welcome to frankfurt - Goethe

Transcription

WELCOME TO FRANKFURT
Imprint / Copyright
Goethe-University Frankfurt
Otto Stern School for Integrated Doctoral Education in Natural Sciences
60438 Frankfurt am Main
Compilation:
Christian Dewerth
Responsibility: Dr. Martina van de Sand
Photo:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
O T T O S T E R N S C H O O L
www.oss.uni-frankfurt.de
This booklet aims at all international doctoral candidates and young scientists of
Natural Sciences coming to the University of Frankfurt, Campus Riedberg, for their
research.
The brochure provides a compilation of information about what might be important to
know for successfully taking your first steps here. As your life in Frankfurt (hopefully)
will not only consist of research work, it also contains information about daily life and
leisure activities. Therefore, the booklet is intended as a guide to simplify and support
your entire stay in Frankfurt.
Probably you will have a lot of questions, especially during the initial phase of your
stay, yet this guide does not claim to be exhaustive. There will always be questions a
brochure cannot answer. However, if you miss something which you consider of principle relevance, please feel free to hand in suggestions for additional topics. And
please do not hesitate to seek assistance from the OSS office.
We wish you a pleasant stay in Frankfurt and much success for your research project.
Your OSS team
Content
1. BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL
1.1. Visa
1
1.2. Important Documents
3
2. FIRST STEPS AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL
2.1. Registration with Local Authorities
4
2.2. Insurances
5
2.3. Residence Permit
8
2.4. Opening a Bank Account
10
2.5. Acceptance by the Faculty
11
2.6. Registration with the University
13
3. UNIVERSITY OF FRANKFURT AND ITS CAMPUS RIEDBERG
3.1. Public Transport to the Campus Riedberg
16
3.2. Meals, Coffee, and Snacks
17
3.3. Books, Papers, and Souvenirs
18
3.4. Language and Sports
21
3.5. Where to Find Help When You Have Questions
23
4. ACCOMMODATION
4.1. Hints and Information
25
4.2. Useful Addresses
25
4.3. Information on Tenancy Contracts
29
4.4. Additional Information
31
5. COMMUNICATION
5.1. Radio and Television
33
5.2. Telephone
33
5.3. Internet
35
5.4. Post Offices
37
6. TRANSPORTATION
6.1. Local Public Transportation - RMV
38
6.2. Taxis
40
6.3. Railway
40
6.4. Car
43
6.5. Trips to and Visits from Abroad
47
7. EVERYDAY LIFE
7.1. Health
51
7.2. Working
55
7.3. Shopping
57
8. LIVING AND LEISURE IN FRANKFURT
8.1. Some General Information
61
8.2. Useful to Know
64
8.3. Typical Local - Events
67
8.4. Typical Local - Drinking and Eating
69
8.5. Culture
70
8.6. Nature and Sports
74
9. RETURNING HOME
9.1. Recognition of Your Qualification
75
9.2. Cancelling Contracts
77
9.3. Official Departure
81
9.4. Returning Assistance
82
9.5. Alumni Contacts
83
10. APPENDIX
Glossary
85
Information Material
88
Consulates in Frankfurt
89
OSS Scholarships
91
Campus Riedberg Map
92
Important Phone Numbers
93
1.
BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL
Congratulation: You have identified a supervision and – most probably – a preliminary research topic for your doctoral project. That means that you will spend the next
three years (or in some cases even more) in Germany and in Frankfurt. This requires
quite some organisation. The most important thing you will need for entering Germany is a visa. The following chapter will give you the most important information
about what to consider.
1.1.
Visa
Applying for the Right Visa
Most international students – including doctoral students – must obtain a visa for entering Germany. When applying for the visa, you should make absolutely sure that
you are applying for the right visa.
Basically, there are two types of visa for first entering Germany:
The Schengen Visa (“tourist visa”) is issued for a short stay (e.g. attending
a summer school, a language course, etc.). It is valid for a maximum of 90
days. A Schengen Visa is not suitable for a doctorate and cannot be converted into a (national) student visa. With this visa, you must leave Germany after 3 months.
A National Visa is issued for a stay that lasts longer than 90 days. If you
intend to do a doctorate, you must apply for a National Visa for the Purpose of Studying (student visa). The national visa is a temporary entry and
residence permit with a normal validity of three months. Before it expires, it
has to be converted into a long-term residence title at the aliens’ registration
office of the city of residence in Germany.
Also make sure that your passport is still valid. In case that your identity documents have expired, you will have to travel back to your home country to have them
extended there.
Please note:
Visa applications for long-term stays cannot be submitted online. It is
generally advisable to contact the German embassy in your home country as early as possible. All the more, as it may take several months before a visa is issued.
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1.
BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL
Country-Specific Visa Arrangements
As a general rule, all foreigners who intend to stay in Germany for more than 90 days
and/or who want to work or study in Germany need a visa before entering Germany.
Nationals of Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and
the United States may apply for the necessary permit after they arrive in Germany.
EU citizens as well as citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland
do not need a visa to live and work in Germany. Still, they need to register with the
registration office of the town hall (called Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) of their
residence in Germany within a week after they arrived.
For nationals of countries which acceded to the EU 1 May 2004 and 1 January 2007,
transitional regulations apply.
Special Cases
Generally, it is not possible to obtain a visa from a German embassy
other than in the home country. Exceptions apply only when a person’s
country of residence is not the country of nationality. In this case, the German
embassy in the country of residence will deal with the visa process.
