Vorlage-Sammeldokument

Der Oberbürgermeister Vorlage Federführende Dienststelle: Kulturbetrieb Beteiligte Dienststelle/n: Vorlage-Nr: Status: AZ: Datum: Verfasser: E 49/0042/WP17 öffentlich 11.01.2018 E 49/S Genehmigung der Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Betriebsausschuss Kultur vom 28.11.2017 (öffentlicher Teil) Beratungsfolge: Datum Gremium Zuständigkeit 25.01.2018 Betriebsausschuss Kultur Entscheidung Beschlussvorschlag: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur genehmigt die Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Betriebsausschuss Kultur vom 28.11.2017 (öffentlicher Teil). Vorlage E 49/0042/WP17 der Stadt Aachen Ausdruck vom: 18.01.2018 Seite: 1/2 Erläuterungen: Siehe Anlage. Anlage: Niederschrift Sitzung 28.11.2017 (ÖT) Vorlage E 49/0042/WP17 der Stadt Aachen Ausdruck vom: 18.01.2018 Seite: 2/2 Der Oberbürgermeister Niederschrift öffentliche/nichtöffentliche Sitzung des Betriebsausschusses Kultur 20. Dezember 2017 Sitzungstermin: Dienstag, 28.11.2017 Sitzungsbeginn: 17:00 Uhr Sitzungsende: 19:07 Uhr Ort, Raum: Verw.Geb. Mozartstraße Raum 207/208, Mozartstraße 2-10, Aachen Anwesende: Bürgermeisterin Dr. Margrethe Schmeer Ratsherr Hermann Josef Pilgram Ratsherr Simon Adenauer Ratsfrau Aida Beslagic-Lohe Ratsherr Josef Hubert Bruynswyck Ratsfrau Ursula Epstein Ratsherr Hans Müller Ratsfrau Sibylle Reuß Ratsfrau Sevgi Sakar Ratsherr Gunter von Hayn Frau Ruth Crumbach-Trommler Frau Andrea Derichs Seite: 1/13 Frau Marlies Diepelt in Vertretung für Ratsherrn Manfred Bausch Herr Volker Lauven ab 17.25 Uhr Frau Stefanie Luczak Frau Petra Perschon-Adamy Herr Stefan Oppelt Frau Helga Riedel Frau Halice Kreß-Vannahme bis 18.53 Uhr Frau Lilli Philippen Frau Angelika Mertens Herr Cengiz Ulug Abwesende: Ratsherr Manfred Bausch -entschuldigt- von der Verwaltung: Frau Beigeordnete Susanne Schwier Herr Olaf Müller, E 49 Herr Sawallich, E 49/6 Herr Rief, E 49/1 Frau Gerhards, E 49/S Frau Tirtey, E 49/S als Schriftführer: Herr Dieter Haubrich, E 49/S Seite: 2/13 Tagesordnung: Öffentlicher Teil 1 Eröffnung der Sitzung 2 Genehmigung der Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Betriebsausschuss Kultur vom 26.09.2017 (öffentlicher Teil) 3 Vorstellung der AEGEE-Aachen e.V. Antrag der Fraktionen CDU und SPD vom 26.07.2017 Beschluss des Betriebsausschusses Kultur vom 26.09.2017 4 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Buchhandlung am Markt, Trierer Straße 788, 52078 Aachen und Buchhandlung Backhaus, Jakobstraße 13, 52064 Aachen als Preisträger des Deutschen Buchhandlungspreises 2017 Antrag der Fraktion GRÜNE vom 09.10.2017 5 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Verein der Benutzer, Freunde und Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Aachen e.V. Antrag der Fraktion Grüne vom 09.10.2017 6 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Öcher Platt e.V. Antrag der Fraktion GRÜNE vom 09.10.2017 7 Nutzungskonzept Barockfabrik Antrag der Fraktion FDP vom 12.06.2017, Antrag der Fraktion DIE LINKE vom 09.08.2017, Antrag der Fraktionen CDU und SPD vom 12.09.2017 8 Wirtschaftsplan für den Kulturbetrieb E 49 für das Wirtschaftsjahr 2018 Seite: 3/13 9 Neubau KGS Bildchen Präsentation des nutzerspezifischen Raumkonzeptes 10 Sachstandsbericht zum Maßnahmenplan "Funktionale Verbesserungen" für den E 49 sowie Priorisierungen 11 Änderung der Betriebssatzung der für die eigenbetriebsähnliche Einrichtung Kulturbetrieb der Stadt Aachen auf Basis der Eigenbetriebsverordnung des Landes NRW in der Änderungsfassung durch Artikel 26 des Gesetzes vom 08.Juli 2016 (GV.NRW.S559) 12 Mitteilungen Seite: 4/13 Nichtöffentlicher Teil 1 Genehmigung der Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Betriebsausschuss Kultur vom 26.09.2017 (nicht öffentlicher Teil) 3 Mitteilungen Seite: 5/13 Protokoll: Öffentlicher Teil Zur Beginn der Sitzung wird Frau Kreß-Vannahme vereidigt. Die Vorsitzende, Bürgermeisterin Dr. Schmeer, bietet drei Alternativtermine für eine Führung durch Frau Böhmer im Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum an. zu 1 Eröffnung der Sitzung Ratsherr von Hayn erklärt, dass er für die heutige Sitzung Informationen hinsichtlich des Dürer-Jahres erhofft habe. Die Beigeordnete, Frau Schwier, erklärt, dass diese Woche beraten wurde und die Planungen auch hinsichtlich eines großen Förderantrags umgesetzt werden müssen. Voraussichtlich wird im Januar 2018 im Betriebsausschuss berichtet. Beschluss 199/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig, die Tagesordnung anzunehmen. zu 2 Genehmigung der Niederschrift über die Sitzung des Betriebsausschusses Kultur vom 26.09.2017 (öffentlicher Teil) Ratsherr Pilgram erklärt, dass in der Niederschrift zu lesen sei, dass er kritisiere, dass bei KUKUK vorrangig ältere Menschen anzutreffen seien. Er stellt klar, dass dies keine Kritik, sondern lediglich nur seine Beobachtung gewesen sei. Frau Hettich merkt an, dass am 26.09.2017 Herr Lauven nicht anwesend war, sondern durch sie vertreten wurde. Beschluss 200/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur nimmt die Niederschrift der Sitzung vom 26.09.2017 bei zwei Enthaltungen wegen Nichtanwesenheit einstimmig an. zu 3 Vorstellung der AEGEE-Aachen e.V. Antrag der Fraktionen CDU und SPD vom 26.07.2017 Beschluss des Betriebsausschusses Kultur vom 26.09.2017 Es folgt eine Vorstellung durch Herrn Mollenhauer mit Unterstützung einer Power-Point-Präsentation. Alle Fraktionen bedanken sich für die Vorstellung. Es folgen Wortbeiträge bzw. Anfragen durch Ratsfrau Reuß, Frau Perschon-Adami, Ratsherrn Bruynswyck, Ratsherrn Pilgram, Frau Crumbach-Trommler und Ratsfrau Epstein. Die Beigeordnete, Frau Schwier, hebt die Intensivierung der Zusammenarbeit hervor. Sie schlägt vor, dass ein Flyer digital dem Protokoll beigefügt wird. Weiterhin schlägt sie vor, dass z.B. im Bereich der Museen im Vorfeld besser organisatorisch zusammen Seite: 6/13 gearbeitet werden könne. Bei Bedarf von Massenunterkünften könnte man ggf. Unterstützung durch Schulen leisten. Herr Olaf Müller verweist auf die bestehenden Kontakte und nennt beispielsweise den Jugend-Karlspreis, die Einladung zum Lux-Filmpreis, Europe-Direct, Herrn Brömmel im Grashaus. Er schlägt vor, dass sich der Verein auch im Ausschuss für Arbeit, Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft vorstellen sollte. Auch Ratsherr Adenauer schlägt eine Vorstellung im o.g. Ausschuss vor. Beschluss 201/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur nimmt die Vorstellung der AEGEE-Aachen e.V. einstimmig zur Kenntnis. zu 4 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Buchhandlung am Markt, Trierer Straße 788, 52078 Aachen und Buchhandlung Backhaus, Jakobstraße 13, 52064 Aachen als Preisträger des Deutschen Buchhandlungspreises 2017 Antrag der Fraktion GRÜNE vom 09.10.2017 Beschluss 202/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig die Einladung von Vertreterinnen und Vertreter der Buchhandlungen: Buchhandlung am Markt, Trierer Straße 788, 52078 Aachen, Buchhandlung Backhaus, Jakobstraße 13, 52064 Aachen als Preisträger des Deutschen Buchhandlungspreises 2017 zu seiner Sitzung am 25.01.2018. zu 5 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Verein der Benutzer, Freunde und Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Aachen e.V. Antrag der Fraktion Grüne vom 09.10.2017 Beschluss 203/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig die Einladung von Vertreterinnen und Vertreter des „Vereins der Benutzer, Freunde und Förderer der Stadtbibliothek Aachen e.V.“ zu seiner Sitzung am 22.03.2018. Seite: 7/13 zu 6 Beschluss über die Vorstellung/Anhörung von Vereinen, Institutionen und Unternehmen hier: Öcher Platt e.V. Antrag der Fraktion GRÜNE vom 09.10.2017 Beschluss 204/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig die Einladung von Vertreterinnen und Vertreter des Öcher Platt e.V. zu seiner Sitzung am 12.06.2018 zu 7 Nutzungskonzept Barockfabrik Antrag der Fraktion FDP vom 12.06.2017, Antrag der Fraktion DIE LINKE vom 09.08.2017, Antrag der Fraktionen CDU und SPD vom 12.09.2017 Ratsfrau Reuß spricht der Verwaltung ihren persönlichen Dank aus. Sie bezeichnet die Vorlage als Basis für einen Start. Die festen Mieter bedeuten für das Haus eine gewisse Beständigkeit. Ratsfrau Beslagic-Lohe kritisiert die Vorlage als nicht gelungen. Sie erklärt, dass die Darstellung kein Konzept sei, sondern hier eine einfache Raumverteilung vorgenommen wurde. Sie hätte sich mehr Qualität in Bezug auf die Vorlage gewünscht. Die Vorlage lasse weder ein Ziel noch einen Weg erkennen. Aus diesem Grund stimmt ihre Fraktion der Vorlage der Verwaltung nicht zu. Ratsfrau Epstein äußert sich ähnlich. Auch Frau Crumbach-Trommler sieht die Vorlage der Verwaltung kritisch. Ziel sei ein Bürgerhaus gewesen. Aus diesem Grund stimmt auch ihre Fraktion nicht zu. Auch Ratsherr von Hayn schließt sich der Kritik der Vorredner zum Teil an. Er stellt Fragen hinsichtlich der Theaterschule und fragt, aus welchem Grund die Volkshochschule hier Räume benötige. Darüber hinaus kritisiert er, dass laut Wirtschaftsplan kein Personal vorgesehen ist, die Mieten nicht kostendeckend seien. Ratsherr Pilgram erklärt, dass die Vorlage eine reine Raumverteilung vorsieht. So sei z.B. die Arbeit des Aachener Ausschuss Karneval saisonbedingt. Seiner Meinung nach sei die Aufgabe seitens der Verwaltung nicht erfüllt worden. Ratsherr Bruynswyck zeigt sich irritiert. Er stellt noch einmal klar, dass das Ziel gewesen sei, die Barockfabrik für die Kultur der Stadt Aachen zu erhalten. Er macht deutlich, dass das Haus nicht sehr viele Möglichkeiten biete. Es gibt nur einen großen Tanzsaal sowie wenige Nebenräume. Ratsherr Bryunswyck berichtet, dass die VHS stetig auf der Suche nach Räumen für Tanz etc. sei. Er macht nochmals deutlich, dass er entsetzt über die oben angeführten kritischen Beiträge sei. In Richtung Ratsherr Pilgram merkt er an, dass die Karnevalsarbeit nicht saisonbedingt sei, sondern es sich hierbei um ein Jahresgeschäft handelt. Abschließend bewertet er die vorgestellte Kulturvielfalt des Hauses Barockfabrik als gut. Die Vorsitzende, Bürgermeisterin Dr. Schmeer, erklärt, dass man sich einig gewesen sei, dass das Haus nicht ideal für Kinder sei. Bei der Vorlage der Verwaltung handelt es sich um einen Mix von Mietern, der ihrer Ansicht nach, gelungen ist. Darüber hinaus berichtet sie über folgende Punkte: Seite: 8/13 Der AAK benötigt auch Tanzraum. Sie hebt die guten Kooperationen der Theaterschule hervor. Die Bürgermeisterin, Dr. Schmeer, verweist u.a. auf die Vorstellung von ArtBewegt im Betriebsausschuss Kultur. Sie berichtet, dass die Volkshochschule ebenfalls Tanzraum benötigt und der Café-Raum für Lesungen geeignet sei. Damit sei das Haus bereits voll besetzt. Die Vorsitzende, Bürgermeisterin Dr. Schmeer, hinterfragt unter Bezugnahme auf die o.a. Kritik, was hier für ein Konzept fehle. Die Beigeordnete Frau Schwier, erklärt, dass man sich hinsichtlich der Begrifflichkeit Konzept sehr wohl streiten könne. Sie berichtet, dass man sich seit dem Frühjahr sehr schnell um die Aktivitäten in der Barockfabrik bemüht habe. Sie betont, dass hier kein zusätzliches Personal zur Verfügung steht, d.h. es gibt keine Stelle on top. Die Beigeordnete hebt hervor, dass das finanzielle Delta überschaubar ist und die Anzahl der Interessenten sehr begrenzt sei. Die Räume in der Barockfabrik sind nicht überdimensional groß. Sie hebt hervor, dass Voraussetzung sei, dass die Mieter miteinander auskommen müssen. Sie hebt die Möglichkeit der Kooperationen positiv hervor und verweist auf z.B. eine Kooperation der Theaterschule mit der JVA. Abschließend erklärt sie, dass der Auftrag nicht als freies Konzept verstanden wurde, dass man mit dem Ergebnis der Verwaltung zufrieden sein kann, da hier schnell neue Mieter gefunden wurden. Frau Tirtey hebt hervor, dass die Mieter schriftlich erklärt haben, miteinander zu arbeiten. Dies betrifft auch das Café Couleur. Frau Tirtey informiert, dass nur rund 1/3 von 1.600 m² nutzbar seien. Darüber hinaus gibt es ein sehr großes Problem mit dem Fluchtweg. Für den Café/Tanzraum bleibt die Koordination beim Kulturbetrieb. Ein großer Kreativraum ist für die VHS vorgesehen. Die verbleibenden Räume sind überschaubar. Unter Bezugnahme auf die Anmerkung von Ratsherrn von Hayn erklärt sie, dass es in der Regel kein Haus gibt, das die kompletten Mieten wieder einspielt. Sie verweist darauf, dass E 49 die Mieten an das Gebäudemanagement zu zahlen hat. Abschließend weist sie darauf hin, dass hier keine Gelder für größere Umbauten zur Verfügung stehen. Auf Anfrage von Frau Crumbach-Trommler erklärt Frau Tirtey, dass hinsichtlich der Türöffnung bzw. des Zugangs zum Haus am Beispiel des Alten Kurhauses erkennbar sei, dass dies möglich ist. Hinsichtlich der zweiten Frage von Frau Crumbach-Trommler erklärt Frau Tirtey, dass die Mietverträge des Gebäudemanagements grundsätzlich über 5 Jahre abgeschlossen werden. Hinsichtlich evtl. Schwierigkeiten ist nach Gesetzeslage, also BGB, zu handeln ist. Auch Ratsfrau Reuß zeigt sich entsetzt hinsichtlich der o.a. Kritik. Auch sie hebt positiv hervor, dass das Haus für die Kultur gerettet werden kann und schlägt vor, mit den Arbeiten zu beginnen. Hinsichtlich der Kritik erklärt Frau Tirtey: 1. es gibt keine ermäßigten Mieten 2. die Miete wurde vom Gebäudemanagement berechnet 3. der rote Saal wird vom Öcher Schängchen bespielt 4. aus baurechtlichen Gründen dürfen im Café-Raum max. 30 Personen anwesend sein Seite: 9/13 Beschluss 205/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss