Stuttgart: The Economic Engine of Swabia

Stuttgart’s famous landmark – the television tower – is clearly visible from almost everywhere in the city. Located in south-west Germany, Stuttgart is one of the strongest industrial regions in Germany. Yet the city is full of green vineyards and beautiful parks. The sunny, mild climate makes the city even more attractive.

by Simone Sawall

Stuttgart at a glance

 

Much of Stuttgart lies in a sheltered valley surrounded by hilly vineyards. As the state capital, it is also the political centre of Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart is the sixth-largest city in Germany with a population of 600,000 in 23 city districts. Construction, automobiles, information technology and mechanical engineering are among the city’s most important branches. Along with countless midsized companies, some of the world’s best-known corporations have headquarters in Stuttgart including Daimler, Porsche and Bosch.
Stuttgart has a strong education and research infrastructure with 18 universities and institutions of higher education and a number of well-known R&D institutes. These include two institutes of the Max Planck Society and facilities of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. 
After a hard day at university, students in Stuttgart have numerous opportunities for relaxation and recreation. And if you feel the urge to get back to nature, the Swabian Mountains and the Black Forest are nearby.

Universities-Overview

 

University Stuttgart

The University of Stuttgart was founded in 1829. Today this research-oriented university strongly focuses on the technical sciences. Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Maybach are among the famous alumni who received an education at the university. A total of 20,500 students are enrolled in ten different faculties. The university is especially known for its “Research Centre for Simulation Technology” and the “Automotive Simulation Center Stuttgart”.
One part of campus is located in Vaihingen, an outer district of Stuttgart, and the other downtown.  The university’s International Centre offers a mentor programme to foreign students. More experienced students accompany new foreign arrivals and help them deal with problems they encounter in their first few weeks at university.

University of Hohenheim
This traditional university was founded in 1818. In line with its mission statement to strive for “internationality, innovation and interdisciplinarity”, the University of Hohenheim warmly welcomes international academics. Currently about 8,000 students are enrolled there. Practical application of theory plays a large role in the degree programmes. A personal campus atmosphere is also important to the university, which takes pride in its beautiful, historic campus buildings. In fact, the University of Hohenheim was distinguished in 2009 as the most beautiful campus-centred university in Germany. The university’s “Career Center” fosters a close relationship with numerous companies.

Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart (HFT)
The HFT obtained its designation and status as a technical university in 1971. Approximately 2,500 students take classes on its campus in downtown Stuttgart. The course material is taught with regard to practical, future-oriented application. During their degree programmes, students establish and maintain contacts with the professional world. Students also benefit from the research activities of their professors as they, too, are allowed to use the latest equipment and laboratories. Furthermore, professors frequently share and analyze their latest research with students in their courses. 

Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW)
At the DHBW Stuttgart you can combine academic studies and work experience: you choose one of about 2,500 enterprises cooperating with the DHBW Stuttgart and conclude a training contract with it. In turns of three months you study and work. Today about 7,000 students are enrolled at the DHBW Stuttgart. More than 80 percent of them get a job at the company they worked for while studying. 

Stuttgart Media University (HdM)
The Stuttgart Media University offers 15 bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in Media Studies. There is no university in Europe with such a diverse selection of courses that cover practically all areas of the media field. The Stuttgart Media University was established in 2001 following the merger of the former University of Print and Media (HDM) and the University of Library and Information Sciences (HBI). Today 3,200 students study at two locations – in Stuttgart-Vaihingen and in the vicinity of the Stuttgart main train station.

State University of Music and Performing Arts
Founded in 1857 as the Stuttgart Academy of Music, the university received its present name in 1963.  Approximately 770 students from over 40 countries worldwide study here. Its central location and first-rate facilities make the university especially attractive. The university organises numerous public performances which strongly enrich the cultural life of Stuttgart.

Recreation in Stuttgart

 

You can get a breathtaking view of Stuttgart and its surroundings from the viewing platform on the 216-metre-high television tower. You can also view Stuttgart from other spots, such as the 56-metre-high train station tower or the viewing platform on Eugenplatz. This is where you’ll also find the popular Pinguin ice-cream shop. You can also gain higher ground by taking the “Stuttgarter Stäffele” – a system of stairways that allow you to climb the steep vineyard-covered hills. If taking the stairs is too exhausting, you can always try the historic cable car  connecting the district of Heslach with the wooded cemetery in Degerloch. The cog railway transports passengers from Marienplatz to the Filder plateau.
Numerous parks throughout the city offer you a chance to relax under the open sky. Stuttgart’s “Green U” is comprised of several parks situated in a U-formation, including the Schlosspark, the Höhenpark Killesberg and the Rosensteinpark. The Weissenburgpark in the south of Stuttgart contains an Art Nouveau pavilion, called the “Tea House”, with a large garden terrace. The zoological-botanical gardens at the Wilhelma are also worth visiting.
You can also relax very nicely in one of the mineral water baths in and around Stuttgart, which happens to have one of the largest sources of mineral water in Europe, second only to Budapest. The springs of sparkling water are even state approved for curative treatment.
Königstraße is the place to go if you like to shop. The Schlossplatz lies at the centre with the Neue Schloss (New Castle) and Alte Schloss (Old Castle) not far away. There are other interesting places to see and visit along this main shopping mile.
Stuttgart has a rich cultural scene with numerous theatres, a ballet and a famous opera house. It often pays to show your student ID when you purchase tickets because concession rates are available to students at many events and public institutions. And with your student ID, you can also use all modes of public transport in Stuttgart for free after 6 pm and all day long on Saturday and Sunday.
Stuttgarters are avid football fans. Their team, the VfB Stuttgart, plays in the first division and has a large and loyal following. Watching a game in the gigantic stadium filled with ecstatic football fans is an unforgettable experience.
The inhabitants in and around Stuttgart call themselves “Swabians” for historical reasons. Swabians are not only known for being industrious and thrifty, but also for their culinary specialties. You should definitely try their famous spätzle with lentils and cheese spätzle.

Interview with Mayra from Mexico

 

Mayra studies Information Design at the Stuttgart Media University (HdM). In the following interview, she talks about her life as a foreign student.

What three characteristics would you say best describe Germans?
I find Germans very reliable. When someone says, “I’ll call you”, then they definitely call you. Not like in Latin America. But I’ve also found Germans to be very reserved. Like when you greet someone – how can you congratulate them on their birthday by simply shaking their hand? And I would say they’re very direct. That can be a good thing, but for foreigners, it’s sometimes difficult to understand.

How did you end up studying in Stuttgart? 
Stuttgart has the only university in Germany that offers a degree programme in “Information Design”. My old university in Puebla is also a partner university with the HdM. In 2004 I came on a one-year exchange programme to Germany. After that, I was sure I wanted to come back.

What do you especially like about Stuttgart? 
I like a lot of things. The public transportation – you can get anywhere without a car. Königstraße – you can buy everything there. The Schlossplatz – in the summer time, on the lawns, the German guys always take off their t-shirts to get some sun.  But even the winter is beautiful when the Christmas market opens. And then, of course, there’s the Cannstatter Wasen and the Spring Festival. As a foreigner, you feel like a real German when you hold a mug of beer in both hands. I think that’s something very typical for Germany.

Is there any advice you’d like to give to foreign students?  
I would advise everyone to learn a lot of German and adapt to German culture. Of course, that doesn’t mean giving up one’s identity. The Germans are a little bit reserved. You can get to know them faster if you approach them first.

Useful Links

 

Studentenwerk Stuttgart  
City Stuttgart 
City magazine