Congress participation: Please note that it is necessary to apply for a visa
(if applicable) if travelling outside of Germany. The residence permit for Germany does not automatically allow a person to travel within Europe.
Leaving Germany for longer than 6 months: The residence permit for
Germany expires if you leave the country for more than 6 months. In this
case, you have to apply for a new visa for Germany.
Proof of finance: If you intend to enter Germany for a longer stay, you have
to provide evidence that you have € 565 per month and person available
when applying for a visa.
Proof of adequate living space: A longer stay in Germany requires a proof
of adequate living space. As a general rule, a family (e.g. 2 adults, 1 child)
needs at least 50 m2 of living space.
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1.
1.2.
BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL
Important Documents
For your stay in Germany, you need to bring along the following documents:
Passport or an equivalent form of identification, which must be valid for the
whole stay in Germany
Visas for yourself and also for accompanying family members. Please apply
for your visa in due time – delays in issuing documents for family members
might occur.
Confirmation of your supervisor’s support of your research
Several passport photographs for different IDs, which you apply for during
your stay in Germany
Certificate(s) of birth and also, if applicable, certificate of marriage (best
bring a German translation of these certificates)
If applicable, attested copies of your final degree certificate(s) and attested
copies of your insurance documents (in English or German)
Confirmation of your health insurance in case your insurance cover is also
valid for Germany. (Please note that you need a health insurance for yourself
and your family members from the first day on in Germany in order to obtain a residence permit. If your health insurance from your home country is
not valid for Germany, you must get a German health insurance immediately
after your arrival (details see also chapter 2).
If necessary, an explanation of special or former diseases (e.g. recently
taken radiographies) as well as currently required pharmaceuticals
Your vaccination pass, preferably an international version
To avoid communication problems with German doctors and health insurance companies, we recommend that you have a preventive medical check-up in your home
country before travelling to Germany.
If you require permanent medical treatment, it is advisable to have a stock of the respective pharmaceuticals for your first weeks in Germany with you in case the acceptance procedure with the health insurance company takes some time. Also in Germany, pharmaceuticals are comparatively expensive.
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2.
FIRST STEPS AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL
In the following chapter, you will find an overview on the necessary tasks after your
arrival in Frankfurt. The sequence of topics represents the recommended order of the
steps.
2.1.
Registration with Local Authorities
After arriving in Germany, all foreign students are required to register with the authorities in the city of residence (a requirement that also applies for all German citizens in case of relocation within Germany). Depending on the local regulations, this
registration usually must be made within the first week after arrival.
Please note:
Each relocation – even within the same German city – requires that you
register your (new) residential address with the local authorities.
The registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt or Bürgeramt) is part of the municipality.
The respective registration authority is always the one in the (new) city of residence.
The website of the City of Frankfurt provides an overview of the district offices, their
addresses, and opening hours (website in German only).
Registration Office
Address:
Einwohnermeldeamt
Bürgeramt (Zentrale)
Zeil 3
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 21 23 06 00
buergeramt.zentrale@stadt-frankfurt.de
www.frankfurt.de
Opening hours:
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
09:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
07:30 a.m. - 01:30 p.m.
07:30 a.m. - 01:30 p.m.
09:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
07:30 a.m. - 01:00 p.m.
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2.
2.2.
Insurances
Health Insurance is a Must
If you do not have sufficient health insurance coverage, you can neither have your
visa converted into a residence permit nor register (matriculate) with the university.
So one of the most important things is to take care of health insurance right after your
arrival in Germany or possibly even in advance, when your health insurance from
your home country is not valid in Germany. The insurance company can be chosen
by you.
This means that you have to look for an appropriate health insurance company (public or private) in Germany and get a health insurance. The following chapter provides
basic information about health insurance in Germany. If in doubt, please contact the
OSS office in advance.
There are some exceptions:
Depending on the research project and its financial source, doctoral candidates in very few cases might be employed as research associates. This
means they have working contracts with the university or research institution
and will automatically have insurance. In this case, health insurance will be
deducted from your pay check. All necessary steps will be taken care of by
the human resources department of your employer.
If you are an EU national, you only have to show a European Health Insurance Card or form E 128 from your home insurance company when seeing
a doctor. Before departing for Germany, make sure to check back with your
insurer.
If you are privately insured in your home country, this might be recognized in Germany. You need to present a letter stating that you are exempted
from compulsory statutory insurance as well as a confirmation of your insurance coverage.
Insurance benefits generally exclude illnesses or pregnancy which started prior to the
local insurance coverage in Germany (pre-insurance illnesses). Pregnancy commencing during a research visit is normally not covered. To have these expenses reimbursed, the relevant benefits must be laid down in advance in a supplementary contract. Furthermore, health insurance companies will not necessarily
refund the costs for prophylactic medical check-ups.
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2.
Conditions for Doctoral Candidates
In Germany, all students require proof of health insurance for matriculation. Thus, all
public insurance companies offer special student tariffs, which are regularised by law
and therefore the same with every insurance company. They now amount to € 66.04
per month for all students below the age of 30 who have not yet exceeded 14 terms
of study.
Formerly, this also applied to doctoral candidates until in 2007 the law changed. According to the new regulations, all doctoral candidates – even if they are enrolled as
students – cannot be insured as students any more. Instead, they now have to apply
for insurance as voluntary members.