beschließt bei 6 Gegenstimmen mehrheitlich: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt die Umsetzung der Neukonzeption gemäß Vorlage der Verwaltung. zu 8 Wirtschaftsplan für den Kulturbetrieb E 49 für das Wirtschaftsjahr 2018 Ratsfrau Reuß erklärt, dass die WLan-Kosten nicht zu Lasten des Kulturbetriebs gehen dürfen. Sie schlägt daher vor, die Einrichtung des WLans gesamtstädtisch zu finanzieren. Hinsichtlich der KASTE-Mittel schlägt sie eine Erhöhung für das Jahr 2018 um 25.000 Euro vor und danach für die folgenden 3 Jahre um jeweils 50.000 Euro. Bezüglich des Personals schlägt Ratsfrau Reuß vor, dass der Zuschuss des Kulturbetriebs um die Tariferhöhung für die städtischen Angestellten/ Beamten analog zur Gesamtverwaltung der Stadt Aachen erhöht wird. Die Vorsitzende, Bürgermeisterin Dr. Schmeer, verweist auf den Antrag der LINKEN vom 28.11.2017. Ratsherr Pilgram verweist darauf, dass die Kosten im Wirtschaftsplan da abgebildet werden müssen, wo sie entstehen. Er bezeichnet es als positiv, dass die Stadtbibliothek mehr Geld erhält. Ratsherr Pilgram stellt den mündlichen Antrag, das für das Jahr 2018 100.000 Euro mehr KASTE zur Verfügung gestellt wird. Auch Frau Crumbach-Trommler bezeichnet die Erhöhung für die Stadtbibliothek als positiv. Unter Bezugnahme auf die Anfrage von Frau Crumbach-Trommler erklärt Frau Tirtey, dass die Personalkosten bedingt durch mehr Personal seien. Die Tariferhöhungen müssen on top kommen. Detailanfragen von Ratsherrn von Hayn werden von Frau Tirtey beantwortet. Abschließend verweist sie darauf, dass der Wirtschaftsplan von der Kämmerin mitgezeichnete wurde. Ratsherr Bruynswyck erklärt, dass die Risiken und Folgen ein aktuelles Thema seien, die aber für den Haushalt 2018 nicht durchgesetzt werden konnten; er verweist auf das Beispiel der Stelle für das Stadtarchiv. Er hebt hervor, dass dies jedoch für das Jahr 2019 berücksichtigt werden sollte. Eine Anfrage von Ratsfrau Beslagic-Lohe bezgl. der sonstigen Aufwendungen auf Seite 30 wird durch Frau Gerhards dahin gehend beantwortet, dass es sich hier Sammelkonto für sonstige Buchungen, oftmals Kleinbeträge handelt. Hinsichtlich der Anmerkung von Ratsherrn von Hayn erklärt Herr Olaf Müller, dass z.Z. Gespräche mit der Musikschule geführt werden, um zu prüfen, für welche Mitarbeiter Festanstellungen möglich sind. Frau Tirtey erklärt, dass das Ziel, insgesamt ausgeglichen zu bleiben, erreicht wurde. Die Fraktion LINKE zieht ihren Antrag vom 28.11.2017 zurück. Beschluss 206/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt bei 3 Gegenstimmen mehrheitlich, eine Erhöhung der KASTE für das Jahr 2018 in Höhe von 100.000 Euro abzulehnen. Seite: 10/13 Beschluss 207/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur empfiehlt dem Rat der Stadt Aachen, den Wirtschaftsplan für den Kulturbetrieb E 49 für das Wirtschaftsjahr 2018 mit folgenden Änderungen/Ergänzungen zur Beschlussfassung: - die Einrichtung des WLans wird gesamtstädtisch finanziert und dem E 49 erstattet - die KASTE-Mittel werden erhöht, für 2018 um 25.000 Euro, danach für die folgenden 3 Jahre um jeweils 50.000 Euro, - der Zuschuss des Kulturbetriebs wird um die Tariferhöhungen für die städtischen Angestellten/Beamte erhöht analog zur Gesamtverwaltung der Stadt Aachen zu 9 Neubau KGS Bildchen Präsentation des nutzerspezifischen Raumkonzeptes Ratsfrau Reuß bezeichnet das Vorhaben als gut und wichtig und begrüßt es. Sie betont jedoch, dass hier keine Mittel des E 49 eingesetzt werden. Diese Aufgabe sei aus Mitteln des Gebäudemanagements zu zahlen. Die Beigeordnete, Frau Schwier, bezeichnet die Gesamtkonzeption als sehr gelungen. Die erforderlichen Mittel in Höhe von 295.000 Euro müssen im Jahr 2019 eingeworben werden, allerdings geht es darum, die Mittel für die Schule jetzt abzurufen. Es folgen kurze Wortbeiträge von Frau Crumbach-Trommler, Herrn Sawallich, Ratsherrn Adenauer, Frau Perschon und Ratsherrn Müller. Beschluss 208/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur nimmt den Beschluss der Bezirksvertretung Aachen-Mitte zu den Ausführungen der Verwaltung zur Präsentation des nutzerspezifischen Raumkonzeptes zum Neubau der KGS Bildchen sowie den Beschluss des Schulausschusses zur Beauftragung an die Verwaltung, das Konzept nunmehr bis zur Planungstiefe nach HOAI 3 weiterzuentwickeln, zustimmend zur Kenntnis. Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur erteilt einen weitergehenden Prüfauftrag zur Machbarkeit / Konkretisierung der Maßnahme (auch in finanzieller Hinsicht). zu 10 Sachstandsbericht zum Maßnahmenplan "Funktionale Verbesserungen" für den E 49 sowie Priorisierungen Beschluss 209/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur nimmt die Ausführungen der Verwaltung einstimmig zur Kenntnis. Seite: 11/13 zu 11 Änderung der Betriebssatzung der für die eigenbetriebsähnliche Einrichtung Kulturbetrieb der Stadt Aachen auf Basis der Eigenbetriebsverordnung des Landes NRW in der Änderungsfassung durch Artikel 26 des Gesetzes vom 08.Juli 2016 (GV.NRW.S559) Beschluss 210/20/2017: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur beschließt einstimmig: Der Betriebsausschuss Kultur empfiehlt dem Rat der Stadt Aachen die Satzungsänderung für die eigenbetriebsähnliche Einrichtung Kulturbetrieb der Stadt Aachen mit Wirkung zum 13.12.2017. zu 12 Mitteilungen Als Termin für die Führung durch Frau Böhmer wird der 15.12.2017, 17 Uhr, vereinbart. Seite: 12/13 Contents 1 Getting Settled Registration with the city of Aachen Finding a Room in Aachen . . . . . Opening a Bank Account . . . . . . Internet and Mobile Phone . . . . . . . . . 5 5 5 6 7 2 Daily Life Going to the doctor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Radio and TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Environmental Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 9 10 11 3 Organizing Your Studies The Universities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organizing your Courses . . . . . . . . . . Central Offices for International Students Language Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 12 14 15 17 4 Student Life Canteens and Cafeterias Libraries . . . . . . . . . . Counseling . . . . . . . . Students’ Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 18 19 20 21 5 Freetime Cinemas and Theatres . Shopping . . . . . . . . Museum and Sights . . Sports . . . . . . . . . . Nightlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 24 25 28 30 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Food & Drink 35 7 Typical Aachen 41 8 Oche.dict German for beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Öcher Platt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 43 44 9 Getting Around Travel Destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 47 51 Dear international students, Welcome to Aachen! Since you’ll be spending a few months living here in Aachen, you probably have many questions about your new home. This booklet has been prepared to provide you with information to make your stay in Aachen as convenient and enjoyable as possible. As one of the international students’ organizations, AEGEE-Aachen e.V. will be organizing various activities for you to get to know more people, the surroundings of Aachen and the live in Germany. AEGEE is a good place to ask all the questions you have. If you any have questions pertaining to your stay, please never hesitate to contact us. You might see the AEGEE-Aachen Polar Bear, our mascot, running around parties! We wish you a pleasant, enjoyable and successful stay in Aachen. Yours sincerely, AEGEE-Aachen e.V. AEGEE-Aachen e.V. AEGEE is one of Europe’s biggest interdisciplinary student organisations, striving for a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe. As a non-governmental, politically independent, and non-profit organisation AEGEE is open to students and young people from all faculties and disciplines. Founded in 1985 in Paris, today AEGEE has grown to a Network of 13000 friends, present in 200 cities in 40 countries all over Europe. Through our activities, we empower students and young people in Europe to take an active role in society. We create a space for dialogue and learning opportunities as well as act as their representative towards decision-makers. AEGEE strengthens mutual understanding among young Europeans and brings Europe closer to young people. Social meeting AEGEE-Aachen e.V. has its weekly social meeting on Mondays starting at 21:00 in Café & Bar zuhause (Sandkaulstraße 109). If you are interested in our activities you’re welcome to come by or visit our homepage: www.aegee-aachen.org 2 What you can do with us AEGEE-Aachen is also more than activities for international students. With us you also have the opportunities to take part in trainings, or even organize it yourself if you feel up to the challenge. You will get the help of many experienced members you will support you in your project, be it a training, a week-end trip or a cultural night. Homepage Mail Facebook Facebook Group www.aegee-aachen.org/erasmus erasmus@aegee-aachen.org www.facebook.com/AEGEE.Aachen www.facebook.com/groups/erasmusaachen201617 Dear international students, it is my pleasure to be one of the first to formally welcome to you to your Erasmus semester, to the city of Aachen, and especially to the RWTH Aachen University. I am confident that you will achieve great things while in Aachen as well as gain new experiences and friends, the likes of which you have maybe not had before. Your stay here in Aachen, however short, will give you memories and experience to treasure for the rest of your life. In cooperation with the International Office of the RWTH Aachen University, AEGEEAachen e.V. has taken care of the newly arrived Erasmus students for many years. AEGEE-Aachen provides many highly recommended, interesting, international events that will help you get accustomed to life in Aachen and at the RWTH. AEGEE-Aachen will also help if you want to forge your own path or bring your own ideas to fruition. With that, I would like to wish you all a successful stay here in Aachen and at RWTH Aachen University. Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ernst Schmachtenberg 3 Dear international students, We warmly welcome you to the city of Aachen and to the FH Aachen, University of Applied Sciences. We truly believe that you will have an exciting and decisive time here with us and, therefore, our team of the FH Aachen will do their best to make your stay as interesting and informative as possible. We would like to express our special thanks to AEGEE-Aachen e.V. for all their effort, so that Aachen feels like home to you and your fellow students. We also appreciate all of the activities from the organization that give you the opportunity to participate in the German culture. This special stage of your life signifies a highly important and fundamental time and will be a basis for your future. We are convinced that studying in Aachen will be a most exciting experience and rich in variety. The FH Aachen wishes you a great stay in Aachen and all the best for your future. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Marcus Baumann 4 1 Getting Settled Registration with the city of Aachen In Germany, it is required by law that you register within the city you move in within two weeks. In order to do so, you have to go to one of the registration offices (called Bürgerservice). You can choose between the one next to central train station (Hackländerstraße 1) or the one near the Katschhof (Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße 1). Get ready for a healthy dose of German bureaucracy and mind the opening hours plus don’t forget to bring: • • • • • • Passport Lease contract Passport photo Student ID card If possible a proof of your Erasmus scholarship Certificate of health insurance Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Opening Hours 08:00 - 16:00 08:00 - 12:30 08:00 - 16:00 08:00 - 12:30 08:00 - 12:30 In case you don’t have a student ID yet, you should provide any other proof that you are a student of RWTH Aachen University or FH Aachen. Finding a Room in Aachen Since this section will contain quite some links, we gathered all links of this section on www.aegee-aachen.org/erasmus/living for you, ready to click ahead. How to find a flat? Turn your charm on and use these resources: 5 • • • • • • • • • www.wg-gesucht.de www.extraraum-aachen.de www.kalaydo.de www.immobilienscout24.de www.campuslife.de www.studenten-wg.de Notice boards (Audimax, Karmán, Mensa. . . ) Newspapers (Super Mittwoch / Sonntag, Aachener Zeitung / Nachrichten, Annonce) The Erasmus Facebook Group The AStA has a webpage with general information about finding accommodation, how to deal with problems concerning landlords and more. www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/de/wohnen INCAS, the International Center for Aachen students, is an international student’s club. They have special service hours to help international students find accommodation in Aachen. www.incas.rwth-aachen.de Studierendenwerk Aachen (Student Services Aachen) runs dormitories for students from RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen. You can find all information on their website: www.studentenwerk-aachen.de/en/Housing.html preStep Boarding in Aachen – Rooms on a daily or monthly basis available. preStep has a Boarding House in the center of Aachen, where you can easily get in touch with other people. They also have other accommodations located in the vicinity of the center of Aachen. Just call or write an email for more information, they are friendly and know how to help you. Römerstraße 13, 52064 Aachen 0241 16069069 info@prestep.de www.prestep.de & www.facebook.com/prestep.aachen Opening a Bank Account One of the most important things you can do upon arriving in Germany, aside from putting your name on your door and your postbox, is to open a bank account with one of the banks in Aachen. Having a German bank account allows you to use your debit card at the local ATMs and not have to incur fees by using your local bank. In Aachen, 6 there are many opportunities to open a bank account, and it is normally very easy to do so; walk into the bank and let the people behind the front desk know that you would like to open an account. They will surely be happy to help and then you can make it rain with all those Euro coins. Sparkasse Aachen Branches are located throughout the city. Probably the most convenient bank for students: Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz 1-4, 52062 Aachen. Postbank Doesn’t offer as many ATMs as Sparkasse but also doesn’t charge you for opening and having an account there: Kapuzinergraben 19, 52062 Aachen. Deutsche Bank Another Bank that offers a free account for students. Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz 15, 52062 Aachen. There are often special student offers at various banks in the Aachen area. Just have a look around for yourself! Don’t forget to bring your ID! Internet and Mobile Phone Throughout Aachen, there are different possibilities to get wireless network, for example there is Aachen City Wifi provided by the city of Aachen in the city centre, which you can get a 24 hour code for. Also there is a network called Freifunk wich is available in many places throughout the city and free for everybody. Both FH Aachen and RWTH Aachen offer eduroam in their buildings, which is accessible by all students. Most departments also provide computers in so called CIP-Pools, which are mostly restricted for internal use. Your students’ council provides you with the CIP-Pools conveniently accessible. Furthermore, Free internet access terminals are located in the main building and SuperC (limited access to external webpages), at RWTH Aachen’s main library and in various departments. Of course, there are also various internet cafés in Aachen, which you can find online. eduroam (WiFi) You might know eduroam from your home university. If you do not: It is accessible for free for all students of the RWTH, FH, or any other university that also has eduroam. It provides you with wireless internet access. As a student of the RWTH, you need your TIM-Kennung (which you are given after enrollment, it is your initals plus six numbers) 7 and your password. The user name for the AEGEE-Aachen Bear would then, for example, be ab123456@rwth-aachen.de followed by his password “awesome“. RWTH - IT Center Need more help? If you’re a student at the RWTH Aachen university, all your hard- and software related issues are taken care of here: www.itc.rwth-aachen.de Seffenter Weg 23 Mon-Fri 07:30 - 19:00 0241/8029100 SuperC, Templergraben 57 Mon-Thu Fri 07:30 - 18:00 07:30 - 17:50 FH - Data Processing Centre At the FH Aachen you can get help at the Data processing Centre. They also have an English website, check it out: www.fh-aachen.de/en/university/data-processing-centre Internet Access at Home Although you get cheap internet access in all of the student dorms, at home you are usually left with a commercial internet provider. You are advised to check whether there is a good enough signal to stream that new episode of Game of Thrones at your place in Aachen before you order internet. 1&1, Unitymedia, ÖcherWLAN and more are commonly offering flatrates and student deals, which should be compared in detail. You can compare offers on www.billiger-surfen.de or www.toptarif.de. Internet for your mobile phone There are several providers that offer cheap Internet Flatrates. We advise ALDI Talk, available at every Aldi. It is prepaid and very cheap, including cheap rates withing the EU. Other options include Fonic, Lebara, Simyo, Congstar, blau.de and more. Most providers will ask you to show your ID. Make sure to check what you order, as it is not be reasonable for you to get a German contract as they are usually with 24 months subscription. 8 2 Daily Life Going to the doctor Visiting a physician in Germany is relatively easy if you have insurance, trust me, I’m a doctor. Walk-in appointments are mostly accepted. If the doctor is booked for the day, the office will generally schedule you an appointment for free in the near future. To find a doctor in your area, take a look on the Internet, where you can also check the opening hours. To find more information about health services, visit the web page at: www.aachen.de/de/stadt_buerger/gesundheit If you require tablets or pills from a pharmacy (“Apotheke”) a prescription will most likely be required. In order to acquire a prescription, simply visit a local doctor and have them write up a “Rezept” for you. To find a pharmacy in your area check: www.aknr.de Health Insurance (“Krankenversicherung“) To study at RWTH or FH Aachen, you are required to have health insurance, which you need to prove when enrolling. If you are an EU citizen and have public health insurance in your home country that might be enough. However, you then need a “Krankenversicherungsbefreiung” (release from health insurance) given by a German health insurance. You can go there with prove that you are insured and they will provide you with this document. Otherwise, you need to have a German insurance. There are two separate types of health insurance here: Private and public. Private insurance is primarily for full-time workers and not for students (if you have private insurance in your home country, you might have to take this one). Public insurance is for students and those who make less than a certain amount monthly. For our Erasmus students, we recommend the public alternative. Two public health insurances close by the city center are: AOK Karlshof am Markt 52062 Aachen phone: 0241 4640 Opening hours: Mon - Fri Sat 08:00 - 18:00 09:00 - 12:00 9 Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) Markus Instenberg | Student adviser 0241 8870336 | markus.instenberg@tk.de If you are not sure what you need to do, you can either contact one of the insurances directly or ask for help at the International Office - Service Center of the RWTH (international@rwth-aachen.de). Both can provide you with more individual information. Public Radio and TV Germany does have a diverse selection of public radio and TV programs. Motivated students from RWTH and FH Aachen provide up-to-the-minute stories, broadcasted from our city and from the campuses: The Hochschulradio Aachen. Popular radio stations include Name Hochschulradio WDR2 EinsLive Antenne AC Frequency (MHz) 99.1 100.8 106.4 100.1 TV Channels in Germany are categorized into Public and Commercial TV Channels. Online you’ll find a diverse selection of TV-guides at: www.tvspielfilm.de or www.tvmovie.de Public TV channels are financed by the public. It is compulsory to pay a fee for public radio and television, called “GEZ Gebühren”. Every household has to pay, irrespective of your nationality. Even people who use neither public television nor radio have to pay. Only students eligible for federal training and education promotion (BAFöG) can get an exemption from the fee. As an international student you will generally not be entitled to these benefits. If you are living together you can share the fee, one person in the flat will have to pay the full fee and the others can sign a release form. If you have more than six months of outstanding fees the state authorities will take legal action against you. As the authorities can, for example, seize your property and/or commission private debt collectors, we strongly advise you to pay your fees, especially if you are planning on staying in Germany for more than a semester. Private TV channels are financed by advertisement only. They show all modern TV shows and series. 10 Watch online Several channels are also available via live stream or they share a big part of their program online. All you have to do is to find their website like www.ardmediathek.de. Watch like a German TV shows are not exactly Germany’s main export but to really watch it like a local, tune in to • “Tagesschau“ (ARD), daily news at 20:00 • “heute“ (ZDF), daily news at 19:00 • “Tatort“ (ARD), weekly criminal series, Sundays at 20:15 Environmental Issues Deposit In Germany you must pay a deposit on recyclable glass, plastic bottles and cans. This value varies between 0,08 efor glass bottles to 0,25efor cans. Once you give the bottles back, you get your deposit back. Be aware that not all stores take back all products. In case you don’t want to return your cans, place them next to the trash bin, not into it! Deposit collectors will thank you. Waste Separation Nothing screams Germany like sustainability. Separating waste is one of the easiest ways of contributing to more efficient material recycling. You separate nearly everything into four colors. Blue bins are for paper, green ones for biological waste like remains of vegetables, yellow is for packaging with the green sign called “Grüner Punkt” that looks two arrows bent in a circle, grey is for the rest, like ash, porcelain, hygiene products, broken light bulbs and dirty paper. The yellow bags for plastic are available at many places, for example at many pharmacies. Also glass gets separated, you have to bring it to the containers made for it, there is plenty of them. In order to get rid of heavier items like furniture you need to fill in a ”Sperrmüll-Anmeldung” available online at www.aachen.de. Or, simply, sell it. Old Batteries To get rid of your old batteries the correct way is quite easy as every store that sells batteries also needs to take these back. The easiest way is probably the supermarket where you buy your groceries. Simply look for the bins behind the coffers. 11 3 Organizing Your Studies The Universities RWTH Aachen University With more than 40,000 students the “Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen” is both the largest technical university and the most important employer in the region. The University is known for its excellence in teaching and research in an innovative, open-minded environment, the emphasis being put on engineering disciplines and natural sciences. Besides excellent MINT programs, the study offer is complemented with study programs in Arts and Humanities, Medicine, Business, and Architecture. The more than 7000 international degree and exchange students create a truly international atmosphere at the University and in Aachen! You can find more information about RWTH Aachen at www.rwth-aachen.de RWTH Aachen, Templergraben 55, 52056 Aachen 0241 80-1 info@rwth-aachen.de, www.rwth-aachen.de FH Aachen University of Applied Science The FH Aachen was founded in Aachen in 1898. In 1971 it was established as an institution of higher education, merging from the existing schools of engineering in Aachen and Jülich. With more than 11.000 students, the FH Aachen is one of the largest Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany. An important feature of the structure and teaching at the FH Aachen is its orientation towards practical and professional applications. The strong link between research facilities, such as the Jülich Research Center (www.fz-juelich.de), as well as regional and international companies, provide an excellent framework for students’ professional education and careerbuilding. FH Aachen, Bayernallee 11, 52066 Aachen 0241 6009-0 info@fh-aachen.de, www.fh-aachen.de 12 Enrollment at RWTH Aachen University You have been invited for a group enrollment session by the International Office of RWTH Aachen. Please make sure to meet this appointment, which is usually during the first days of September/March (language course participants) or towards the end of September/March or beginning of October/April. All information about documents you need to bring to your enrollment session will be provided by the International Office. If you have additional questions you can always feel free to contact incomings@rwthaachen.de. One important document you have to provide is a proof of health insurance. In Germany, no-one without valid health insurance coverage is allowed to enroll at a university. Details may be found at www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/bqeb. Enrollment at FH Aachen You have to register at the university’s Registrar’s Office (“Studierendensekretariat”). The Department of International Affairs (“AAA“) will arrange an appointment for you and assists you with filling out the necessary forms, which are similar to those at the RWTH. You will receive your student ID card directly after the registration. The RWTH BlueCard The BlueCard is the student ID for RWTH Aachen students. After your enrollment you need to upload a photo of yourself to create your BlueCard. No selfies allowed, unfortunately. You need to pick up the BlueCard at the info point in the SuperC, ground floor, approximately 3-4 days after uploading your photo. You can find all important information at www.rwth-aachen.de/bluecard. The BlueCard functions as your student ID, but you can also use it as library card and Mensa debit card. Don’t forget to always