It’s incumbent upon me to at least write something about the first couple of weeks I have spent in Germany and more particularly about my time in Tübingen thus far. While making some general observations about the town itself, I will give some rather sporadic, idiosyncratic tips for those interested. The general usefulness of these tips is by no means guaranteed, but rather flows from my own experiences, as well as my own possible stupidity, and obtuse-mindedness. Thereafter, I will briefly give some highlights of my trip thus far.
After a rather breathless journey from Cape Town (via Doha and Frankfurt), I arrived exhausted and disorientated at the Hauptbahnhof in Tübingen (sleeping while travelling is not a skill I have acquired as of yet). Arriving on Friday night, I had to spend the weekend in the Jugendherberge in Gartenstrasse (costing roughly 24 Euros a night), because (as you may or not know), the Hausmeister for the various Studentwohnheimen do not work on weekends. Spending a weekend at the hostel does create extra expenses that you should budget for ahead of time, unless you have ranked enough points on your Hostelling International Card to merit getting a few free nights (if you don’t have such a card, you can buy one at the hostel). However, since I lacked a basic orientation of the town, it took me a while to find the hostel. I had to ask several people for directions – in broken and spluttering German – before eventually finding it. The hostel is pretty central, the beds are relatively comfortable, and breakfasts are included (you have to pay for other meals however, with prices ranging between 6-7 Euros per meal, which is pretty expensive, at least for a South African). You also have to pay for the Wi-Fi, but this only costs about 2 Euros per hour, a pretty reasonable price. The hostel also sells beer cheaply, though it is more beneficial financially to buy beer in the local supermarket, with most types of beer costing between 80-90 cents a bottle, cheaper than most liquor stores in South Africa.
One of the first things you will notice when coming to Tübingen (as with any old German town) is that the architecture is particularly distinctive (different from anything you will find in SA), with the sound of church bells ringing at regular intervals being a constant reminder that you have crossed the thresholds of Africa.
Tübingen is a relatively small town, so you are able to walk or ride a bike most places. Most people do not use cars, firstly since you don’t have to (the public transport system is pretty advanced), and secondly because those who use cars are given a kind of pariah status, since Tübingen (and the region of Baden-Würrtemberg) are run by the Green Party, whose policy seems to be that owning a motor vehicle is, generally speaking, a pretty bad idea. Nonetheless, I had difficulty orientating myself initially, especially regarding the different street names. As those from South Africa will know, street names are not only indicated by signs, but also on the curbs as one enters various streets. Germany does not seem to follow this policy so that it is difficult to sometimes to ascertain what street you are in. I wasted a lot of time initially walking down streets which did not take to my destination (at least directly). But eventually I got the hang of it, and the streets became more familiar with time. The main street you need to orientate yourself with is Wilhelmstrasse, which is where most of the university offices are situated.
Regarding the transport system itself in Tübingen, if you are a student, you have to buy a Semesterticket, which covers the entire bus system in Tübingen, and covers some train lines as well. However, be warned that a new Semesterticket is needed for every new semester. So, for example, if you arrive before the semester begins, it is not beneficial to buy a Semesterticket since you will have to buy a new one when the new semester begins. This was something I was not aware of before I came. So it would be a good idea (if you arrive before the semester starts) to budget accordingly for some bus trips, which range from 1-3 Euros, depending on whether you are buying a one-way, a return or a day ticket.
To simplify the bus lines to their essentials: if you are a student, the bus lines you will use most of the time are 2,3,4,5 and 6. Even more basic, if you are staying in Walhaüser-Ost (like most exchange students do), then any bus line with the acronym ‘WHO’ attached to it will get you home. Alternatively, if you want to go back into town, any line that has ‘Hauptbahnhof’ in it will get you there. However if you are in a rush, try not to use the line 5, since this takes the longest.
Generally speaking, Deutschebahn is very expensive (even for Germans). If you want to travel outside Tübingen for cheaper, try if possible to use a recognized bus company like Meinfernbus who are a lot cheaper, and will get you to your destination in the same time. Obviously you sometimes have to use the train system when there are no other options available, but if you can mix up modes of transportation, and plan ahead a little, you will be able to travel for cheaper.
