Bremen has developed into a location with high technological competence and innovative strength in the centre of Europe. With a population of over 570,000, Bremen is the secon largest city in Northern Germany and the first city in Germany to be awarded the title of "City of Science" in recognition of the optimal combination of science and business.
The free, cosmopolitan spirit of a city with 1,200 years of seafaring and merchant tradition has been preserved in the Hanseatic City of Bremen. This is also evident to visitors to the city, who quickly feel at home. Bremen is a lively, vibrant city, rich in tradition and history. Forward-looking science and research are as much a part of this mix as industry, trade and cultural diversity.
A city of short distances
Student life in the heart of the city
The ICG campus is located in the heart of the city. With over 35,000 students, Bremen is well-known as a student city in Germany. A wide range of cultural and social events, museums, concert halls and theaters provide Bremen with a fair share of culture. A great variety of cafés, bars, pubs, restaurants and clubs also add to the city life. The river Weser is just a stone’s throw away, providing recreation and leisure activities in a wonderful natural habitat. Beside its study programs, IGC also offers leisure actities like city trips in Germany, company visits, events and a tutoring service.
City of Science
Bremen has developed into a city of high technological expertise and innovative strength - right in the heart of Europe. Over the past few years, Bremen has been able to take the top spots in a series of locations comparisons rating economics dynamics. Bremen has an international presence – due to its high profile as an location for the automotive industry, aeronautics and astronautics, foodstuffs and luxury foods, mobile technologies, life sciences and logistics.
Vital industry location in Germany
Why study in Bremen?
Bremen sights
Manageable and affordable
The affordable cost of living and short distances make for an exciting social life in the city. Bremen has so much to offer: from (free) festivals and fairs to the Breminale, the Christmas Markets and many attractions. It is a place to feel at home.
Leisure and sports
Bremen offers various leisure activities
In addition to the Werdersee, which is located in the middle of the city, various Bremer bathing lakes invite you to swim every summer. The music and culture festival "Breminale" on the Weser takes place every summer. In autumn, the Bremer "Freimarkt" invites you to go carousel riding. From cycling through the Bremer "Blockland", kayaking and canoeing on the Wümme and inline skating around the Werdersee, there are many attractive outdoor activities. Bremen also has a historic old town, a vibrant nightlife and a great promenade in the Bremer "Viertel" to offer, which enrich student life.
Bremen University Sports Association
The HSB is a member of the Bremen University Sports Association. Its program ranges from A for Aerobics to Z for Zumba. Here you can try out new sports or compete. Registration takes place online for the winter semester from the beginning of October and for the summer semester from the middle of March:
Fit and active
There are around 430 sports clubs in the state of Bremen, which offer a wide range of sports, from gliding to soccer and chess. An overview of the clubs is available online:
If you feel comfortable in the wet element, you won't stay dry in Bremen. There are outdoor and indoor pools in several districts as well as swimming lakes with and without supervision. Many swimming pools have discounted prices for students. An overview of swimming opportunities in Bremen is available online:
Culture
The city offers a wide spectrum of cultural institutions and events including: prestigious museums, theaters and philharmonics, countless sights, a historic city center (a UNESCO world heritage site) and the Weser Stadium with exciting Bundesliga football matches.
Theater
The Bremen theater landscape has a varied program to offer, from Shakespeare classics to modern dance theater. Students who visit the Theater Bremen, the Bremen Shakespear Company, the Schwankhalle or the Schnürschuh-Theater can experience the variety on Bremens stages at reduced prices.
Museums
The spectrum of the Bremen museums ranges from past epochs to modern art, from local history to distant cultures and from history to technology. The following museums in Bremen offer reduced admission for students:
- Weserburg - Museum of Modern Art
- Kunsthalle Bremen
- Gerhard-Marcks-Haus
- Focke-Museum
- Museen Böttcherstraße
- Üerbersee-Museum
- Deutsches Schifffahrts-Museum Bremerhaven
- Deutsches Auswandererhaus in Bremerhaven
Movie Theater
In Bremen there are both large multiplex houses that show current blockbusters, and smaller program cinemas such as the Bremer Filmkunst Theater, the Cinema im Ostertor or the City46, which mainly show films with higher artistic standards. All cinemas offer discount prices for students.
Libraries
In addition to the State and University Library (SuUB), students can also use the city library free of charge. Anyone who has not studied and has already paid for the SuUB card simply pays the difference in order to be able to borrow from the city library.
Boredom? Not in Bremen!
Throughout the year there is a varied cultural program in Bremen with exhibitions, music, film and literature festivals. An overview of facilities and current events can be found on the website of the city of Bremen.
The Studierendenwerk and the AStA of the HSB support and accompany student cultural projects.
Nature
Bremen is divided into two parts by the Weser river, as well as known having for many wide fields, parks and forests. There are 18 nature reserves, which account for almost 7% of the city area with a total of over 2000 hectares. The "Bürgerpark" and the associated city forest, are located near the main railway station and cover more than 200 hectares of green space; both are well known and perfect for long strolls on sunny days.
- bremen.eu/life-in-bremen/parks-and-recreation
- bremen.eu/life-in-bremen/blockland
- bremen.eu/stadtwerder-lake-werdersee
- bremen.eu/tourism/activities/excursions
- bremen.eu/tourism/activities/along-the-coast
Connected
Explore Bremen's diverse neighbourhoods or leave the hustle and bustle behind and head out into the countryside: with your student ticket, you can take advantage of an impressive networkt of free trams and buses in and around Bremen, or even rent a bike at special HSB rates.
In the immediate vicinity of Bremen are other attractive cities like Hanover and Hamburg, as well as the North Sea with the Frisian Islands and their unique Wadden Sea.