In principal, there are two different kinds of insurance possibilities: Statutory (public)
health insurance and private health insurance:
Statutory (Public) Health Insurance
All basic medical treatments are covered. 95% of the benefits are the same with all
public health insurers; the remaining 5% are additional individual benefits such as
personal availability (Service-Centres), preventive medical check-ups, etc. If you are
insured by public insurance company, you only pay a nominal fee for treatments and
medicine, the rest is directly paid by your insurance company. Your insurance will
issue you a health insurance card, which you have to take with you whenever you
see a doctor.
Rates for statutory (public) health insurance vary between 12.3 and 16.5 % of the
monthly income, depending on the insurance company. Additionally, another 2.2 %
will have to be paid for Compulsory Long Term Care Insurance (gesetzliche
Pflegeversicherung).
For voluntary members, the calculation of the monthly rate stipulates a minimum income of € 828.22 per month. This means that even if your income should fall below
that, your monthly contribution rate would at least amount to € 128.37 (equivalent to
12.3 % health plus 2.2 % care insurance) – more than the double a student would
have to pay.
Please note:
What is above is the official information provided by the public insurance companies. The practice in some cases, however, still seems to
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2.
be that the companies tend to insure doctoral candidates at student tariffs (provided they are matriculated, below the age of 30, and studied
less than 14 terms). So, you might still be able to save money if you
succeed to obtain a student insurance.
Private Health Insurance
Usually, a private health insurance offers a wider range of benefits than the statutory
(public) health insurance. Depending on the tariff chosen, they may offer options
such as private hospitals, alternative therapies like acupuncture and herbal treatments, glasses and contact lenses.
In case you need medical assistance, you have to cover all costs directly yourself first
and will be reimbursed by the insurance company after handing in the medical bill.
The rate is based on your risk profile not on your income. Older people or women
generally pay higher rates than young men. Both the premium charged and the benefits provided by private health insurance companies may vary considerably, so that
what initially appears to be the cheaper option is not always the best choice.
Thus, please examine the terms of your insurance policy in detail to avoid difficulties
later. If in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact the OSS office before signing a
contract.
Additional Private Health Insurance
Almost all private health insurance companies offer supplementary insurances for
holders of public health insurances. Those rates can be individually combined and
configured for the requirements of the insurants. The advantage might be that you
pay less for important therapies such as dental prosthesis or glasses, which can be
very expensive in Germany.
Additional health insurance may include e.g.:
Surgeries
Alternative practitioner, alternative therapies
Dental prostheses
Chief physician treatment in hospital
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2.
Daily allowance for hospital stays
Refund of expenses for medicine
Refund of expenses for glasses and contact lenses
Coverage for stays abroad
Rates depend on the age and sex of the insurant and on the volume of insurance.
Private Liability Insurance (Privat-Haftpflicht)
In addition to the health insurance which is mandatory, we recommend a private liability insurance. In case you damage something which you do not own (e.g. you
cause an accident as a pedestrian or when riding a bike), you will normally be
obliged to bear the damage. Depending on the incident, this may easily amount to
some thousand Euros. The liability insurance will cover all kinds of damages – provided that they were not caused on purpose. You find offers by all major insurance
companies. The fee ranges between 40 and 90 Euros a year, depending on the coverage type and the insurance company.
Legal Costs Insurance (Rechtsschutz)
In addition, you can take out a defence insurance which is not obligatory but could be
reasonable. In case you have to take court action, the insurance pays e.g. the costs
for the lawyer. Defence insurances are often limited to certain parts of court action
and do not cover the whole legal protection.
2.3.
Residence Permit
The EU residence permit for EU citizens and nationals of EEA countries has been
abolished. These persons are only required to register with the local authorities (as
mentioned above).
Citizens from all other countries require a residence permit. That means that you
have to visit the aliens’ registration office (Ausländerbehörde) in order to get your
visa converted into a residence permit within 3 months after arrival.
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2.
The residence permit is generally issued for a period of one or two years depending
on the application. It can be extended on the condition that the holder applies for extension prior to the expiry of the respective period of validity.
You will need the following documents for the aliens’ registration office:
Proof of Admission or Enrolment at the University of Frankfurt, or
Letter of Acceptance from the respective professor as his/her doctoral
candidate
Proof of scholarship or other adequate means of income: Non-EU students must generally provide credible proof that they have financial resources of at least 550 Euros per month at their disposal. Foreign doctoral
candidates can usually meet the requirement by providing a scholarship.
Proof of adequate health insurance cover
Application for a residence permit
Proof of registration with local authorities
Please note:
The Otto Stern School has special arrangements with the aliens’ registration office. If you are to register, please first come to the OSS and
hand in the documents mentioned above. We will send all your documents together with the completed request to the aliens’ registration office. Only then an appointment with the Office will follow. Please keep
this appointment and collect your residence permit. This may save you
time and prevent you from a frustrating experience.
Foreigners Registration Office
Address:
Ausländerbehörde
Ordnungsamt
Groundfloor, 2nd und 3rd floor
Mainzer Landstraße 323-329
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2.
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 21 24 24 85
auslaenderbehoerde@stadt-frankfurt.de
www.frankfurt.de
Opening hours
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2.4.
07:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
closed
07:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
01:00 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.
07:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Opening a Bank Account
A current account (Girokonto) is the most common form of accounts in Germany.