Regarding the matriculation process, which you have to go through before you can receive your student card, I would say that as long as you have all the relevant documentation and letters, the process is relatively pain-free. Opening a bank account (a Girokonto) can be done without charge, but the process is a little bit drawn out since everything is sent via post, and sometimes you might not receive your card if your name is not on the post box. So when you give your details at the bank, try to give your exact post box number as well, since this might make things a bit easier. Once you have a bank account, you might have to give your account details to the Wohnheimverwaltung so that they can deduct your rent from your bank account. It should be said however that you can pay cash as well.
If you are receiving a monthly stipend, you have to pick up your Stipendium between the 5-10 of every month at the Universitätskasse. It will not be deposited directly into your account. This was something was not aware of initially.
In regard to the living quarters, they are comfortable and relatively spacious. In our building, we have a bed, a desk, a few shelves, a wardrobe, as well as a sink and mirror. You do however have to share toilets, showers and a kitchen with those living in your section.
The internet access is included in the rent, but you have to a buy a cable to connect to the internet (which can be acquired quite easily at a place like Saturn). One thing should be mentioned here, if you not aware: for your laptop and other electronics, you should try to get hold of a Reisestecker before you leave for Germany. I want to make one thing clear: there is no universal adaptor for Europe, most of the major countries have their own plug system, and Germany has its own as well. Before you buy a universal adaptor make sure that it is valid for Germany. I bought a ‘European’ adaptor before leaving; yet, as far as I can tell, such a device does not ‘adapt’ to anything ‘European’, never mind Germany.
Okay, so I spent enough giving some general observations. I will move on now to some highlights:
- Universitätsbibliotek and H.P. Willi
Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of Tübingen (if you are a bibliophile like me) is the library, which has an incredible range of selection. The catalogue is massive, and only a portion of the books are actually on the shelves. Those books that are not on the shelves can be ordered, and they will be available within a day of you making the order. Furthermore, the book limit is 100 titles, which can be renewed up to four times (4 x 28 days), unless the books are specially requested. Furthermore, the library at the Theologicum (where I am registered) has an incredible range of selection, though the majority of the titles are in German (for obvious reasons). However, some libraries (like the library at the Theologicum and the Brechtbau-Bibliotek) do not allow you to take books out except on weekends, and even then you have to be a registered student at the department to which the library is connected. However, most of the time, you can get a hold of duplicates at the Universitätsbibliotek on Wilhelmstrasse.
The best book store I have come across so far is H.P. Willi in Wilhelmstrasse. By far, it has the widest selection of books, including philosophy, theology, literature, biographies, and literary criticism. However, it is quite expensive, and the majority of the books are in German. However, despite these factors, you are spoilt for choice if you decide to buy something there.
- Naturpark Schönbuch and Bebenhausen
The forest is about fifteen minutes by foot from where I live in Walhaüser-Ost. It is peaceful and great for walks when the weather is good. Furthermore, one can walk through the forest to Bebenhausen, which is a little village about 30 minutes by foot from where I live. Bebenhausen is a beautiful town, situated between two hills. It also boasts a rather large monastery, the majority of which can be viewed for free (you only have to pay to enter the central part of the monastery and the Church of St. Mary). The monastery (as far as I can understand) is defunct, but the church (originally Catholic) has now been commandeered by the Lutherans, and is used for regular services.
- Baisinger Weissbier
Baisinger is a well-known brewery, but particularly good is their Weissbier. I have sampled several brands of beer since I have been in Germany, but I have enjoyed this one the most. It is quite popular, so it is not always available at the local Kneipe, but you should be able to find in a good liquor store or at Edeka.
- Jacobuskirche
Situated on the walk of St. James to La Compostela, the Jacobusgemeinde is a lovely Lutheran church, with a lively community of regular worshippers, and wonderful music. The church has very ancient foundations, dating to the 11th century, with some parts belonging to a Romanesque style or architecture, and others to a more Gothic If you want to connect with some young people, you can find out more about Unterwegs, which is a trans-denominational community that tries to foster relationships with the students at Tübingen.