bring it to your exams! The Semesterticket After your enrollment session you are requested to pay the Social Contribution for Student Services – Student Service Fee for short – to complete the enrollment. This fee includes among other things the Semesterticket, which is a flat-rate ticket for public transportation in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (caution: this ticket is not valid in high speed trains like IC/ICE or Thalys!). You are required to carry your semester ticket and your ID with you when riding a bus or train. To find out more about the Student Service Fee and what it is used for please visit www.rwth-aachen.de/rueckmeldung. All questions regarding the Semesterticket will be answered at the ASEAG service center (Kundencenter). Address: Schumacherstraße 14/ Peterstraße, contact: 0241 1688-3040 www.aseag.de 13 Organizing your Courses Picking your Lectures At both the RWTH and the FH, the Campus system is the central online platform for selecting and registering for lectures and exams. Both systems are hosted by the RWTH IT Center: www.campus.rwth-aachen.de (RWTH), www.campus.fh-aachen.de (FH) There is also a password-protected browser applet called CampusOffice, which is directly linked to the Campus system. Here you can organize your lectures, modules and exams, and also access official, printable forms, a calendar function and the information how to to re-register for the next semester. Especially in the beginning of the semester, updates regarding your chosen courses (for example, if the time or room changes) are automatically sent to you digitally. During your registration, you’ll be assigned a TIM-ID, giving you access to your personal password and the service management system: www.rwth-aachen.de/go Registration for Lectures and Exams at the RWTH Aachen University At RWTH Aachen, the Campus system is the central online course catalogue, where you may find all courses. It is hosted by the RWTH IT Center and can be accessed at www.campus.rwth-aachen.de. However, it is not possible to register for your lectures and exams there. Please contact your Departmental Coordinator for any question related to the choice and registration of courses and exams. You may find a complete list of Departmental Coordinators at www.rwth-aachen.de/departmental-coordinators or request information at the International Office (incomings@rwth-aachen.de). Campus Office is another feature which is linked to the Campus system. Campus Office is your personal organizer for your studies and offers other features like downloads of study certificates. You can change your address in Aachen via Campus Office and find all information about your current enrollment status. You will need your TIM account number and password to access Campus Office; both will be given to you after your enrollment. L2P – E-learning Platform Most of you are probably highly interested in acquiring the lecture material in pdf or as a presentation to spare you taking notes all the time. With L2P (www.elearning.rwthaachen.de) this is not a big deal! L2P is accessible with your TIM-ID and password and easy to navigate. Weekly tasks, lecture material and even mock exams are provided for most lectures and tutor groups. If you would like to benefit from this platform, feel encouraged to ask your professor or lecturer to provide material if it has not been uploaded yet. 14 Additional E-Learning Material Mainly focusing on the RWTH, several departments are recording their lectures or taking videos to give the students the possibility to catch up after a missed lecture. Check your department’s website, but also feel motivated by the following video repositories: videoag.fsmpi.rwth-aachen.de Registration for Lectures and Exams at the FH Aachen Also at the FH Aachen, the Campus system is the central online platform for selecting and registering for lectures and exams. It can be found at www.campus.fh-aachen.de. If you stay longer than one semester, you need to re-enroll at the end of the semester. There are deadlines to keep for re-enrollment, and you should not miss them. Check www.rwth-aachen.de/rueckmeldung. If you extend your stay you need to notify the Department of International Affairs before they extend their stay. Legal assistance Although we are sure that you’ll stick to the rules during your stay, there might be situations in which you need urgent legal assistance. The AStA provides free help: www.asta.fh-aachen.de/serviceangebot/rechtsberatung/ www.asta.rwth-aachen.de/beratung/rechtsberatung/ Learning Environment Sometimes it’s the noisy neighbor, sometimes the desk may be to small. But in any case, there are many different reasons why you might want to use one of the many study rooms at the university. You can find a full list with addresses, a map and opening hours at: www.rwth-aachen.de/lernraeume www.alfa-aachen.de Central Offices for International Students International Office of RWTH Aachen Any questions regarding your stay in Aachen and Germany can be answered by the International Office. They run an Info Service Center which is open daily for students and provides loads of information material and services for students. You can find their contact details and service hours at www.rwth-aachen.de/isc. Incoming Exchange Students should also contact the Incoming Student Service for questions around their exchange stay. This service unit of the International Office is dedicated to the special 15 needs of exchange students from all different kinds of programs. You can find them in the SuperC, 3rd floor, room 329 or contact them by email at international@rwthaachen.de. Departmental Coordinators (Faculty Advice) at RWTH Each faculty has at least one person who gives advice to students with regard to organizing lectures and exams. Those people go by the name of Departmental Coordinator, but are sometimes also called Academic Advisors, Faculty Advisors, or International Coordinators. You can find out who is your person of contact at www.rwthaachen.de/departmental-coordinators. They also help you change your learning agreement and issue the transcript of records at the end of your stay. Student Councils within Faculties Each faculty has its own self-administration which represents the entirety of all students of the faculty towards the university. It also offers various consultations and services what makes it your first contact point for most of your problems during your studies. You can find a list of all student councils on the RWTH homepage under ‘Àdvise & Assistance”. Humboldt-Haus (RWTH Aachen) RWTH Aachen runs their own international meeting point: the Humboldt-Haus. It is located centrally in the heart of the city and close to the University Main Building at Pontstraße 41. This house is your place to be as there are lots of international events organized. Furthermore, if you are interested in engaging yourself interculturally in one of the many international student associations, get in contact with the coordination of the Humboldt-Haus. Find out more at www.rwth-aachen.de/humboldt-haus. Department of International Affairs at FH Aachen (Akademisches Auslandsamt der FH Aachen) If you are studying at the FH Aachen, either in Aachen or at Campus Jülich, the Department of International Affairs will take care of your questions regarding both legal requirements of your stay in Aachen as well as academic issues: Bayernallee 11, 52066 Aachen, in person: Mon, Tue, Thu: 9:00 - 11:30, and additionally by appointment, phone: 0241-6009-52839. www.aaa.fh-aachen.de International Faculty Office / IFO at FH Aachen For all Business ERASMUS Students at the FH Aachen: Eupener Str. 70, 52066 Aachen, phone: 0241-6009-51960 16 Language Courses Maybe you missed the intensive language course before the beginning of the semester or you just want to further improve your German: the RWTH offers different German language courses for foreign students for free. Information can be found here: www.sz.rwth-aachen.de. Also at the “Volkshochschule“, an institution for professional training and continuing education, you can take classes. Not only language courses are offered, but you can also learn playing instruments, visit a yoga class or improve your cooking. The language courses vary between weekend classes, weekly courses and intensive classes which meet every day for two weeks. The prices depend on the level and can be checked out at: www.vhs-aachen.de Another possibility to learn German and other languages is the “Sprachenakademie Aachen“ which offers many different courses, also at different times and levels. You can choose between evening or intensive classes, conversational courses and also courses that are especially designed to prepare you for a language certificate. If you are interested you can visit: www.spraachen.org Still, the cheapest and probably most interesting method to learn a new language is a tandem: Two people with different mother tongues get together to learn the language of the other one. You may either spend time talking together or even learn grammar, maybe also watch a movie together, have a beer or cook some food that is typical for your country. To find a partner for your tandem it is always a good idea to look out at the “Erasmus Stammtisch“ and at the Erasmus Party. Moreover, you can check the internet site run by INCAS. Here, you can fill out a form and if you are lucky they find a match for you (“Sprachtandem“): www.incas.rwth-aachen.de 17 4 Student Life Canteens and Cafeterias Already tired of cooking in your apartment? Mom’s not there to prepare something for you? Then visit the Mensa! Every day many students visit the University Mensen, where well-priced and good food for students can be found. The Mensen have a set menu every day, but there is also a salad bar, pizza, pasta, and much more. The Mensa Academica and the Mensa Vita have especially large selections of food. The menu changes weekly with some days, such as Tuesday (Schnitzel) and Friday (Fish), staying the same. Figuring out what to eat is easy, just visit the following web page and decide at home where you want to eat: www.studentenwerk-aachen.de/essen/speiseplaene.asp You may also check out your favourite app store for a Mensa app! Canteens (German: Mensen, singular: Mensa) • • • • • • • • • Mensa Academica (Pontwall 3): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 18:00 ∗ Bistro Hauptgebäude (Templergraben 55): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 18:00 Mensa III (Bayernallee 9): Mon-Thu: 11:15 - 14:30; Fri 11:15-14:00 Mensa IV (Jülich, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 15:00 Mensa 55 (Ahornstraße 55): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 14:15 Mensa Eups (Eupener Straße 70): Mon-Thu: 11:15 - 17:00, Fri: 11:15 - 14:00 Gastro Goethe (Goethestraße 3): Mon-Thu: 11:30 - 15:00, Fri.: 11:30 - 14:00 Mensa Südpark (Weißhausstraße 2): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 14:00 Mensa Vita (Helmertweg 1): Mon-Fri: 11:30 - 14:30 ∗ shorter opening hours for some menus Cafeterias • • • • • • AcademiCaffè (Pontwall 3): Mon-Fri: 07:30 - 18:00 Mensa Vita (Cafeteria) (Helmertweg 1): Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 14:30 Mensa 55 (Cafeteria) (Ahornstraße 55): Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 15:00 Mensa IV (Cafeteria) (Jülich, Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1): Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 15:00 C-Caffè (Templergraben 57): Mon-Fri: 07:30 - 18:00 Caffé Lounge (Bayernallee 9): Mon-Fri: 07:30 - 15:30 18 • • • • • • Cafeteria IV (Heinrich-Mußmann-Straße 1): Mon -Fri: 08:00 - 15:00 Studentencafé (Ahornstraße 55): Mon -Thu: 08:00 - 15:30, Fri: 08:00 - 15:00 Cafeteria Eups (Eupener Straße 70): Mon-Thu: 08:00 - 17:00, Fri: 08:00 - 14:00 Gastro Goethe (Goethestraße 3): Mon-Thu: 08:00 - 16:00, Fri: 08:00 - 14:00 Forum Cafete (Eilfschornsteinstraße 15): Mon-Thu: 08:00 - 15:00, Fri: 08:00 - 14:00 Cafeteria ESStv (Claßenstraße 11): Mon-Fri: 07:30 - 16:30 Libraries The two most important libraries at the university are the “Universitätsbibliothek“ (central library: Where you can find specialized books, albeit only a few copies) and the “Lehrbuchsammlung“ (the text book collection: Where you can find the most common text books, and many copies). On top of that, most of the institutes and faculties have their own libraries with books dealing with special topics concerning the individual field of study. Before buying a book, it is always a good idea to check, if this book is available in one of the libraries. You can even check this online. To be able to rent a book, you need your RWTH BlueCard; it does not cost anything. If you forget to return the book on time you have to pay a “Säumnisgebühr“ (2.00e for day 1 to 10 and from then on even more). www.ub.rwth-aachen.de There are also several rooms in the central library where you can not only read the books you just checked-out, but also enjoy the quiet atmosphere to study anything you like – and all that up to midnight! This is also possible in the “Bibliothek 2“, which is located directly next to the central library, and some libraries of different institutes, which you can find online on www.rwth-aachen.de. Zentralbibliothek & Bibliothek 2 Address: Templergraben 61 & 59 Day Mon - Fri Sat Sun & bank holidays Open 08:00 - 24:00 09:00 - 24:00 11:00 - 24:00 Service 08:30 - 19:00* 09:00 - 13:00 none *From 16:30: limited service (No registration, no fee payment and no extended questions) Lehrbuchsammlung