able to pick out a story or two left behind by a student explaining just what he did to end up here. Arrange your visit to Student Jail (Studentenkarzer) and discover more family-friendly attractions in Heidelberg using our Heidelberg trip website.
Tours to Student Jail (Studentenkarzer)
Student Jail (Studentenkarzer) reviews
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interesting and a bit odd - a student jail, likely a necessary facility at the campus of any old prestigious, self-respecting university. The drawings make it a special place as they are a form of...
interesting and a bit odd - a student jail, likely a necessary facility at the campus of any old prestigious, self-respecting university. The drawings make it a special place as they are a form of... more »
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I suppose there are other places in the world where university students incarcerated for mostly petty crimes were permitted to express remarkable artistic creativity on the walls — and where that...
I suppose there are other places in the world where university students incarcerated for mostly petty crimes were permitted to express remarkable artistic creativity on the walls — and where that... more »
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Visited here thinking we could also see the University Library, big mistake! Given a time slot to visit 30 mins later, we paid 4 euros each and returned for a visit which took us less than 10 mins...
Visited here thinking we could also see the University Library, big mistake! Given a time slot to visit 30 mins later, we paid 4 euros each and returned for a visit which took us less than 10 mins... more »
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Little to see if u can’t really read German. I wouldn’t pay to visit but went there because I had the tourist pass. However it’s nice that the city preserves such unique heritage
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You could feel the history of the place through the paintings,poems and songs that were written on the walls all around you! I strongly recommend it!
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If you are in Heidelberg this is a must visit! See graffiti from over 100 years ago all over the walls and floors of this former student prison and learn about all the obscure reasons as to why students were put there in the first place!
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It's not a typical tourist place but a very interesting piece of history unlike most I have been to
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This eerie yet stunning place is definitely worth stopping by on your way through Heidelberg. With squeaking wooden planks and walls and ceilings covered in scribbles from another time, it's quite the stunner if you just stand in the middle of the small room and take it all in. Taking a look inside the different rooms offers an insight into life as a student in the karzer.
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