- Taizé – Holy Week
Okay, so I know that this does not count as a highlight from Tübingen, but spending time at Taizé (situated in Burgundy) during Holy Week has by far been the most memorable experience I have had in my period of exchange. Taizé is an ecumenical community, established in the 1940’s, which welcomes thousands of young people every year – and Holy Week is their busiest time. During Holy Week, you will be involved in daily prayer, worship, bible studies, group discussions, and trips to neighbouring towns or villages. This short description will not do the experience justice, but overall, it was a very enjoyable time, one in which I was able to meet people from all over Europe, and the world. It is a Christian community, but all are welcome; no-one will be turned away. Furthermore, it is really cheap; on average, it will cost you 10 Euros a day, which includes three meals a day, and a place to sleep. So, if you can make a trip to Taizé, I would thoroughly recommend it.
I have already said enough for the moment, but I hope that what I have said thus far will help anyone who opts for the exchange program to Tübingen.
Settled in:
Quite a number of things have happened since I filed my last report. For one thing I have racked up more hours of rhapsodic, quasi-directionless reading, whether it be collating various tit-bits of Benjaminiana, or texts on the politics of Karl Barth, digesting some monographs on Augustine’s theology of desire and the self, or eros in the early Greek poets, the philosophy of tragedy, the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as searching for some hard-to-find texts of Rowan Williams. All in all, I admit, a very enjoyable, albeit slightly chaotic research experience (placating curiosity is my version of hedonism).
All this is made possible because I have not had any (zero) classes or courses in Germany, which has allowed to pretty much do what I want, avoiding what in normal life we call ‘responsibilities’. However, that time is soon coming to an end and I suppose I should give some ‘useful’ information for those who will bother to read this report.
If there is one regret I have had since coming to Germany it is that I have not been proactive enough in learning the language. Sure, I know the basic grammar and can read okay, but in regard to conversational discussion, I am still pretty lame and stumble over rudimentary sentences. So my advice would be that if you can, try to find out about German courses for beginners, hosted by the university (there are definitely some, and they are not very expensive, maybe between 40-50 Euros for a course that lasts several weeks and includes two exams or so).
Regarding the library, if you are a crazy, sick-in-the-head collector of various exotic bits of Wunderkammer-esque, gnoseological curiosities, then make use of scanning facilities. Firstly, it is way cheaper than printing everything out (I know from experience), and further, it also means that you don’t have to transport tons of paper back with you to wherever you are returning to. You also might be sparing the life of some organic being (if that’s any consolation). And to repeat again, just to reiterate– make use of the library, since it’s not every day that you are given access to such venerable resources.
Regarding travel (my other main occupation), in the time I have been here I have managed to visit France (twice – Burgundy and Paris), Munich, Berlin, Heidelberg, Salzburg, Prague, Basel, and various smaller towns in the area of Baden-Württemburg. I couple of tips in this regard:
Make use of the Schöne Wochende-Ticket through Deutsche Bahn since it allows you to travel pretty much anywhere in Germany on a weekend (using regional trains). It is valid up to five people; it is only valid for a 24 hour period, but it only costs 44 Euros, which works out to be really cheap if you are travelling in a group. However, be prepared for plenty of stops, as well as a long journey. Also, if you want to travel in Baden-Württemburg, you can buy a Baden-Württemburg-Ticket which allows you to travel anywhere in the area within a 24 hour period; it costs about 24 Euros. Also, make use of your Semesterticket since it is valid for several trains in the area. Otherwise, make use of Blabla Car since it can sometimes be pretty cheap. For hosting, you can obviously make use of Couch Surfing, Airbnb or Booking.com where applicable.
Regarding particular cities, I would obviously recommend all those mentioned above, however, I would like to give some particular advice about two cities, namely Paris and Prague.
If you are travelling to Paris, be vigilant and try to be incredulous to most people who tell you a sob story in order to request money. A lot of these people (for whatever reason) are there to relieve you of whatever cash you might have (I know since I had about 50 Euros stolen in just this manner). And when you are a travelling student, with little cash, such an event can be a bit of a downer, to say the least. As a result, your travel experience can be refracted through the lens of a semi-depression so that, for example, the grandiose, architectonic majesty of the Eiffel Tower can be perceived (phenomenologically)as just a mastodonic, rusty piece of architecture (I am only exaggerating a little). If you can spare yourself the nuisance of such an occurrence, then your experience of Paris will be eminently enjoyable, albeit a bit expensive (although, if you are under 25 and are registered at a university within the EU, there are a lot of things that are free (e.g. The Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, etc.).