Address: Wüllnerstraße 3 19 Day Mon - Fri Open 08:30 - 16:30 Service 08:30 - 16:30 Libraries at FH Aachen As a student of FH Aachen you are eligible to get free access to an excellent library network located in different places. Central library: Eupener Straße 70, contact: 0241-600952057, bibliothek@fh-aachen.de Here you can find all the relevant information, adresses for the different libraries, as well as an online catalogue in english: www.fh-aachen.de/en/university/library Public Library of the City of Aachen Located at Couvenstraße 15, you will find a vast selection of German books, CDs, DVDs and newspapers, all of which are accessible after a registration fee of 2.50e. Each check-out, regardless of the amount of items, costs a small fee. www.stadtbibliothek-aachen.de Day Tue, Wed, Fri Thu Sat Open 11:00 - 18:00 13:00 - 19:00 10:00 - 14:00 Counseling Student interests in Germany are bundled into various committees and councils. Student Councils On the other side, student councils (“Fachschaften”) provide service focused mainly on academic progress and courses within the faculties’ departments. In each faculty, students’ interests are collected and summarized by the student councils; represented by an entirely student run elected council. Aside from offering social contacts, student councils are a very helpful resource during your professional study, since they sell old exams, provide minutes of examinations, connect thematic tutor groups, and even organizing industry visits and trips. Do not hesitate giving your “Fachschaft“ a hug and feel welcome to stick around. AStA contact On one side, the students’ union executive committee - (“AStA“) encompasses all interdisciplinary interests especially regarding academic policy. They also provide information 20 about housing, jobbing heath insurance, loans financial support, disabilities chronic illness, student initiatives and gender equality AStA der FH Aachen (Student council of Fachhochschule Aachen) Stephanstraße 58-62 Opening hours: 52064 Aachen Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 10:00-12.00 phone 0241 6009-52807 Tue, Thu 14:00 - 15:30 www.asta.fh-aachen.org AStA der RWTH Aachen (Students’ union of RWTH Aachen) Pontwall 3 (at Mensa Academica) Opening hours: 52062 Aachen Mon - Fri 10:00-14.00 phone 0241 80 93 79 2 www.asta.rwth-aachen.de asta@asta.rwth-aachen.de Foreign Students’ council (RWTH) Humboldt Haus, 1.st Floor Opening hours: av@asta.rwth-aachen.de Mon-Wed, Fri 10:00-12:00 Students’ Initiatives Student Initiatives and Clubs As most of student-oriented cities, Aachen has a wide variety of clubs and offers designed for and by students. If you are interested in joining one of these clubs or just want to find out what each club has to offer, contact the person in charge. They will help you get oriented in the club, and will explain just what the club is about. Clubs in Aachen cover a wide variety of topics from sports and aerobics to robots and films. Coming to Aachen allows you to try something new that maybe you’ve never tried in your home country before. All initiatives can be found on the site of the www.rwth-aachen.de. Queerreferat Aachen The Queerreferat is a group of lesbian-/gay-/bi-/trans-/... or just queer students from Aachen’s universities. They regularly meet for movie- and game nights, discussions or just to talk. Trichtergasse 14, 52064 Aachen www.queerreferat-aachen.de, info@queerreferat-aachen.de 21 Filmstudio If you are interested in helping to show films and organize film-oriented events, the Filmstudio is for you. Filmstudio organizes films from and for students. The films are shown in the Aula in the Hauptgebäude. Tickets for the shows are unbelievably well priced, and are always a much better deal than visiting the theaters in Aachen. You are also allowed to bring your own snacks or drinks. The films here range from modern films to the classics. Furthermore they are often shown as “Original with Subtitles (OMU)”. The Filmstudio’s program of movies and more info can be found at: filmstudio.informatik.rwth-aachen.de Hochschulradio People who are interested in some dope beats and sick rhymes should definitely look into the local university radio station. Your voice and your music will be broadcasted over the entire Aachen area on the station 99.1 MHz as well as on the Internet. Tuning in to the station, you’ll find music that would not normally be played on the local radio stations in Aachen ranging from indie-music to some of today’s lesser-known hits. There are also many opportunities to join the station and meet people who also have interest in the same kinds of music as you! The station also offers many competitions where free tickets to concerts in Aachen and Cologne are given away daily. www.hochschulradio-aachen.de Student Orchestra / Collegium Musicum This naturally more classical group puts on shows throughout the year that are perfect for relaxing and enjoying. The Collegium Musicum consists of another orchestra and a choir, which also puts on a very good show and is always searching for more singers interested in the group. Anyone is welcome to come by, try out and become a part of this vocally focused group! www.aso.rwth-aachen.de | www.cm.rwth-aachen.de Big Band The Big Bands of the RWTH and the FH Aachen put on many happenings throughout the semester. At festivals or parties, the Big Bands put on a show that will thrill the senses. www.bigband.rwth-aachen.de | www.fh-aachen.de/hochschule/big-band/ BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) BEST Aachen was founded in November 2012 and is currently an observer group of the organisation Board of European Students of Technology. Its vision and mission are Empowering diversity and Developing Students. Under these aspects many different events, like summer courses or engineering competitions, are organised during the 22 year in Aachen and entire Europe. The events provide academic improvement as well as fun by getting to know different cultures and help students to build international friendships and networks - almost free of charge! The members also profit from a huge training system that provides knowledge and skills, which students usually don’t acquire during their university courses. The working language being English underlines the international mindset of this group. aachen@best.eu.org | www.facebook.com/BESTAachen Interkulturelles Centrum Aachener Studierender (INCAS) INCAS is an intercultural students’ association with a huge range of diverse offers, seated at the “Humboldt Haus”, Pontstr. 41. During the service hours particularly new international students are assisted in finding an accommodation or in any other issue. Through the “Sprachtandem” program you can find a partner for learning German or other languages. Every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. INCAS organizes events as e.g. cultural presentations with traditional dances and dishes or “Café Lingua”, where you can practice your language skills in a friendly atmosphere. Once a month they offer excursions to regional destinations or even Belgium, Luxemburg or the Netherlands. www.incas.rwth-aachen.de Engineers Without Borders – changing the world through technology Ingenieure ohne Grenzen e.V. (Engineers Without Borders) is a German NGO committed to the creation of technical solutions to everyday problems, e.g. problems related to poor infrastructure or sanitation, with communities in developing countries. As sustainability, local acceptance and capacity building are the leading principles of our work, all projects are carried out in close cooperation with local partner organizations and the beneficiaries on the ground. To ensure continuous support for people in need, Ingenieure ohne Grenzen always welcomes committed students and professionals who would like to make a change. www.ingenieure-ohne-grenzen.org/de/ueber-iog/regionalgruppen 23 5 Freetime Cinemas and Theatres Movies For those of you who love cinematic adventures, movies in Germany are almost exclusively shown dubbed without subtitles, although student organized theaters often show the original versions. The latest information about the schedule is announced in various sources for example at: www.kino-aachen.de (general information about the schedule) www.moviebeta.de (local free magazine focused on movies) www.kaleidoskop-ac.de (free magazine of Aachen’s movie club) www.filmstudio.rwth-aachen.de (students’ cinema) If you’re interested in a special selection of movies, Apollo might be your spot of choice, whose schedule is visible at: www.apollo-aachen.de Pontstraße 141-149, phone: 0241-9008484 Other cinemas are: Cineplex (www.cineplex.de/aachen) and Capitol (www.capitol-aachen.de). AEGEE-Aachen offers a “Movienight” once a month, where German movies with English subtitles are shown. You will get more information in the Erasmus Facebook group, just look for “Erasmus Aachen 2016/17” (link at the beginning of the brochure). Stadttheater Aachen As the biggest and probably most impressive theatre in Aachen the “Stadttheater“ offers a broad assortment of plays, operas, ballet performances, concerts and musicals. If you want to feel all grown up and sophisticated, this is your place to be! Beside the performances in the main building at Theaterplatz 1, events are also taking place in Mörgensstraße 34. In case a performance is not sold-out students are eligible for “lastminute tickets” sold for 5.00e each 15 minutes before show-time. You can also buy tickets for four plays for just 20e. Theaterplatz 1, phone: 0241-4784244 theaterkasse@mail.aachen.de, www.theater-aachen.de 24 Grenzlandtheater A small theatre with an exciting line-up is the Grenzlandtheater in the Elisengalerie. Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz 5/6 | www.grenzlandtheater.de Burg Wilhelmstein This theatre offers concerts, shows, music and films under open-skies. Klosterstraße 33 (Würselen) | www.burg-wilhelmstein.com Das Da Theater Provides a colorful program throughout the year. In the summer, some events are held in the Burg Frankenberg. Liebigstraße 9 | www.dasda.de Theater K If you are interested in experimental shows and progressive art, visit Theater K. Ludwigsallee 139 | www.theater-k.de Raststätte This is a small, but decent event location with a diverse set of poetry slams, concerts, plays, art exhibition. No fixed opening hours exist, which is why everyone is urged to have a look on the Raststätte’s web page: www.raststaette.org | raststaette@heimat.de Lothringerstraße 23 Shopping In Aachen usually there is always a store next to you. To buy well-priced food check out either ALDI, LIDL or NETTO. Edeka and Kaiser’s might be slightly more expensive, depending on what you prefer. There are also some wholefood shops, for example, Denn’s (Franzstraße 2), Alnatura (Karlsgraben 16-18) and Biomarket Vital (Jakobstraße 210), for people who prefer fair traded products and well treated animals. The opening hours of the smaller supermarkets may vary, but most of them should be open until 20:00 with others a little later. There are also some bigger supermarkets in Aachen that offer practically everything, e.g. Kaufland or Real. Make sure not to forget that in Germany all supermarkets and other shops are closed on Sundays! 25 If you need something urgently, one possibility is always to cross the border and go shopping in Vaals. Moreover, gas stations and Kiosks are mostly open on Sundays and sell the most important stuff – but of course for very high prices. To buy special cheese, fish, fruits or vegetables that are really fresh and sometimes directly from the farmer, visit the “Wochenmarkt”. This market takes place three times a week at the market square in front of the City Hall (on Sat. also at the Münsterplatz), it is always open on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 7:00 and 14:00. Alternatively, you can visit the market in Burtscheid (Kapellenstraße) on Fridays between 7:00 and 13:00. Speaking about regional products and sustainability: Don’t waste your food,there are foodsharing spots all over the city. Just check the facebook group for further information. The Aquis Plaza at Kaiserplatz, which is a shopping mall that opened quite recently in 2016, is a good place to be if you don’t want to walk through the rain, need a lot of different things or if you don’t know what you are looking for. With a supermarket at the basement level, a food court at the top level and everything else in between, it’s always worth a look. Two other great ways to spend your money are Lindt and Lambertz. Both are factories here in Aachen, which produce chocolate (Lindt) and cookies (Lambertz). The interesting part is that both factories have a “Werksverkauf” meaning that you can buy their products there cheaper than in any supermarket. Moreover, you can get damaged goods really low priced. Since Lindt chocolate is quite famous all over the world and Lambertz also produces “Printen” (something similar to ginger bread – typical for Aachen!), it is always a good choice for presents to bring home. If you are looking for furniture, kitchen equipment or bicycles, visit the flea markets in Aachen. You might even find something you weren’t expecting to find. An overview of the flea market in the region of Aachen can be found at www.melan.de/go/termine.html. Museum and Sights If you want to visit more than one museum, there might be the chance to get a discount. Just ask at the reception for special tickets which