Most financial transactions can be made through this type of account, such as receiving scholarship money or paying the rent. A current account allows you to:
Withdraw money from your bank using an EC-card. This is normally free of
charge at your own bank's Automatic Transfer Machine (ATM) / cash dispenser, but a fee of several EUR may be charged for withdrawing money
from other banks’ ATMs.
Transfer money to pay bills using transfer forms
Set up standing orders (e.g. your rent)
Set up direct debit (for variable amounts, e.g. telephone bills and health insurance contributions)
Therefore, it is almost indispensable to open an account in order to be able to transfer and receive cashless payments. To open an account, you need your passport or
ID and a proof of residence in Germany. As in most cases students are exempted
from account management fees, you should also take your student ID with you (only
applicable if you are enrolled as a student of the University of Frankfurt).
Usually, banks are open from 09:00 a.m. to 01:00 p.m. and from 02:00 p.m. to 04:00
p.m. On Thursdays, opening hours are longer until 05:30 p.m. or 06:30 p.m. – but
opening hours differ between different banks. Of course, you can get cash any time
at a cash dispenser.
Banks close to Riedberg are:
Deutsche Bank, Tituscorso 2-4, 60439 Frankfurt (NordWestZentrum),
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 95 82 27 0
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Raiffeisenbank, Kalbacher Hauptstr. 39, 60437 Frankfurt,
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 95 04 22 6
2.5.
Acceptance by the Faculty
Obtaining Official Status as a Doctoral Candidate
One of the first things to do right after your arrival in Frankfurt is to submit your application for admission as a doctoral candidate to the deanery of the respective faculty.
After being accepted by the faculty, you obtain an official status as a doctoral candidate. Only then are you entitled to do your doctorate at the University of Frankfurt.
Also only with the acceptance by the faculty, you may register as a doctoral candidate and receive student status.
The faculty responsible is always the one which your principal supervisor belongs to.
You can download the application form (Annahmeantrag Fachbereich – only available in German) for the faculty from the OSS website: www.oss.uni-frankfurt.de.
In your application, you have to include the following information:
Subject in which the doctorate is sought
Provisional working title of your dissertation
Written statement on previous doctoral procedures, even if there are none
Statement and signature of the principal supervisor
The minimum prerequisites set by all Natural Sciences Faculties are these:
A university degree equivalent to the German Diplom or a Master in a study
programme related to the field of doctoral research
A minimum grade equivalent to the German befriedigend (satisfactory)
You submit your application directly to the respective faculty. The respective proofs
have to be submitted with the application. There are no fixed deadlines, so applications can be submitted all year round. The doctoral admission committee of the respective faculty then decides on the acceptance of new doctoral candidates.
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2.
Deaneries
Psychology and Sports Sciences (Faculty 5)
Address:
Bockenheim, Kettenhofweg 128, 60325 Frankfurt am Main
Dean:
Prof. Dr. Moosbrugger, Helfried
Deanery:
Siebert, Martina / 2nd floor / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-23 26 7
E-Mail:
dekanat@psych.uni-frankfurt.de
Office hours: Mon – Fri
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Geosciences and Geography (Faculty 11)
Address:
Riedberg, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main
Dean:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Brey, Gerhard
Deanery:
Dr. Dambek, Rainer / 3.106 / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-40 20 7
Otto, Gabriele / Room 3.107 / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-40 20 8
E-Mail:
dekanat-geowiss@em.uni-frankfurt.de
09:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Computer Sciences and Mathematics (Faculty 12)
Address:
Bockenheim, Robert-Mayer-Str. 10, 60054 Frankfurt / Main
Dean:
Prof. Dr. Johannson, Klaus
Deanery:
Stapleton, Linda / 605a / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-24 60 2
E-Mail:
dekanat@fb12.uni-frankfurt.de
07:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m.
Physics (Faculty 13)
Address:
Riedberg, Max-von-Laue-Str.1, 60438 Frankfurt am Main
Dean:
Prof. Dr. Rischke, Dirk-Hermann
Deanery:
Dr. Eschenbrenner, Peter / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-47 20 1
Mülhens, Dietmar / R. .224 / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-47 20 2
E-Mail:
dekanat@physik.uni-frankfurt.de
09:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy (Faculty 14)
Address:
Riedberg, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, N101, 60438 Frankfurt/ Main
Dean:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Schwalbe, Harald
Deanery:
Binkowski, Sabine / R. 112 / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-29 54 5
Dr. Monz, Sabine / R. 1.12 / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-29 21 1
E-Mail:
DekanatFB14@uni-frankfurt.de
Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 09:00 a.m. – 01:00 p.m.
Life Sciences (Faculty 15)
Address:
Westend, Feldbergstr. 42, 60323 Frankfurt am Main
Dean:
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Müller, Volker
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Deanery:
E-Mail:
Office hours:
N.N. / Phone: +49 (0)69/ 798-23 95 6
dekanat15@bio.uni-frankfurt.de
Talk time by appointment
Graduation Office of the Natural Sciences Faculties
At the end of your doctoral research project, you write up your doctoral thesis. The
thesis and an abstract of the thesis then have to be submitted to the Graduation Office of the Natural Sciences Faculties. With this submission, you formally start your
examination procedure.
Please note:
The address where the thesis and abstract have to be submitted is not
the faculty but the joint Graduation Office of the Natural Sciences Faculties. The prerequisite for the submission is the admission by the faculty responsible.