Regarding Prague, hostels are a lot cheaper than in other places in Europe, so try and make use of this opportunity, if you can. One word of caution: when changing Euros into Krone(the local currency), I would suggest that you exchange cash at your bank, or a legitimate Foreign Exchange service. Alternatively, some touristy places (e.g. The Franz Kafka Museum) accept both Euros and Krone, and are even willing to exchange if you ask politely. Don’t use one of those places marked ‘Change Money’ or whatever unless the buying rate is reasonable. Otherwise, you can lose a lot of Euros along the way.
Back home:
So I have been back at home for over week now, and I seem to be settling into the usual abnormality that is South Africa. Travelling back was not particularly fun; I had an eight hour layover in Doha, forcing me to meander through the crepuscular hours with little to keep myself occupied. Nonetheless, the flights went off without any particular hitch, and I managed to land back in the country – sleep-deprived but unabused for the most part.
My final week in Tübingen was actually spent largely in Barcelona, where we spent our time walking around at seemingly Godforsaken hours in a city that doesn’t seem to sleep (except during siesta); getting partially lobstered while sunbathing during a partly cloudy day; gazing at Gaudi monuments; attending beach-side nightclubs in the early hours of morning with possibly the worst music videos ever conceived by cogent biped, as well as simply soaking in the panoramic awesomeness from the hilltop at midnight. All and all, Barcelona was a thoroughly memorably experience, and one which will be difficult to erase from my mind.
However, on returning to Tübingen, I had little time to rest since I had to move out my stuff from the apartment the following day, which means that I started packing on the day of my return, with the hope of leaving my apartment in as derelict condition as I found it. However, I did make one small mistake, which should be mentioned: on making my appointment with the Hausmeister (with the purpose of returning the keys)I did not make a personal appointment during the required Sprechstunde (office hours), with the result being that I did not actually have a registered appointment on the day I moved out of my apartment. I had dropped a letter in the box outside the office two weeks prior, but this apparently was not enough. For bureaucratic purposes, physical presence is required for the appointment to be made. However, there was no major problem, since the checking out process is painless enough (taking into account the presumption that you haven’t turned your room into a biohazard zone or a brothel). At the end, I returned my keys, and proceeded to spend the next two uncomfortable nights on a floor of a friend of mine (to save accommodation costs at a hostel). In the process, I picked up a virus with flu-like symptoms, which I carried unwillingly back with me to sunny South Africa. However, everything else (including the transport to Frankfurt) happened as planned, without any hiccups (except for a minor delay in Johannesburg).
Summarising my experience in Europe is quite difficult. In toto, I would classify it as an all-round education, a kind of moratorium of learning in which I was allowed to engage in whatever educative escapade I deemed beneficial. So whether it was trying to speak German, spending hours using free internet to watch documentaries on the terrors of a corporatized, de-regularised market, or the hypocrisies of US foreign policies, or walking the streets of Paris, tasting beer in Prague, sneaking after-hours into the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin, singing songs for hours on end in Taizé, perusing the journal archives of the Tübingen Bibliotek, visiting Karl Barth’s house in Basel, or simply the enjoying the company of new friends, I judge to the period of my stay in Germany to be a period of comprehensive learning and mental expansion, one of which I am grateful to have experienced and (to be serious for once) an opportunity I would like to thank Stellenbosch and Tübingen for giving to me. Especially I would like to thank Huba Boshoff and Simone Hahne for all the work they do in this regard.
Regarding my judgement of the German people themselves, I think one has to be wary of stereotypes. But generally speaking, I found Germans to be polite (overall, excluding one or two bus drivers), deferential when they perceived that you were struggling to communicate, and, overall, helpful when help was needed. On the other hand, there was a formality and a lack of gregariousness which I did not find among other Continental nationalities (as well as South Africans), which also made an impression on me, possibly the result of a bureaucratic personality which no doubt has its pros and cons.
Summarizing from my experience, I cannot say – in all honesty – that I was totally blown away in my experience of the German people I met. This is not meant as a negative or stinging judgement, but rather an evaluation stemming from my own mediocre observations. In all frankness, I consider the German people to be as delightful and depraved as any other nation on earth. That might not be a particularly insightful or original thought, I know. I’ll leave you to judge.