Giessen
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A small riverside town in Hesse with a large student population
The small town of Giessen (Gießen) is in the Central German state of Hesse, located midway between the cities of Frankfurt and Marburg. Giessen has a long history stretching back to the early Medieval Age. Many of Giessen's historic buildings suffered badly in the World War II, but it has emerged as a vibrant university town. Today historic buildings sit next to stark modern ones. The town is built on the banks of the Lahn River and close to the large Dutenhofener Lake, where swimming and boating are popular pastimes.
More about Giessen
Giessen has a population of just under 90,000, a third of which, 30,000, attend one of the 2 public universities. It was officially founded in 1152.
Studying and Working in Giessen
Giessen is a university town, with almost 1 in 3 residents attending either the public University of Giessen (JLU), which includes the private University Hospital of Giessen und Marburg, or the Giessen campus of the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (University of Applied Sciences). Faculty buildings for the University of Giessen are spread all over the town, which means students enjoy a fully integrated experience of life in Giessen.
Many students and graduates find work in Giessen at one of the universities themselves, which together make up the town's biggest employer. Frankfurt is less than an hour by train, so many Giessen residents commute to Frankfurt, Germany's foremost financial services hub.
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