Graduation Office of the Natural Sciences Faculties
Address:
Chairperson:
Office Management:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Office hours:
2.6.
Bockenheim, Robert-Mayer-Str. 6-8, 60325 Frankfurt / Main
Prof. Dr. Egert, Ernst
Igelbrink, Manuela, Room 304
+49 (0)69/ 798-23 50 4
promotionsbuero@math.uni-frankfurt.de
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri
09:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Registration with the University
Obtaining Official Student Status (recommended)
The matriculation as a doctoral student is not compulsory. However, we recommend
matriculation for the student status gives you certain advantages and benefits (e.g.
free public transport in the Rhine-Main area; reduced meal prices in the cafeteria,
etc.).
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The matriculation is carried out by the central student administration office (Studierendensekretariat) of the University of Frankfurt, which is located on the Bockenheim
Campus.
Registrar’s office
Address
Bockenheimer Landstr. 133
Underground station: U4, U6 and U7 Bockenheimer Warte
Sozialzentrum / Neue Mensa
Groundfloor, Room 1
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 798-79 82
E-Mail:
ssc@uni-frankfurt.de
Office hours:
Mon, Tue, Thu
Wed
08:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
02:00 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.
Please note:
You can only enrol and pay for one entire semester even if you arrive
after the term started
As a doctoral student, you need to pay an administration fee which applies for all
students. This fee currently ranges between € 250 and € 260 per term and covers the
costs of student services (e.g. reduced prices for meals in the cafeteria) and a term
ticket for public transportation in the whole Rhine-Main-Area. This registration is valid
for one term only at a time. Each term you will have to pay the administration fee via
bank transfer again and re-register.
To then get your student identity card (the so-called Goethe Card), you have to apply
separately for it. Requests for the student identity card are only available at the registrar’s office, where you also have to collect the card later on.
Each term after having re-registered, you have to revalidate your student identity
card for another six months, so you can use public transport for the period printed on
the card in blue. Special machines can be found around the university. Just insert
your card and the machine will print the new validation period on it.
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The closest machine is:
Campus Riedberg
Anteroom of Mensa II, Room 2
Max-von-Laue-Str. 9
60438 Frankfurt
Opening hours: permanently
Please note:
The validation of your student identity card is a precondition to use the
public transport services.
Features of the student identity card:
Student identity card (with photo)
Library card
RMV-Asta term ticket for public transportation
Electronic purse for the cafeterias and the copy machines in the library
Ticket to get free-entry for the Palmengarten (Botanical Gardens)
For further information please check the website: http://goethecard.uni-frankfurt.de
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3.
3.1.
THE UNIVERSITY AND ITS CAMPUS RIEDBERG
Public Transport to the Campus Riedberg
Campus Riedberg is located approx. 8 km north of the city centre of Frankfurt. Unfortunately, there is no direct connection from Frankfurt Central Station (Hauptbahnhof)
to the campus, you either have to change at Willy-Brandt-Platz or Hauptwache (the
latter being the city centre):
From the City Centre of Frankfurt (Hauptwache) to Campus Riedberg
There are several options:
Take underground line U3 to Hohemark. Get off at Niederursel. You have to
walk up the hill to your right (street called Kreuzerhohl); it takes you 10 minutes on foot.
Take underground line U2 to Gonzenheim. Step out at Sandelmühle and
take bus no. 26 to NordWestZentrum. Get off at bus stop Max-PlanckInstitute/FIZ.
Take underground line U1 to Ginnheim. Either get out at Zeilweg and take
bus no. 26 to NordWestZentrum or stay on until NordWestZentrum. Take bus
no. 26 to Bahnhof Eschersheim there or bus no. 27 to Kalbach. Get off at bus
stop Max-Planck-Institute/FIZ.
From Campus Bockenheim to Campus Riedberg
Basically you have two options:
Take bus no. 32 (towards Ostbahnhof/Sonnemannstraße) to Miquel/Adickesallee. Change either to underground U2 (to Bad HomburgGonzenheim) or U3 (to Oberursel-Hohemark). Follow directions above.
Take tram line 16 (towards Ginnheim) to Ginnheim/U-Bahnhof. Change to
underground line 1 (to Südbahnhof) to NordWestZentrum. There you change
to bus no. 26 (to S-Bahn stop Eschersheim) or bus no. 29 (to underground
stop Kalbach/Hohe Brücke) to Max-Planck-Institut/FIZ.
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3.
3.2.
Meals, Coffee, and Snacks
Mensa Campus Riedberg (Niederursel)
Address:
Marie-Curie-Str. 11/ N101
Opening hours:
Mon – Thu
Fr
07:30 a.m. – 03:30 p.m.
07:30 a.m. – 03:00 p.m.
Mensa Campus Bockenheim (Zentralmensa)
Address:
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri
11:00 a.m. – 03:00 p.m.
Mensa Campus Westend (Casino)
Address:
Grüneburgplatz 1
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri
11:00 a.m. – 03:00 p.m.
The current menu is published on this website: www.studentenwerkfrankfurt.de. Click
on button Essen & Trinken left-hand-side; then check out button Speisepläne.
Snacks and Coffee
In the Biozentrum beside the Mensa on Campus Riedberg, there is Alfredo’s
Cafe. You get coffee, cake, rolls, and sweets there. It is open from 9.30 a.m.
to 4.30 p.m.
