Combined with the language course is a Cultural Studies program, which includes seminars developed in cooperation with the Departments of Architecture, German Studies, History and Political Science.

Tours are an integral part of many seminars, as they provide students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical situations.

Darmstadt – A City of the Science and Arts

Surrounded by the densely wooded recreational areas of the Odenwald and the Bergstraße, Darmstadt is situated 30 km south of Frankfurt and 60 km north of Heidelberg. It is situated in the heart of the southern Rhine-Main-Area, which is one of Europe´s most commercially flourishing regions. In addition, Darmstadt is only twenty minutes drive from the international airport in Frankfurt am Main.

With a population of about 140.000, Darmstadt is a city without skyscrapers, urban motorways or extensive office and administration blocks but with a face that is still characterized by Darmstadt´s development into the grand-ducal residence to which many urban features bear witness. Take, for example, the baroque castle in the city centre facing the old town hall built at the time of the Renaissance or the great number of parks and small castles spreading across the municipal area.

„Darmstadt keeps the arts alive“. This advertising slogan enscapulates Darmstadt's ambience. The city boasts both an Art Nouveau museum and Art Nouveau villas at the Mathildenhöhe, an artists' quarter on Rosenhöhe, a Porzellanschlößchen (which houses an exhibition of precious porcelain from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries), a Landesmuseum (the Hessen State Museum), and the theatre of the state of Hessen.

In 1997 the city´s name was officially changed to Wissenschaftsstadt Darmstadt (Darmstadt – City of Science) in recognition of the city´s many public and private scientific institutions, research-orientated branches of industry, and three institutions of higher education. It is a well-known location of chemical and specialized engineering companies, as well as the Graphic Trades (Publishing, Printing and Paper Processing). Darmstadt is also recognized as a major centre of Information and Communication Technology. Over the last few years, numerous software firms have been founded in the area, giving Darmstadt the additional title of „the Secret Software Capital“ of Germany.

Read more about the history of Darmstadt (in English)