Düsseldorf: Elegant capital on the Rhine

The capital of the state of Northrhine-Westfalia is a city with many different facades. On the one side there's the large number of high-earning businessmen, top-models and swanky media types all mingling on the famous "Kö" and at the so called media harbour. On the other side there are the thousands of students all drawn to Düsseldorf because of it's creative athmosphere and the beautiful Altstadt.

Düsseldorf at a glance

Old Town by night, Photo: Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH

Situated on a majestic bend in the Rhine, Düsseldorf has the feel of a capital city despite its relatively small size. With 590,000 inhabitants, it ranks seventh in Germany in terms of population. However, it is the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most populous and industrially-productive state and, as such, punches well above its weight on both the national and international scene.
Besides the parliament, courts, and other bureaucracies, though, "D'dorf" is also something of an economic powerhouse in its own right.

It is Germany's second banking center after Frankfurt, with NRW.Bank, WestLB, as well as Germany's leading financial daily newspaper Handelsblatt all located there. Düsseldorf has also garnered itself the nickname 'Japan on the Rhine', with the second-largest Japanese community outside of the Land of the Rising Sun after London: over 10,000 Japanese citizens are resident, and numerous Japanese corporations run their European operations from the city, which also plays host to a wide variety of other international companies. Mobile phone network operator Vodafone Germany, for example, has a landmark headquarters on the riverfront, and the traditional industrial giants ThyssenKrupp, Rheinmetall and Henkel continue to operate from the city, too. Furthermore, Düsseldorf is Germany's premier location for advertising agencies, with well over 100 in the city: that's one advertising agency for every 577 Düsseldorfers!

On an international level, Düsseldorf is known as Germany's fashion capital; art is also important here, with both public and private collections of world-wide note. Furthermore, the city's distinctive artistic creativity comes through in many of the fascinating modern buildings that have made Düsseldorf into a case study for architecture students. For despite the nicely-restored old-town and some districts made up primarily of belle époque townhouses, the city has a decidedly modern appearance. Then again, a quaint and fierce local patriotism lives on in many of the real Düsseldorfers - and in some of the wannabes - constructed around a particularly strong brand of mustard, a dark ale that is only brewed within the city limits, and an unshakeable conviction that the city and its inhabitants are far more stylish than their Rhenish rivals nearby in Cologne.

University - Overview

Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf

The campus landmark "Oeconomicum", Photo: Uni Düsseldorf/Presse

In 2011, about 20,000 students were enrolled at Heinrich Heine University (HHU) Düsseldorf. A great number of international students came from Asia and other European countries. Founded on the basis of a long-extant medical school in 1965, HHU expanded to offer mathematics and natural sciences as well as arts and humanities in the late 1960s. The Faculty of Law was established in 1990, followed by the Faculty of Business and Economics in 1993. Research at HHU is first-rate, particular in medical and biomedical areas, physics, and linguistics.

The campus is green and pleasant. HHU even has its own Botanical Gardens. The University has a great library which also serves as the state library of North-Rhine Westphalia. Getting to and from the University is relatively simple both by car and by public transportation: several tramlines leave from the main station and go straight to campus.

Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences (FH)
Founded six years after the Heinrich Heine University, the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences offers a completely different range of subjects. German literature and medical students will not find what they're looking for here, but budding architects and engineers will be well taken care of. With roughly 7,000 students, Düsseldorf's second major university is a thriving institution that welcomes foreign students.

Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
he Düsseldorf Academy of Arts is a public institution with a long and illustrious history. Several of the city's main thoroughfares are named after its famous directors - Cornelius and Schadow, for example - and its collection offers an unparalleled view of German art through the late Enlightenment period. Students there can also look at more modern aspects of art too, though, thanks to projects like the CIAM, or Centre for International Art Management, which cooperates with Düsseldorf's music university.

Robert-Schumann-Hochschule Düsseldorf
The Robert Schumann University is, as the name suggests, Düsseldorf's premier musical institution. The 830 Students from 40 different countries range from classical musicians through composers to sound technicians, who complete half of their course here and the other modules at the University of Applied Sciences. The Schumann University gives frequent, high-quality concerts.

Recreation in Düsseldorf

The Königsallee (King's Avenue) short:"Kö", Photo: Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus Gmbh

Have you already gone on top of the tv tower and got an overview of the city? Afterwards you should go for a walk in the city center. On Königsallee or "Kö" as the Düsseldorfer use to call it, you can gaze at sparkling hand bags and fancy outfits. Down by the river it's time to admire the Rhine promenade with the beautiful skyline of the media harbour. If you'd like to have a closer look at the modern architecture of the harbour, you should cruise to river with one of the many ships.
It's raining cats and dogs? No problem because there's a lot going on indoors. Animal lovers will enjoy the Aqua-Zoo, while art fanatics should definetely opt for the art museums K 20 and K 21 or the Galerie der Kunstakademie. If you are a frequent visitor to the museums you should consider investing 80 Euros in an Art:card. It permits free entrance for a whole year. Another bargain: The Deutsche Oper on the Rhine offers a very cheap „Junge Wahl-Sub“.

The Düsseldorf funfair "Rheinkirmes", Photo: Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH

Whether you like to drink beer or not - as a student in Düsseldorf you won't get around the "Longest counter of the world", as the old town is called. Especially the traditional brewery "Uerige“ is a must. Be careful: Even though you might not like the bitter taste of the typical Altbier that is served in Düsseldorf, never order a Kölsch instead, because that's made in Cologne. The rivalry between these two cities has been going on forever and results in jokes on both sides about the others. Every year in February/March carnival takes over the old town and in summer the Rheinkirmes (funfair) with lots of joy rides and carrussels draws millions of tourists to the city.
Maybe you are lucky and there's one of the Campus Revolution Parties happening in the evening. If you are looking for an alternative, check the city magazines TONIGHT, PRINZ or coolibri. Apart from that there's always something going on at "Philipshalle".

Interview with Raissa from Brazil

Raissa from Brazil studies jewellery design at FH Düsseldorf.

Raissa, Photo: private

Did you know Düsseldorf before you came here for your studies?
Yes, I've been to Germany before as an exchange student. and spent a year in the small town of Sonsbeck in the Lower Rhine region. The exchange organisation gathered all international students for some meetings in Düsseldorf. That's why I've been to Düsseldorf a few times but not that often.

How do you like the city?
It's fine! Compared to brazilian cities Düsseldorf is so tiny. But compared to Sonsbeck with its 5 000 inhabitants there's a huge difference. Here there are many options to meet new people. Also, there's a wide range of cultural activities and lots of museums around. For example I like the art colleciton "K21" a lot, but there are also a few very beautiful jewellery galeries. The "Detail" for example I liked very much or the "Cebra" in the old town. Sometimes I hopp on the train to Cologne or Duisburg to check out some museums.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Take a stroll on the river Rhine. You can catch a stunning sunset from the Rheinterassen, while having a drink or some food to relax. The media harbour (Medienhafen) with buildings designed by Frank Gehry is also very pretty.

What should one keep in mind, if one wishes to study in Düsseldorf?
I would try to organize everything in advance. You should gather information about the different study programmes and check, which documents are required for what. It's different for each university and takes a lot of time because many certificates need to be legally confirmed by an authority. If you google it, you'll find the most important information on the web.

Would you like to stay in Düsseldorf after finishing your degree?
I would like to stay but that's something I can't decide by myself. I'm not allowed to stay in Germany after I've completed my studies, if I don't find a proper job. I would like to top my studies with a goldsmith training, because there's nothing like that in Brazil.