The Café Physik is located in the Physics building. There, you get snacks
and coffee. It is open from 07.30 a.m. to 04.30 p.m.
In the FIZ (Frankfurter Innovationszentrum) building you will find a cafeteria
on the first floor, which is open for the public. There, you get snacks, coffee,
and drinks. A selection of warm meals is served. Prices are adequate. The
cafeteria is open Mon. – Thu. From 08:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. and Fridays
from 08:00 a.m. to 03:00 p.m. The current menu can be found on
http://picasaweb.google.de/Dussmann.fresenius/SpeiseplanFIZ.
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3.
3.3.
Books, Papers, and Souvenirs
Library on Campus Riedberg
The library on Campus Riedberg accommodates books for the faculties of Geosciences/Geography, Physics, Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pharmacy, and Biosciences.
Address:
Max-von-Laue-Str. 9 (Biozentrum)
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 798-29 10 5
bz-nu@ub.uni-frankfurt.de
www.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/bznu
Opening hours:
Mon – Thu
Fri
09:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m.
09:00 a.m. – 06:30 p.m.
Borrowing / return:
Mon – Thu
Fri
09:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m.
09:00 a.m. – 04:30 p.m.
Central University Library Johann Christian Senckenberg
Address:
Bockenheimer Landstr. 134-138
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/798 39205
Auskunft@un.uni-frankfurt.de
www.ub.uni-frankfurt.de
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri
Sat, Sun
08:00 a.m. – 09:30 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m.
Public Libraries in Frankfurt
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt am Main
Address:
Adickesallee 1
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69-15250
postfach@d-nb.de
www.d-nb.de
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3.
Opening hours:
Mon – Thu
Fri
Sat
10:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.
Zentralbibliothek
Address:
Stadtbücherei Frankfurt am Main
Hasengasse 4
Phone:
E-Mail:
+49 (0)69/21238080
info@stadtbuecherei.frankfurt.de
Opening hours:
Mon –Fri
Sat
11:00 a.m. – 07:00 p.m.
11:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.
Bookstores
Campus Buchhandlung Riedberg GmbH
Address:
Marie-Curie-Str. 9
60439 Frankfurt am Main,
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 57 00 25 33
Books that are not available on the spot can be ordered and normally will be there
the next day.
Theodor Hector - Wissenschaftliche Buchhandlung (Bockenheim)
Address:
Graefstrasse 77
Phone:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/77 50 87
+49 (0)69/70 90 42
info@buchhandlung-hector.de
http://buchhandlung-hector.tubefactor.com
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3.
Copy Shops (Selection)
Copyratz (near Campus Riedberg)
Address:
Im Hain 6A
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 507 759 0
Copy-Print Okandan GmbH (near Campus Bockenheim)
Address:
Gräfstr. 43
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 77 20 87
Copy Center Zeil (City Center)
Address:
Zeil 5
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 91 39 46 02
University Shop (Souvenirs)
You find merchandise like sweaters, T-Shirts, or bags in the university shop on Campus Bockenheim. It is located at:
Address:
Neue Mensa
Phone:
+49 (0)69/ 97 78 16 80
Opening hours:
Tue, Wed, Fri
Thu
11:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.,
12:00 a.m. – 03:00 p.m.
Merchandising products are also available in the book store on Campus Riedberg.
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3.
3.4.
Language and Sports
Courses
Courses for the following languages are offered at the centre for further training at
the University of Frankfurt:
Chinese
Japanese
English
French
Italian
Portuguese
Spanish
Usually, a course is 2 hours a week, but there are also courses at 4 hours a week, or
intensive courses which take place during the term holidays. A course costs between
53 and 106 Euros.
For an advanced course, you will be requested to do a placement test right before
the beginning of the course. For further information, please have a look on the website: www.weiterbildung.uni-frankfurt.de/sprache.
OSS – Intensive German Language Training
The OSS regularly offers German language courses for international candidates.
Courses will be set up depending on the level of candidates’ German knowledge and
the number of applicants. For candidates without any knowledge of German, intensive courses for beginners will be organized in regular intervals. The aim of the
classes is to effectively prepare for the German language test on level A1 of the
European Framework, which is organised together with the Goethe Institut.
If you are interested in a German language courses at the OSS, please have a look
at the OSS homepage for detailed information:
www.oss.uni-frankfurt.de/Doctoral_Education/Language_training/index.html
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3.
Multimedia-Language-Laboratory
In the Multimedia-Language-Laboratory, you can learn a variety of languages on your
own using the latest learning software. For the access to the computer room a fee of
€ 25 is charged.
Tandem Courses
The Zentrum für Weiterbildung offers a tandem language learning program, which is
very popular among students. Tandem language learning is a form of autonomous
learning, where students with different native languages work together to learn each
other´s language.
Contact:
Address:
Sandra Luckert M.A.
Zentrum für Weiterbildung
Robert-Meyer-Str. 15
1st floor, Room 133
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 798-23 59 1
+49 (0)69/ 798-23 79 4
Luckert@em.uni-frankfurt.de
www.weiterbildung.uni-frankfurt.de/sprachen
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri
08.30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Sports
As the University of Frankfurt provides a study programme in Sport Science, the university sports centre offers a variety of courses during term-time; e.g. Soccer, Fencing, Kung Fu, Rugby, Yoga and many, many more.
Mind that there is a timeframe for registration at the beginning of the term. For university members, fees for the respective courses are very reasonable compared to
other fitness centres.
