Aachen: Top universities in the heart of Europe

Hot springs first brought the Romans to Aachen. Today, the spa city has flourished into a multicultural location that combines architectural charm with renowned education and research institutions. Aachen is the place to work and study if you are yearning for diversity in a beautiful and energetic city right in the heart of Europe.

Aachen introduced

Aachen_Türme der Stadt, Photo: young-germany.de In the 8th century, Charlemagne chose Aachen as his imperial residence. The rest, as they say, is history. Home to some 259,000 inhabitants, Germany’s westernmost city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is located in the border triangle of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.
A former cloth-making and needle town, Aachen’s business landscape is now most famous for mechanical engineering (e.g., the Ford Research Center), tire production (Continental AG) and light bulbs (companies such as Saint-Gobain and Philips). Aachen is also home to the international pharmaceutical company Grünenthal, the University Hospital (an orthopedics specialist), and IT companies such as MAXDATA (which is among Europe’s top ten IT producers). Even software giant Microsoft has a base here with strong connections to the RWTH Aachen university.

Overview of the Universities

RWTH Aachen (Aachen University of Technology)
As one of Europe’s biggest and most storied technical universities, the RWTH Aachen has continuously increased its student body over the past few years and now exceeds 30,000 . Internationally renowned for technological research in science and engineering, the RWTH’s partnerships with many international universities and research centers make it a popular choice for international students. Its status is underlined by the fact that the Institute for Advanced Studies in Computational Engineering Science was awarded additional funding as part of the “Excellenzinitiative” – the government’s push to promote excellence.
As the RWTH is not a campus university, one can feel the student atmosphere permeating all of Aachen. Its buildings are spread out over three locations, RWTH Aachen, Photo: Wikimedia Commons (cc) Aleph concentrated in the northwest of the city between the city center and the Westbahnhof Station.
The RWTH counts many illustrious alumni and lecturers, including Peter Debye, 1936 winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry; Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, former president of Indonesia; Ulla Schmidt, Germany’s federal minister of health, and Mario Theissen, motor sports boss of BMW.

FH Aachen (Aachen University of Applied Sciences)
At present, more than 8,000 students attend the FH Aachen, one of Germany’s largest universities of applied sciences. Its strong hands-on focus thoroughly prepares students for the challenges of today’s labor market, and it maintains close ties with regional and international companies as well as education and research institutes such as the Research Centre Jülich. The German and international degrees on offer (at both graduate and post-graduate level) range from engineering to economics and even design.

What Aachen is like

Osmany Hernandez In search of adventure and seeking to break away from his country’s restrictive regime, it was wanderlust that led the Cuban languages graduate Osmany Hernández to Germany in 2003.

Why did you come to Aachen?

I wanted to see new things and travel to new places, and I also wanted to improve my professional development. One year after I came to Germany, I met my husband and moved to Aachen to live with him and also take a job in the city. I now now work as an inventory control manager for Cinram, a producer and distributor of audiovisual media.

How do you like Aachen?

I previously lived in Munich, so I was apprehensive about moving from a big city to a smaller one, but Aachen has a charm of its own. I just love it. It’s a really, really cool town. Because it’s a uni town, it’s full of young people and the night life is great. It’s also steeped in history and the architecture is simply stunning.

What do you like to do in your free time?

When I have time, I go for a walk, enjoy the trees, the views, the nice houses and the architecture. I also enjoy Aachen’s proximity to the Netherlands and Belgium. It elevates the quality of life. When Germany has holidays, you can just go across the border to shop, and it’s also fun to try out all the different foods which you couldn’t otherwise buy here.

What's your favourite spot?

One of my favorite places in Aachen itself is the Monheimsallee, a small avenue with lots of trees and the adjacent Kurpark. In springtime, they always do floral decorations and replant everything and it looks really beautiful. Nearby is the famous Quellenhof Hotel, which is a former spa and a popular meeting place for politicians.

Did you know?

One of the RWTH Aachen’s most prestigious alumni is Hugo Junkers who was named an honorary citizen in 1928 for building the first airplane to cross the Atlantic from east to west. It was a nerve-wracking experience for the pilot, and finally ended after 36 hours when he touched down on an island near Labrador.

Things to check out

The city of Aachen is a treasure chest of architectural gems. The most famous is the UNESCO world heritage site, Emperor Charlemagne’s “Imperial Cathedral,” which was the coronation site for 30 emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.
While strolling through Aachen’s picturesque streets, keep your eyes peeled for the unique sculptures and fountains, one of which is the Elisenbrunnen. Share in the experience of famous personages such as Peter the Great and Giacomo Casanova by partaking in the thermal waters of this imperial source. The Carolus Thermen spa is the perfect place to unwind after all that walking and exploring. And to recharge your carbohydrate batteries afterwards, be sure to try the delicious Aachener Printen, a traditional, ancient-recipe biscuit similar to gingerbread.

What’s happening?

Cafe Van den Daele, Photo: Bernd Schröder / ats The hotspot of Aachen’s student nightlife is the Pontstrasse which features many bars, cafés and shops. But if you prefer something a little more refined during the day, visit Aachen’s oldest coffee house, Van den Daele. Built in 1655, the interior is furnished with pieces from Aachen-Liège Baroque. Its collection of Printen cans, its crooked rooms and many stairs give it a quirky charm. Aachen’s annual events include an open-air jazz festival in spring, the boisterous February Carnival, the Aachen Summer of Culture – featuring open-air concerts with international stars – and for horse fans, the annual CHIO World Equestrian Festival. For soccer fans, Aachen offers its pride and joy, Alemannia Aachen, a pro soccer club with a very loyal following of nearly 9,000 members. When you see the players “buzzing around” the field at the Tivoli stadium (which is famous for its great atmosphere) in their yellow and black kits, you can’t help but think of wasps. This storied club certainly caused a sting in the 2005/6 season when it advanced to Germany’s top soccer division for the first time since 1970. In winter 2006, the team performed another miracle, eliminating soccer powerhouse Bayern Munich from the German Cup.