Heidelberg: Lessons in History & Heritage

There are many student towns in the world but few can rival the small German city of Heidelberg's unique connection with education and youth. While hostels and libraries are commonplace, Heidelberg is perhaps the only centre of learning in the world to have had a prison for students!

- Ranvir Nayar

It is rather easy to miss the arched white door at the entrance of an ordinary-looking building, set in a narrow alleyway in Altstadt. But, step inside and the ordinary settings rapidly metamorphose into a unique structure, with wall-to-wall graffiti covering every little bit of space in each of many rooms in the building.

No, you have not stepped into a museum of post-modern art or a gallery of graffiti. You are standing in a unique spot that dates back to late 18th century and served as a special prison, a jailhouse dedicated to disciplining errant students.

Set in the centre of the Altstadt or Old Town of Heidelberg, inside the Old University, Studentenkarzer was the student prison of Heidelberg University from 1778 until 1914, where students were punished for their peccadilloes or minor transgressions such as petty violence or pranks, which were rather common, even though almost every student belonged to a gentrified family.

As the university ran its own affairs inside the campus, the students were sent to detentions at the prison, lasting from 3 days to 4 weeks. However, even during detention, the students could attend their classes during the day, but returned to spend their evenings in the prison.

While imprisoned, the students did what they have done the best, doodling or making graffiti on the walls of their cell and these 'artworks' continue to tell the tale of the talent even to this day and practically every cell is crammed with them.

The University sits at the centre of the Old Town, the historic and current heart of the city, with its romantic alleyways, paved with cobblestones and lined with quaint traditional pubs, set amidst numerous historic buildings.