Address:
Zentrum für Hochschulsport der Goethe-Universität
Ginnheimer Landstraße 39
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3.
E-Mail:
Web:
zfh@em.uni-frankfurt.de
http://web.uni-frankfurt.de/hochschulsport
For other sport offers and clubs check out: www.frankfurt-online.de/sport
3.5.
Where to Find Help When You Have Questions
International Office
Address:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 78 97 89 0
international@em.uni-frankfurt.de
www.uni-frankfurt.de/international
Women’s representative
Address:
Bockenheimer Landstraße 133
Sozialzentrum, Room 612
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/ 798-22 97 9
frauenbeauftragte@uni-frankfurt.de
www.frauenbeauftragte.uni-frankfurt.de
ASTA
Address:
Studierendenhaus
Mertonstr. 26-28
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/798-23 18 1
info@asta.uni-frankfurt.de
www.asta-frankfurt.de
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3.
Ombudsperson
Address:
Prof. Dr. Christian Winter
Campus Westend, Grüneburgplatz
Casino building, Room 1.813
Phone:
+49 (0)69/798-32 25 6
Office hours: Tue 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
and by arrangement by e-mail
ombudsmann@uni-frankfurt.de
E-Mail :
OSS-Office
Address:
OSS-Office
c/o FIAS
Ruth-Moufang-Str. 1, 1st floor
Phone:
Fax:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/798-49 45 0
+49 (0)69/798-49407
oss@uni-frankfurt.de
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4.
4.1.
ACCOMMODATION
Hints and Information
Unfortunately, the student dormitories let by the student services are not available for
doctoral candidates – but still it is not impossible to find a suitable place in Frankfurt
without paying a fortune.
You should start looking for housing way in advance to have some places and rental
prices to compare. There are different ways to find the right place to live.
Accompanying Family Members
If you intended to bring your family with you, please make sure that you have secured appropriate housing in advance. This means that a minimum space of approx.
12 m2 per person is required. Otherwise you will not be able to obtain a residence
permit for your family members.
Be aware that the price of 2 or 3 room flats in the Frankfurt area may easily amount
to 500 to 800 Euros per month. If you have not found an appropriate accommodation
in advance, we strongly recommend (from experience of many foreign doctoral candidates) first to enter Germany alone and let your family only follow after you have
secured an affordable space.
4.2.
Useful Addresses
Dormitories
The following list gives some websites of the providers of student dorms in Frankfurt:
www.schneider-bau.com
(Private provider – close to the Otto Stern School as well as the majority of
the Natural Sciences Departments)
www.wohnheim-frankfurt.de
www.gwh.de/studentenwohnanlagen
Bock-Hausverwaltung
Im Vogelsang 28
Phone: +49 (0)69/760027
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
City of Frankfurt
The housing department of the City of Frankfurt offers assistance to find subsidised
housing. You have to fulfil certain criteria (low income and other) to be eligible.
E-Mail
Web:
info.amt64@stadt-frankfurt.de
www.frankfurt.de
Private Letting Agencies
www.city-residence.de
www.frankfurt.homecompany.de
www.city-mitwohnzentrale.de
www.wif-ev.de
Flatshare (Wohngemeinschaft / WG)
In Germany, it is very common for students and young people to live in a shared
apartment (German abbreviation: WG). This means that you have your own bedroom
but share bathroom and kitchen – sometimes also a living room – with others in an
apartment. Living in a shared place is usually the least expensive option and often
also more communicative. Here are some online platforms where shared flats are
offered:
www.studenten-wg.de
www.wg-gesucht.de
www.wg-welt.de
www.zimmervermittlungen-online.de
www.zimmerkartei.de
www.studis-online.de
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
Online Offers
There are several possibilities to find a place to live online. To search for appropriate
housing online, you will find some links below:
www.frankfurt.studenten-wohnung.de
www.vermietungen.quoka.de
www.asta.uni-frankfurt.de
Advertisements and Newspapers
Frankfurter Rundschau:
Newspaper with a large real estate section
on Wednesdays and Saturdays. You can
purchase it at paper stands, bookstores; train
stations etc. within Frankfurt or visit them
online on: http://fr-online.immonet.de
Frankfurter Neue Presse:
Newspaper with a real estate section. You
can purchase it at paper stands, bookstores;
train stations etc. within Frankfurt or visit
them online on: www.rhein-main.net
Announcements on Notice Boards
There are several areas within the University that have notice boards with private flat
offers. One can be found at the Campus Riedberg in the building of the
BioCampus, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9
If you prefer living closer to the city centre, you might find some interesting offers for
accommodation at one of the notice boards at Campus Bockenheim:
Sozialzentrum Neue Mensa, Bockenheimer Landstraße 133
3rd floor, opposite room 320
Uni-Tower, Senckenberganlage 15
Studierendenhaus Mertonstraße 26-28
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
Short-Term Accommodation
In case you arrive in Frankfurt without having been able to find an apartment before,
you should make a reservation in a hotel or one of the hostels in advance:
Youth hostel – „Haus der Jugend“
www.jugendherberge-frankfurt.de
Frankfurt Hostel
www.frankfurt-hostel.com
German Guesthouses – Deutsche Pensionen
www.deutsche-pensionen.de/pension-frankfurt
Frankfurt-Tourism
www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
OSS – Housing Support
For new doctoral candidates coming directly from abroad, the OSS management has
established a special housing support. The aim is to assist these candidates in
their search for housing while still being in their home country. The acquisition might
be provisional and is intended as a preliminary solution especially during the first
weeks in Frankfurt. Please send an email to oss@uni-frankfurt.de or visit our homepage at www.oss.uni-frankfurt.de.