allows entrance more than one time! Ludwig-Forum for International Art The Ludwig Forum for International Art, based on the huge Ludwig collection, is an important location for the contemporary art scene. The museum shows works of well known artists such as Beuys, Lichtenstein or Hanson but also hosts exhibitions of local artists. The building itself is worth a visit, the former umbrella factory Emil Brauer is 28 designed in Bauhaus style and was built in 1928. It has a lovely courtyard and park as well. Keep a lookout for the initiative JUNGE FREUNDE Ludwig Forum, a network of young art lovers organizing special events for the young crowd, for instance the LUFO bar in summer. www.ludwigforum.de Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum Middle-Age sculptures and icons from 15th to 17th century await your visit in this museum. Most of the art is quite old, but occasionally modern art shows come through. Wilhelmstraße 18, Open: Tue-Fri 12:00 - 18:00, Wed: 12:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun: 11:00 - 18:00, tickets: 3e open tours on Sundays at 12:00 and on Wednesdays at 18:30. www.suermondt-ludwig-museum.de Couven-Museum In 1786, Jakob Couven lived in this house near the center of the city where he collected furniture and art from the period. Today, despite the destruction from the Second World War, the majority of art is still there and offers a view into the past. Hühnermarkt 17, Open: Tue-Sun 11:00 - 18:00, Tickets: 3e, free tours regulary. www.couven-museum.de International Newspaper Museum “Internationales Zeitungsmuseum” - This “Main Office of the World Press“ is home to over 200,000 newspapers and 300 books about the history of newspapers. Recently opened and renovated, the museum is definitely worth a visit to anyone interested in print-related materials! Pontstraße 13, Open: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, tickets: 3e. www.izm.de City Tours The tourist information is located at the “Elisenbrunnen”. They are offering several different city tours, e.g. through the old city of Aachen. Also the perfect place to ask for special discounts or events. Route Charlemagne The Route Charlemagne takes you along crucial historical sights in Aachen. The different stations of the tour focus on topics that link present times with Charlemagne, such as science, power or Europe as a whole. Important locations are included, such as the Town Hall, the Cathedral, the International Newspaper Museum or the recently opened Grashaus (Fischmarkt) and Centre Charlemagne (Katschhof), of which the latter one is 29 the central starting and info point. www.route-charlemagne.eu The Cathedral “Der Dom” - the Aachen Cathedral is located directly in the heart of the city and probably Aachen’s most well known landmark. Seen from almost every corner of Aachen, the Dom up-close is definitely something to marvel at. From the various facades to the inside, the Dom is highly photographed and a must see for everyone in Aachen. The “Domschatzkammer”, next to the Dom, hosts a wide variety of art and historical exhibits from hundreds of years ago related to the Dom. A new “Dom Information” building is open across from the Domschatzkammer where information about the Dom can be picked up and tours can be planned. Klosterplatz 2, Open daily 07:00-19:00, free entrance. More infos at www.aachendom.de. Royal Crowning Hall in the City Hall The “Krönungssaal des Aachener Rathaus”. Every year, the Charlemagne Prize is awarded in this large hall in the upper levels of the “Aachen Rathaus”. The large hall is filled with murals and frescos. Some of them are still the original ones and all of them make a good picture. The “Katschhof”, the area between the Dom and Rathaus, is a great place to take pictures of both historical buildings. Open: Daily 10:00-18:00 (aside from special events), Tickets: 3e. Fountains and Monuments Aachen has been known to have the “warmest hot springs north of the Alps”. Also all of the fountains in Aachen are nice to visit; whether the sulphur-smelling “Elisenbrunnen”, the “Circulation of Money” or the figures of the “Puppenbrunnen”. A photo with the “Klenkes-Statue” with the local greeting of Aachen is a must for your apartment! Sports University Sports Center (Hochschulsportzentrum) The University Sports Center is the place to go if you’re looking to get that beach body! There is an outside running track, facilities for outdoor fitness plus beach and football courts. The center offers everything from aerobics to yoga and anything in between. There will be something for you, too. Most courses are quite affordable, and there are also courses that are free, for example “Kontakthüpfen” (officially called “Fitness mit Musik”), a fitness class with music and many other students. The Center also plans “Extratouren”, trips to different places in Germany throughout the year, ranging from skiing in the winter to sailing and surfing in the summer. There are normally flyers in 30 the canteens of the universities that show what the center is planning and how to get involved. More info: www.hochschulsport.rwth-aachen.de VfL Aachen 05 If you are looking for an opportunity to play soccer in a club, you can check out the VFL05! Make new friends and learn German while doing some sports. Their sports ground “Steinebrück” is directly at the bus stop Jahnplatz (bus lines 7, 14, 27, 37, 77). Eupener Straße 230 | http://vfl-05-aachen.jimdo.com Swimming Pools There are many pools located throughout the city. Below we have listed some for you. If you need more information concerning opening hours, prices, etc. you can google “Aachen Schwimmbad” and click on the website from the city of Aachen. They have gathered all the information there. Schwimmhalle Süd Amyastraße 8 Ulla-Klinger-Halle Händelstraße 14 Schwimmhalle Ost St.-Josefs-Platz 8 Elisabeth-Halle Elisabethstraße 10 There is also an outdoor swimming pool with plenty of space to lie around and tan like a bronze god. Perfect for a summer day! The opening hours vary but they always close at 8pm. Am Hangeweiher 32 Carolus Thermen A real treat located right on the northern side of the inner ring of Aachen! The Carolus Thermen are thermal baths perfect for relaxing after a stressful day at the university. They have different baths, whirlpools, an oriental-style bathing area and many different saunas to choose from, open daily from 09:00 - 23:00. The prices are not so low as they vary from 12e for 2.5 hours from Monday to Friday to 18e for a whole day on a weekend. Plus 14-18e if you want to use their sauna as well. You should look out as there are some special offers or coupons from time to time. www.carolus-thermen.de Bouldering and Climbing MooVe Aachen is the city’s top attraction for bouldering and climbing. It offering multiple opportunities to learn how to climb and it’s definitely a place to burn off stress from the university or just to practice. They offer a full range of climbing options and it is designed for both amateurs and advanced climbers. When you get tired from climbing a bistro is also waiting for you where you can buy delicious food and drinks while relaxing 31 and watching other climbers. Price: 9e for students (full day) Kurbrunnenstraße 22 | www.moove-aachen.de Day Mon - Fri Sat - Sun, holidays Open 13:00 - 23:00 11:00 - 21:00 Another great place for bouldering is the new “Campus”. Even bigger than MooVe, it offers a great spot for motivated climbers to enjoy a big variety of routes. With 9e for students it is a place where everyone will find his or her personal challenge, even advanced boulderer. Tempelhofer Straße 16 | www.campusboulderhalle.de Day Mon - Fri Sat - Sun, holidays Open 16:30 - 23:00 12:00 - 20:00 Climbing and Badminton Close to the Tivoli is another climbing hall with different climbing trails and also a little bouldering area. They also offer fields for Badminton. Both services are reasonably prices. Badminton und Kletterhalle Tivoli Rock Aachen am Strangenhäuschen 11 www.badminton-kletterhalle.de Day Mon - Fri Sat - Sun, holidays Open 9:00 - 24:00 11:00 - 22:30 Kletterpark Aachen For those of you who want to go climbing outside in the forest there is this alternative. Students 17e for all parcours. Unterer Backertsweg 7 | www.kletterwald-aachen.de AStA Fahrradwerkstatt If you need tools and assistance for fixing your bike, this new service provided by students is the place to be for you. You can find them in Kockerellstraße 19. Day Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu Open 15:00 - 19:00 32 Nightlife Aachen has a variety of clubs where you can shake your dancing legs - here are some of our favorites. Nox - Generally fills up late, mixed crowd with extremely varied music: electro to metal to indie. Blondelstraße 9, https://www.facebook.com/NoxAachen Freiraum - Small club, fair prices, karaoke every Tuesday, great lighting with vibrant, neon colors. Pontstraße 137, https://www.facebook.com/freiraum.aachen Apollo - At day a movie theater, at night famous for Alternative Mondays, Remmi Demmi, Motto parties and of course home to the legendary ERASMUS Parties. Pontstraße 141-149, www.apollo-aachen.de Dein HOTEL EUROPA - A small unique and friendly Berlin-Style-club with a living-room like bar, beaming you right into the 60s/70s, and a dance floor in the basement. They do parties, concerts and Festivals from Electro, Funk, House to Swing, Indie and Balkan. Prices are moderate, the waiters are cuties. Some of our AEGEE parties happening there – don’t miss them! One rule: respect the neighborhood when being outside. You find Hotel E. at Südstraße 54, www.deinhoteleuropa.de Nightlife - A classic hangout for anyone who likes rock! Thursdays is student night with fantastically priced drinks. Wirichsbongardstraße 10, www.nightlife-aachen.de Sturmfrei/Die WG - Nice atmosphere for chilling or having a party, you’ll feel more like in a WG than an ordinary club. Promenadenstraße 38-40, https://www.facebook.com/DieWG-127105657313048 Kiez Kini - Located in the same street as the upper two bars, although you rather feel like drinking your first beer at the harbour after a long day sailing . Absolute highlight are the legendary Einstundenparties every last Sunday of the month. End the week with giving 100 percent for one hour starting 22:00, a really great experience! Promenadenstraße 46, https://www.facebook.com/Kiez.Kini/ Qutoqibar - Not strictly speaking a student bar, but it is in Pontstraße and great for fancy food, a bit of live music and drinks like Gin Tonic that are all topped off with the venue’s cosy atmosphere. Pontstr. 168, http://uweklein.bar Grotesque Absinth-Bar - Another bar for good drinks with Barkeepers who know their stuff. Rennbahn 1, https://www.facebook.com/GrotesqueBar 33 Wohnheimbars Every “Studentenwohnheim” (StdWH) in Aachen has a so-called “Bierkeller”, which is open normally one or two days a week. This is where the students from the dorms are and enjoy evenings with friends at very low cost. These bars have a good reputation, especially when you know someone who lives in the respective dorm. A few times a month they host relatively large parties which can be some of the best in Aachen. However, it’s recommended to get there fairly early, if you want to get a spot on the dance floor! The bars also allow people to rent out the entire bar for private parties for a rather low price. Make sure to ask at least several weeks in advance! Bärenhöhle: StdWH Bärenstraße 5, Tue from 21:00 Bierkeller: StdWH Hainbuchenstraße 6 - Wed from 21:00 Cafe18: Halifax-WH, Ahornstraße 73, H4, every 2nd Tue from 21:00 Club IM EIMER: Theodore-von-Kármán-Wohnheim, Rütscher Straße 121 (1st tower) Thu from 20:00 Club MOTORBAR: Otto-Petersen-Haus, Rütscher Straße 155 (2nd tower), Wed from 21:00 Club Mühle: StdWH Gebrannte Mühle, Mattschö-Moll-Weg 4-28, Thu from 21:00 Haus 4 Bar: Studentendorf Haus 4, Eckertweg 20, Tue from 22:00 Institut: Roermonder Straße 112a, Wed from 22:00 KänGuruh: StdWH Gut Kullen, Kullenhofsstraße 56-66, Thu from 21:00 KaWo-Bar: StdWH KaWo1, Kastanienweg 4-6, Thu from 22:00 K2-Bar: StdWH KaWo2, Kastanienweg 21-35, Tue from 22:00 Schillout: StdWH Schillerstraße 86, Wed from 20:30 Symposion, StdWH Hilton, Turmstraße 1, every 1st and 3rd Wed in a month Triangel, StdWH Am Weißenberg, Am Weißenberg 16, During lectures, Mon from 21:00 All party rooms at: http://aachen.wikia.com/wiki/Wohnheimbars 34 6 Food & Drink Our favorite places in Aachen Here are some spots you shouldn’t miss on sunny days during your stay in Aachen. Delzepich Home-made ice-cream (you can watch them cutting fruit into the ice machine), therefore only a limited offer. You can really taste the individual ingredients. Come as early as possible since they are regularly out of ice-cream in the evening! Bismarckstraße 197 Öcher Eis Treff Much like Delzepich, ice-cream is freshly made with only a couple of flavors to choose from. As a special, all dairy ice-cream is made with biologically certified milk and the fruit ice-cream is completely vegan! Bismarckstraße 72 Devido Frozen Joghurt A wide range of toppings for your frozen yoghurt, from various forms of chocolates over nuts up to to daily fresh fruits. The prices for special offers are very attractive! Pontstraße 8 Tito’s Waffelwelt Dreamlike! You will get tasty home-made waffles and frozen yoghurt as well. And the best part is that you get it altogether! Thereby the wide range is almost as good as at Devido’s. The cool atmosphere is a big advantage as well. Kapellenstraße 7 Wonderwaffel Very delicious waffles, not too sweet and you can cover them with a lot of toppings like ice-cream, chocolates and fruits, and, you can even create your own milkshake... that brings all the boys to the yard. Theaterplatz 2 35 Leni liebt Kaffee A great place for coffee lovers! Definitely some of the best coffee in and around Aachen with its own roast, plus, tasty cakes and cheeky refreshments. Burtscheider Markt 21 Vierundneunziggrad A very nice and peaceful place for a nice and long breakfast to start your day right! In addition, they offer some very delicious coffee from their own barista. And don’t miss the home-made ice tea with fresh fruits! Hirschgraben 7 Lulu’s Coffee & Co If you want good coffee with a tasty piece of cake or another little snack, go to Lulu’s. Besides the coffee, you’ll get fresh water with mint and lime for free! Grosskölnstraße 73 Café & Bar Zuhause Stefan opened his bar in November 2011. Given his long experience with international student organizations, he will surely be your bartender of choice. “Café & Bar zuhause” is your living room, either with hot chocolate on long winter nights in the cosy couch area or for meeting your friends to enjoy the atmosphere. AEGEE has its weekly meetings here every monday at 21:00, right before the Erasmus Social Drink at 22:00. Sandkaulstraße 109-111 | www.zuhause-aachen.de AKL - Libanese Specialities Tired of the usual fast-food places? Looking for better quality and something you haven’t tasted yet? This is the first Lebanese restaurant in Aachen, in a great location and definitely worth trying! Everything you there is homemade and freshly prepared in front of your eyes. Rawad, the owner, personally advises you to try the Shawarma sandwich! Tip: You can take the food to Egmont, the cafe next to it, and eat it there! Pontstr. 