Karlsruhe: Germany's Internet Capital

Want to study at a German elite university? Interested in working in Germany’s Internet Capital? Want to graduate in a city with a bustling economy and low unemployment rates? Want to learn in a place that’s just a few minutes away from the picturesque Alsace region? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then Karlsruhe may be just the place for you.

Karlsruhe introduced

Karlsruhe, a mid-sized German city with some 285,000 inhabitants, is located near the French-German border in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. Nicknamed the “Internet Capital of Germany”, some 2,500 web and telecommunications firms have been founded in and around Karlsruhe – the most famous of these being Internet providers web.de and 1&1. The city is also home of the Research Center Karlsruhe (FZK), where engineering and scientific research is performed in the areas of health and environmental sciences. The Fraunhofer Society, Europe’s largest research organization, has two institutes in Karlsruhe. Like most cities in Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe has a stable economy and a relatively low unemployment rate – perfect conditions for students and aspiring young professionals.

Overview of the Universities

University of Karlsruhe (TH)
It’s new, it’s big, and it’s fast: The supercomputer Hewlett Packard XC4000 is connected to an Internet line with data transfer capabilities equal to that of some 12,000 DSL connections combined. With a total memory of 12 Tera-bytes, the computer enables researchers “to advance into areas that were not reachable with earlier computer generations,” Professor Dr. Wilfried Juling, the head of the computer center at the University of Karlsruhe, proudly said of the super-machine. The school’s new buy is just one of several reasons why the University of Karlsruhe is one of the premium institutions in Germany. It has a multitude of IT, chemistry and engineering programs, top-notch research possibilities and a diverse student body. Earlier this year, Karlsruhe’s oldest and largest university (it has 18,000 students, every fifth of whom is foreign-born) beat out numerous schools in the competition to become one of the German “elite schools”. The funds connected to that title will be used to attract world-leading professors and provide state-of-the-art research means. The school convinced jurors with plans for ground-breaking research programs, such as the Karlsruhe School of Optics and Photonics, in which some 130 talented German and foreign students develop lasers or microscopic systems, and at the same time learn management skills by interning with world-leading companies active in the field. Cutting-edge programs like the disaster management and the humanoid robotics program cooperate with the city’s research centers and with mid-sized and large companies situated in the region.

University of Applied Sciences Karlsruhe (HS)
With 6,000 students, the HS Karlsruhe is the second-largest university in the city. Focusing on mechanics and engineering programs, it offers several English-language bachelor’s and master’s programs.

University of Education Karlsruhe (PH)
Some 3,200 students (80 percent of which are female) attend the PH Karlsruhe to become elementary or middle school teachers. A concept unique to the state of Baden-Württemberg, the PH combines a pedagogical education with hands-on experience at schools.

State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe
A highly respected fine arts school, the academy has educated several famous German artists. Applicants have to go through intense testing before they are accepted. But it’s worth it, as the 300 students can then enjoy one of the best art educations in Germany.

State University of Design, Media and Arts Karlsruhe
Founded 14 years ago, the university is one of the most modern media schools in the country, designed to educate its students in all fields of the quickly changing new media world. Daniel Libeskind, the world-famous U.S. architect who designed the Jewish Museum in Berlin, taught architecture classes here. Together with the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (ZKM), Germany’s most avant-garde new media art institution, the school combines education and research with exhibitions and events. It his headed by Peter Sloterdijk, the famous German philosopher who in 1983 wrote “Critique of Cynical Reason,” the best-selling philosophical book in the German language since World War II.

University of Music Karlsruhe
Located in a lavish sixteenth century Renaissance castle, the University of Music offers programs for talented singers and musicians to become teachers, conductors, composers, opera singers and music journalists.

What Karlsruhe is like

Alena Nikifarava, a Belarus native, studies IT and business at the University of Karlsruhe.

Why did you pick Karlsruhe?

I chose the school because it topped Germany’s national IT program rankings.

Did it meet your expectations?

I havn’t regretted my move – on the contrary. My professors’ expertise and the level of classes have impressed me. But studying in one of Germany’s most prolific IT programs can sometimes be tough. Some of my friends at other schools have less stress. But I see it this way: I study hard to then have an easier time in the working world.

What do you like about the city?

I love the city’s eighteenth and nineteenth century architecture. Karlsruhe is not too big and not too small. It does not have the disadvantages of a large metropolis, but still there are many things to do at night.

What's your favorite spot?

My favorite place in the city – besides my university – is near a pond in the Schlosspark, where strollers and joggers like myself feed the ducks in the wee hours of the morning. The place has such a nice atmosphere.

Did you know?

No wonder computer science buffs like Alena are choosing Karlsruhe as their venue for becoming html and Flash experts: make no mistake, this city has shaped Internet history. Back in 1984, the University of Karlsruhe was the first institution in Germany to receive an email. Three years later, it established the world’s first Internet connection to China, when a Chinese research team sent the following email to Karlsruhe: "Across the Great Wall we can reach every corner of the world."
Reaching every corner of the city is just as easy. Bike lanes are wide, and the public transportation system is hailed as one of Germany’s best. And when you ride your bike in the nineteenth century streets or pace your car on the Autobahn around the city, keep in mind that two men born in Karlsruhe made all this possible: Karl Drais, the inventor of the modern bicycle and Carl Friedrich Benz, the inventor of the automobile.

Things to check out

Karlsruhe is a paradise for shoppers. The city center offers a wonderful blend of small fashion boutiques and large department stores.
Also, be sure to check out the city’s most stunning building, the Schloss, built in 1715 and still one of Germany’s striking castles. And the castle’s park, Alena’s favorite place in town, is a treat all year round.
While you’re there, take advantage of Karlsruhe’s neat geographical location: Strasbourg, the Alsatian city with its lavish medieval city center featuring a stunning gothic cathedral (in the fifteenth century the tallest building in the world) is worth the 35-minute car ride any day.
Speaking of easy-to-do road trips, Baden-Baden, the city with Roman-era spas and Germany’s largest opera house, can even be reached with public transportation from Karlsruhe’s city center.
The area around Karlsruhe is considered to be one of the best when it comes to cuisine – nowhere in Germany will you find so many five-star gourmet restaurants. That doesn’t mean that tasty rustic dishes aren’t available, quite the contrary: Try a Riesling from nearby Alsace or the Mosel, tasty with some hearty “Maultaschen” from next-door Swabia, and for dessert, fork into the “Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte”, a rich cream cherry pie, made perfect with a shot of kirsch.

What’s happening?