1-3 | www.akl-orient.de PontGrill Open from 11:00 till at least 3:00 (in the morning) on weekdays, and even longer on weekends. This is not yet another kebab shop. The service team around owner Özgür Biryar welcome their guest personally by shaking hands in the most frequent area for hungry students. Here you get everything from student pizzas, student menus, pasta and typical Turkish style Kebap at fair prices. After you’ve finished, prepare yourself for the “Lecker oder sehr lecker?” phrase asking whether you liked it or liked it a lot. As part of the service, Çay, the Turkish tea is offered for free. Ponststraße 119 | www.pontgrill.de 36 Kathy’s Frietnesse Can you fry it? - Yes! This place fries everything you can imagine, even if you’ve never seen a Snickers fried. Here you get french fries cut from fresh potatoes in typical Belgian style with a huge variety of tasty sauces, some you’ve never heard of that will burn your mouth, to onion toppings for hamburgers, and typical Dutch fast food like “Frikandell” along with everything in between. Open from 11:00 to 6:00 (in the morning). Pontstrasse 101-105 and Kapuzinergraben 13 Bars and Pubs Aachener Brauhaus/Degraa Degraa offers both a delicious restaurant and the smallest pub in Europe, both places are right next to each other and situated directly in the heart of Aachen! Kapuzinergraben 4 | www.aachener-brauhaus.de Café Kittel A much loved student bar with cult-status! Pontstraße 39 | www.cafe-kittel.de Café Egmont Very cosy atmosphere with a hint of class from an earlier time. Here you can find regular live performances and Belgian beer! You can also eat food from AKL here, which is right next door. Open from 08:00. Pontstraße 1-3 | www.cafe-egmont.de Chico Mendes Very cheap to have a couple of drinks. If you like board games or want to learn how to play them, this is your place! They have a huge variety and it’s always growing. Pontstraße 74-76 Die Kiste “Schatz, ich bin in der Kiste!” - Mondays (Weizen for 2.10e) are the best days to visit the Kiste; usually quite full. Büchel 3 37 Domkeller Enjoy many different types of beer in Aachen’s oldest pub and café. From 10:00 till 18:00 the upper floor is open for students to study, wifi for free, cheap drinks and you may bring your own snacks. Don’t miss the free concerts every Monday at 20:00 between September and May, all kinds of genres and always a great atmosphere! Hof 1 | www.domkeller.de Dumont Nice beer garden in the summer and live music on the weekend. Zollernstraße 41 | www.dumont-aachen.de Guinness House The legendary 250 years tradition from Ireland: Draught beer, Irish whiskey and ciders. Neupforte 6 | www.guinnesshouse.de Hildegart StromHilde will meet you there during the week and on Saturdays from 20:00. Büchel 11 | www.hildegart.de Hopfen + Malz Great place to try different and rather extraordinary kinds of beers - enjoy the daily varying 5 special beers right there or buy some bottles for later! Franzstraße 17 | www.hopfenundmalz.de Köpi (officially König-City) Beer and fries nearly 24 hours a day. After a long night drop by here to experience “Schlager“ culture! Feel free to sing along! Holzgraben 7 | www.koenig-city-aachen.de Labyrinth One of the main “institutions” on Pontstraße, beautiful atmosphere and great food. Especially nice to sit on the back terrace during the summer. Pontstraße 156 38 Last Exit Nice pub hidden in a residential area. Great alternative to the Pontstraße. Very tasty seasonal food. Krakaustraße 1 | www.mylastexit.de LikeLike Hawaiian bar, located right next to the Pontstraße. Tuesdays to Thursday is Weizen day where various flavours are available! Pontdriesch 35 Rethel Pub Great place to enjoy your Guinness in a typically Irish and cozy atmosphere. Rethelstraße 4 Sowiso/Ocean Especially nice when the weather is good. Outdoor and indoor seating, rather large pub with billiard and foosball (table football). Great place to watch any sporting events. Pontstraße 165-166 | www.sowiso-aachen.de Wild Rover Irish pub with usually one or two live concerts per week. Hirschgraben 13 Restaurants Dean and David Eat fresh - because it tastes better that way. Not only a slogan, but a philosophy. By using only the best and mostly local ingredients, they offer you light and healthy food, from salads over soups to curry, and everything in between. Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz 12 | www.deananddavid.de Albrecht-Dürer-Stube Named after the famous German painter, you’ll get typical Aachener food here, for example “Himmel und Äd” (literally “Heaven and Earth” – it’s blood sausage with fried onions and mashed potatoes). Fischmarkt 7 | www.aachen-schmiedstrasse.de/duerer/duererstube1.htm 39 Exil Modern German food in one of the most beautiful streets in Aachen. Schlossstraße 2 | www.exil-aachen.de Karawane A very nice location in the Jakobsviertel. Enjoy some Oriental-Mediterranean food in huge variety. Rosstraße 61 | www.restaurantkarawane.de Karibik Columbian cuisine with many dishes having exotic fruits. Sandkaulstraße 5 | www.kolumbiens-gute-küche.de Kimchi Korean food that differs from what you get in most Asian restaurants here, try it! Pontdriesch 11a Paella Spanish-style tapas in the middle of Aachen! Nice atmosphere, book a table if you want to have dinner there. Also a good place for cocktails. Kockerellstraße 22 Tapa Loca More Spanish tapas and cocktails in a fancier, more posh atmosphere. Quite a big venue. Elisabethstraße 6 Zum alten Zollhaus Very good Schnitzels, you have to eat at least one while you’re in Germany. Friedlandstraße 22-24 | www.im-alten-zollhaus.de 40 7 Typical Aachen So, you’ve chosen the city of Aachen, and that is why you should experience something unique for Aachen, which won’t have in the rest of Germany. Firstly, the people who are from Aachen call the city “Oche” and themselves “Öcher”. These terms originate from the dialect spoken here, the “Öcher Platt”, so don’t worry if you are having troubles understanding people talking German here. The Hot Springs The name Aachen derives from old Germanic “Ahha”, which means water – a fact that points to the former importance of the local hot springs that you can still visit today at the “Elisenbrunnen”, and even swim in it when visiting the thermal bath “Carolus Thermen”. The water is up to 70◦ C and actually smells like Sulphur. But still it’s supposed to be healthy and you can try it if you dare to. The Lousberg The Lousberg is a hill close to the city center and it’s 264m high. On top there is a small viewing platform. On and around are paws for walking and jogging paths as well as meadows and a place with hammocks. Printen These are the most popular sweets in Aachen, and only in Aachen. Printen are a sort of pastry similar to ginger bread. Two sorts can be bought: soft or hard. They can be covered with different types of chocolate and nuts or can be even filled with almond paste (Marzipan), not to mention the spices that go into it. At Christmas time, a must! Reisfladen This is the cake you have at tea time or a coffee break. Reis means rice, and Fladen is an expression for a pie, which is then stuffed with either fruits (p.e. apricots, berries, or plums) or even with this creamy rice mass. So the dough itself does not contain milled rice but there is literally rice on it. There are two kinds of Reisfladen: The Belgian style or the Aachen style. The Belgian style has a shiny cover thanks to eggs, but the taste is almost the same. But, you can be the judge of that. 41 Rudi Rockt This students’ event takes place a few times per year and is a cooking-rally of sorts. The idea behind this super fun evening program is that a team of two people applies for one course, either starter, main course, or desert. Then, there will be hundreds of other people doing the same and in the end, these selections find matches. Eventually, you will cook your course with your partner at your place and have four visitors you don’t know (yet), and you will walk to unknown students’ flats to see what they cooked for you. In numbers: 3 courses in 3 different flats with 12 different dining partners. Enjoy this awesome social event! Klenkes This is a great indication that you have become a true “Öcher”! Just make a fist and extend out your little finger, and then you can say other “Öcher” “Hello”! But based on this tradition, which is pretty useful when meeting people from Aachen on the Highway (‘Autobahn’), there exists an event calendar with the same name. Just enter www.klenkes.de and you will find any concerts, parties, theatre events and so on. It’s worth taking a look at! Carnival in Aachen Celebrating “Karneval” is a huge tradition in this part of Germany. Originally the aim was to banish bad spirits by dressing up yourself as ghosts or someone else. In religious terms carnival is the last chance to celebrate before the Lent season, namely the period of fasting starts. People today, however, just dress up, drink more than a few beers and enjoy carnival parades. The “5th season”, as it is also called, starts “Fettdonnerstag” and lasts seven days until Aschermittwoch. On “Rosenmontag”, there is a big parade in Aachen. Just scream “Alaaf!” while watching and it will rain sweets on you. Öcher Bend Twice a year there is a funfair in Aachen, once in the spring and once in the summer. It always takes place at the Bendplatz, close to Lindt. Normally there are around 125 booths and attractions. Christmas Market During the advent season there is the famous Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt around the Cathedral. Every year, around 1.5 million visitors come to Aachen to see the festive Christmas market, to shop, to taste delicacies as Printen and to drink hot Glühwein. The market is open every day from 11:00 to 21:00 and closes before Christmas Eve. Plan some extra time if you want to cross the city center, because of all the tourists in your way! 42 8 Oche.dict German for beginners Basic Level Yes No Thanks Please Sorry Hello Bye Cheers! Ja Nein Danke Bitte Entschuldigung Hallo Tschüss Prost! Advanced Level Hi! My name is. . . What’s your name? I am from. . . Where are you from? How are you? I am studying. . . What are you studying? For how long are you staying? I’m looking for Pontstraße. Yay, no speed limit! Hi! Mein Name ist. . . Wie heißt du? Ich komme aus. . . Woher kommst du? Wie geht es dir? Ich studiere. . . Was studierst du? Wie lange bleibst du? Ich suche die Pontstraße. Juhu, keine Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung! Deutsche Wörter sind viel zu lang. German words are way too long. 43 Master Level No, I’d rather go out than study. To which party are you going? The party will start at . . . o’clock. I want to shake my dancing leg. Could I have a beer please? Where’s the beer?! Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Let’s have a cup of coffee some time! I’m having the best time of my life! This is my certificate of matriculation. Nein, ich gehe lieber aus als zu lernen. Auf welche Party gehst du? Die Party fängt um . . . Uhr an. Ich will mein Tanzbein schwingen. Könnte ich bitte ein Bier haben? Wo ist das Bier?! Hast du einen Freund/eine Freundin? Lass uns mal ’nen Kaffee trinken gehen! Ich habe die beste Zeit meines Lebens! Dies ist meine Immatrikulationsbescheinigung. Brauchen Sie meine Personalausweis? Ich habe heute meinen neuen Mietvertrag unterschrieben. Hoch die Hände, Wochenende! Mein kleiner Freund hier hat eine Geschlechtskrankheit. Do you need to see my Passport? I signed my new rental contract today. Thank god it’s friday! My little friend here has a STD. Öcher Platt You already find “Hochdeutsch“ (standard German) boring? When visiting one of the following recommended places, why not try and talk to a few words of the local dialect? Here are a few suggestions. Do you already leave? Damn! My heart will stay in Aachen. In the middle of nowhere. Everybody’s darling Such a hottie! Puddle/ Downpour It’s raining cats and dogs. What a horrible person. Write me someday! Please don’t make troube! I’m so sorry. . . Jödderatt? Au Banan! Mi Hazz blijt een Oche zeröck. Henger herjotts fott. Allemannsfrönd Dat is eene Kremschnittsche! Eene Plaatsch. Et helt sich an’t sife. Nä, wat e fleddige Möpp. Schriv mich ens! Maach jenge Hantier! Och herm! 44 9 Getting Around Getting Around The NRW-Semesterticket One of the first important slips of paper you’ll receive upon arriving in Aachen is your “NRW-Semesterticket“. Hold on to this ticket at all costs: It is your ticket to free travel on any busline, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and the regional trains inside of North-Rhine Westphalia. It doesn’t matter what city you’re in: As long as it lies in the NRW, your ticket applies! Make sure not to try to use the ticket on the IC/ICE/Thalys trains, the conductors are not sympathetic to people who only have a Semesterticket! Bus Travel in Aachen Buses in Aachen will soon become your best friend. As Aachen doesn‘t have any other form of public transport, the bus network is extensive and covers every corner of the city as well as parts of the Nederlands and Belgium. The buses also run to scenic areas of the Eifel such as Monschau, a quaint, old town nestled between two rather steep hills. Unfortunately, night buses are only available at the weekend. Your nearest bus stop is most likely just around the corner and the best place to find timetables and routes are: www.avv.de & www.aseag.de Train Travel Around Aachen The local Hauptbahnhof provides many connections to cities and places throughout Europe. The other train stations in Aachen (West, Schanz, Rothe Erde) offer multiple connections to Aachen Hbf. Whether you want to take the train to Paris for a weekend or need the rails to make it to Frankfurt Airport, this is your one stop for everything. If you have your semester ticket, any train marked “RB” or “RE” is free for you to use. Traveling outside of NRW can be quite pricey and even though the Germans are said to be punctual, the trains are most often delayed slightly. Always plan for a delay during your trips, so you don’t have to sleep in one of the train stations! Tickets are available online, in the travel offices, and from the automated ticket machines at the stations. Make sure to get the GoPass when traveling in Belgum. www.bahn.de & www.belgianrail.be 45 Mitfahrgelegenheit The concept of sharing a car with passengers and fellow travelers you don’t know may be quite daunting to most people, but in Germany, this system of travel is very popular and generally very safe. To find someone traveling in your direction head on over to www.blablacar.de. This site lists people heading to and from cities through Europe, and will show who is driving, what kind of car they have and how much the trip costs. Usually the trips are much cheaper than traveling by trains or by plane. Expect a very interesting and sometimes fun ride if you choose this form of travel. Car sharing You can also always rent your own car from one of the many rental car agencies here in Aachen. Another option is the Cambio Carsharing idea. After paying an initial cost of 30e and then 3e per month, cars can be found around the city and is on a per-hour basis plus a kilometer based price. More information at: www.cambio-carsharing.de Fernbus Nowadays german people go by bus – even for a long distance trip. Due to the expensive train tickets and the typical delays, the so-called Fernbusse offer a cheap alternative. Especially when you’re booking quite early, you can save the cheapest prices. Disadvantage: The buses need more time from A to B. www.meinfernbus.de & www.megabus.com Flying While Aachen has its own airport, conveniently located near Maastricht in the Netherlands (and reachable via bus from the Hauptbahnhof), there are also other airports in the vicinity. Airport Brussels-Charleroi (CRL) Düsseldorf (DUS) Düsseldorf Weeze (NRN) Köln-Bonn (CGN) Maastricht-Aachen (MST) Dortmund (DTM) Airlines Ryanair Germanwings Ryanair Germanwings, Ryanair Wizzair Ryanair Website www.charleroi-airport.com www.dus.com www.airport-weeze.de www.airport-cgn.de www.maa.nl www.dortmund-airport.de Studifahrten A great welcome from Studifahrten to all international students and 5eoff for your first trip with us! Until 2011 we have already organized trips every weekend to different cities: 46 Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Venice, Florence, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Brussels, Bruges and a lot more... After a longstanding experience we are now the most loved Student Travel Agency for International Students. On all trips we are personally there for you and we take care of everything concerning the trip (buses, punctuality, drivers, accommodation. . . ). But most important: We want to have fun together with you all and have an amazing time in all those beautiful cities of Europe! For all the International Students from Aachen we have a special “Get to know offer”. Join any trip, write us that your tutors work for AEGEE-Aachen and get 5eoff for your first trip with Studifahrten! We hope that we will have a great time together with YOU, too! Come and join us, we are looking forward to welcome you! Greetings from your Studifahrten Team Travel Destinations Germany Ruhr Area / Ruhrpott Traditional German coal mining region with a special race. Steel industry, corner bars, soccer clubs (Schalke, Borussia Dortmund, Rot-Weiss Essen, ...) and allotment, now transformed into a modern cultural region rich of industrial heritage: www.ruhr2010.de, www.landschaftspark.de, www.zollverein.de, www.unperfekthaus.de, www.gasometer.de, www.villahuegel.de Dreiländereck Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands at the border triangle. Availiable by bike or walking tour or a good destination for your next run. 47 Monschau Beautiful timber-frame construction village with a nice castle throning upon the hills. www.monschau.de & www.senfmuehle.de Eifel Rural area with many traces of active volcanoes 10000 years ago. Beautiful nature, clean air, and tons of possibilities for hiking and sailing. www.eifel.de & www.eifelsteig.de Rursee/Wildenau RWTH Aachen University water sports center at the beautiful Rur basin. You can camp there for very cheap prices and also sail! www.hochschulsport.rwth-aachen.de Köln Stronghold of European carnival with a rich Roman heritage and a beautiful cathedral, which was virtually the only building having survived WW2. Playing in the first division again, enjoy the atmosphere of the 1. FC Köln and its hefty supporters. www.koelner-dom.de, www.koelner-lichter.de, www.koelner-brauhaus-wanderweg.de, www.koeln.de Düsseldorf Modern fashion-conscious state capital with international flair. www.duesseldorf.de & www.karneval-in-duesseldorf.de Bonn Former capital center of Germany rich of administrative buildings and a decent selection of excellent museums: www.bonn.de & www.rhein-in-flammen.com Münster Rural area especially famous for horse-back riding tours with a nice historical university city. In Aachen especially know for its high percentage of women studying there. www.muenster.de & www.touristik.havixbeck.de 48 Netherlands Since Aachen is located just at the “Drielandenpunt”, a trip to the netherlands is not much effort. It’s a great country for day or weekend trips due to its great infrastructure. Here are some destinations we would highly recommend you to visit! Vaals Closest Dutch town to Aachen, good bus connections available. Sunday shopping possible! Also includes the tri-point, where Germany, Netherlands and Belgium meet, and the highest point of the Netherlands. www.vaals.nl Maastricht As an university city and principal town of Limburg municipality offering multifaceted theaters within the shopping metropolis. Stronghold of Dutch street carnival beside starting point of the 130km long Mergellandroute cultural trail. A nice day trip to cycle to. www.bonnefanten.nl & www.vvvmaastricht.nl At the Sea Side It’s just 31/2 hours by car or comparably painless by train towards the North Seaside. Close to the German/Dutch border Emden and Wilhelmshaven are at your disposal. Come to get to know typical East Frisian tea and the local mentality. Merely a stone’s throw away there are also Delfzijl and Groningen. There you can find several natural habitats for seals. It’s definitely worth a visit! Amsterdam Capital of the Netherlands, with gorgeous architecture woven seamlessly into a network of countless canals (“Grachten“). First class museums, coffee shops, European graffiti metropolis, or the Jordaan world heritage, these are just all a few highlights. www.iamsterdam.com Valkenburg Touristy city that serves as an excellent starting point for trips into the Geul valley. Numerous organized tours are offered in the marl caves, a Christmas market is held there each year. www.valkenburg.nl & www.gemeentegrot.nl 49 Belgium Travels to Belgium are very cheap, and it doesn’t matter if you travel just across the border or all the way to the ocean. If you are under 26, it’s 8e per trip (from Aachen to anywhere in Belgium, or vice-versa). You can buy your tickets online (Go Pass 1 Aachen). If you are over 26, you have to get a Rail Pass, which you can only get in Belgium. You have to buy 10 trips at once, but at 76e this is very affordable. Note that a Rail Pass is only valid within Belgium, and you therefore need to pay an additional fee from Aachen to Belgium. Brussels Capital of Belgium, a huge center for comic enthusiasts, headquarters of both the European Union as well as the NATO, numerous cultural and culinary delights located around the impressive Grand Place Market. Visiting the famous Atomium might be interesting for you as well. Don’t struggle at the Delirium pub and you shouldn’t forget to sneak a peak at the Manneken Pis. www.visitbrussels.be, www.deliriumcafe.be, www.cbbd.be Bruges / Gent The Central venue of the Flemish city owes its history to the Zeebruges industrial harbor. The Historic Centre, Basilica of the Holy Blood, De Halve Maan, Belfry and Cloth Hall are just a few spots to discover. www.brugge.be 50 Holidays These are the official bank holidays valid for Aachen. It means you won’t have lectures, but it also means shops are closed, just as on a Sunday. 2017 Tag der Deutschen Einheit Allerheiligen Weihnachten Weihnachten Day of German unity 3rd of October Tuesday All Saints’ Day Christmas Christmas 1st November 25th December 26th December Wednesday Monday Tuesday 2018 Neujahr Karfreitag Ostermontag Tag der Arbeit Christi Himmelfahrt Pfingstmontag Fronleichnam New Years Eve Good Friday Easter Monday Labor Day Ascension of Christ Whit Monday Corpus Christi 1st January 30th March 2nd April 1st May 10th May 21th May 31st May Monday Friday Monday Tuesday Thursday Monday Thursday 1st October 9th October 2nd February 31st March 21th May - 25th May Saturday Monday Friday Saturday Semester Dates Semesterbeginn Vorlesungsbeginn Vorlesungsende Semesterende Exkursionswoche Begin of Semester Begin of Lectures End of Lectures End of Semester Excursion Week Carnival On 11th November on each year, at 11:11:11, carnival starts in Cologne. The real carnival is then from Thursday, 8th February 2018 (Weiberfastnacht) and officially ends on Wednesday, 14th February 2018. During this time, you will see dressed up people everywhere drinking enough to chase the evil spirits away. Buy your costumes in advance, or make them yourself! 51 Impressum Publisher AEGEE-Aachen e.V. c/o RWTH Aachen Templergraben 55 52056 Aachen Edition 2017/18 2016/17 2015/16 2014/15 2013/14 2012/13 2011/12 2010/11 2009/10 Print Druckshop-24.de Number Of Copies 2500 Responsible Authors Fabian Richter, Jan Häusler, Jens Baumanns, Susanne Thiery Andreas Mießen, Philipp Blum, Felix Goeke, Lilian Peters, Kathrin Garwels, Simon Wensing Philipp Blum, Leonie Riebesam, Malte Berrenberg, Nils Barkawitz, Felix Goeke Noreen Küster, Lilian Peters, Mareike Wegener, Marie Ossenkopf, Janik Frenzel Leonard Büsch, Noreen Küster, Patrick Scholz Patrick Scholz Eric Luckner, Katja Sontag, Ingo Kaiser, Markus Kühbach Alexander Brill, Sophia Schmitz Katja Behrendt, Sophia Schmitz Editor Contact pr@aegee-aachen.org | www.aegee-aachen.org/key2aachen Disclaimer - AEGEE-Aachen e.V. is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) recognized by the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) as the local Erasmus Initiative in Aachen and entitled to use the protected name “Erasmus“ for information and promotional purpose. It is registered at Amtsgericht Aachen with the number VR 2444. - AEGEE-Aachen e.V. provides this information to its best knowledge. No guarantees are given for the correctness of this document. AEGEE-Aachen e.V. cannot be held responsible for the content of web pages presented in external links. c aachen tourist service e.V. - Grafik + Design: www.ruhnke-design.de - Map of Aachen  - All images are the property of AEGEE-Aachen e.V. (Eric Luckner, Markus Kühbach, Christian Bußar). Note of Thanks AEGEE-Aachen e.V. gratefully acknowledges the support of RWTH Aachen University, FH Aachen University, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, and our sponsors. 52