On our website you will find the heading “Information for International candidates”
and underneath the category called “Housing”. There you can open an online questionnaire for housing support (on the right column under “further information / Need
assistance to find a place to stay in Frankfurt?”). As soon as the filled out form has
been submitted, the OSS will deal with your request.
Please note:
You should start searching for accommodation way in advance. It is
almost impossible to find a suitable place one week prior to your arrival
in Germany. So please give us sufficient notice if you need help to find
a place to stay – the earlier, the better your chances.
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4.
4.3.
ACCOMMODATION
Information on Tenancy Contracts
By signing a tenancy agreement, you gain some rights, but also have special responsibilities. For example:
Payment of monthly rent
Period of notice when moving out
Payment of certain repairs
Payment of additional charges (heating, water, garbage disposal, caretaker,
lift, cleaning etc.)
Renovation
Deposit (can amount to up to 2 or 3 monthly rents)
Rental prices are often described as "cold" (kalt) or "warm" (warm). Warm means that
the rent price includes additional charges for heating, water, etc. but not necessarily
for electricity. "Cold Rent" (Kaltmiete) refers to the sum that you have to pay without
those additional costs. The amounts of these additional costs depend on the apartment and its location. You should pay close attention to the final amount you will be
asked to pay every month.
Besides the rent, you normally will have to leave a deposit. The amount is about one
to three months rent. This deposit is intended as a security for the landlord in case
you damage something and leave it unrepaired. You will get the money back when
you move out, along with the interest earned.
It is common in Germany to have unfurnished flats, which also means that, especially
in larger flats, you have no kitchen equipment like an oven or a basin. If there is furniture, this will be described in the advertisement as “möbliert” or “teilmöbliert” (partly
furnished).
Have all damages in the flat taken down in a handover protocol to later be able to
confirm that it was not you who caused them.
Please note:
Make sure that you have completely understood the tenancy agreement
before you sign it! Best to ask some German person to read the contract.
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
Abbreviations
Here you find some of the most frequent abbreviations for the property market:
2 Zi.Whg (2 Zimmerwohnung) = two-room apartment
2 ZKBB (2 Zimmer, Küche, Bad, Balkon) = two rooms, kitchen, bathroom,
balcony
Ablöse, Abstand = payment for an existing kitchen of the previous tenant
Blk (Balkon) = balcony
EBK (Einbauküche) = built-in kitchen
EG (Erdgeschoss) = ground floor
MM (Monatsmiete(n)) = monthly rent
K (Kaution) = deposit
kalt = excluding additional charges
KM (Kaltmiete) = rent excluding additional charges
KN (Küchennische) = kitchenette
NR (Nichtraucher) = non-smoking
Prov.
(Provision)
=
commission
of
a
real
estate
must not exceed the amount of 2 monthly rents + tax (19%)
agent;
warm = rent including additional costs, especially heating
WG (Wohngemeinschaft) = shared apartment
ZH (Zentralheizung) = central heating
zzgl. NK (zuzüglich Nebenkosten) = plus additional costs (utilities: electricity/
heating)
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
4.4. Additional Information
Waste Separation
German environmental legislation is rather strict. This also includes that people have
to separate their garbage for recycling. The following table will show you which waste
to throw in which bag or barrel.
Yellow bag
Brown barrel
Grey barrel
Green barrel
Bottle bank
-
everything with a green point on
the package
packages
beverage cans and boxes
yoghurt cups
styrofoam
plastic bottles
cans
eggshells
garden rubbish like grass
tea and coffee grounds
fruit and vegetable rubbish
flowers
spoiled food
leftovers (no fish, no meat)
paper tissues
ashes
meat and fish
photos
light bulbs
durex and sanitary products
candles
leather, rags
bin liner
porcelain
vacuum cleaner bags
wallpaper
cigarettes
cardboard
catalogues
paper
magazines
newspapers
glass bottles
beverage glass
tinned food glass
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4.
ACCOMMODATION
Laundry
In big houses with many flats, there normally is a common washing machine the occupants can use. These machines normally work with special coins which can be
bought from the caretaker. Otherwise, you have the opportunity to go to a selfservice launderette.
Launderette (Waschsalon)
Schnell und Sauber
U-Bahn stop Dornbusch
Open: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
SB Waschcenter Bockenheim
Große Seestr. 46
60486 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (0) 69/ 70 65 80
Open: 6:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Dry cleaners (Reinigung) in vicinity of Campus Riedberg
In Germany, dry cleaning services are normally rather expensive, e.g. washing and
ironing a shirt is around € 3 and cleaning a woollen winter coat may amount to € 15 –
20. Therefore, cleaning services can only be recommended for delicate and expensive clothes, e.g. suits, etc.:
City Center
Niederurseler Landstr. 160, 60438 Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69/ 58 09 241
Röver Service Center
Titus Corso 1, 60439 Frankfurt (Nordwestzentrum)
Tel. +49 (0)69/ 57 09 94
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5.
5.1.
COMMUNICATION
Radio and Television
When you have a radio and/or television in your private room or car, you have to registers with the Gebühreneinzugszentrale (GEZ) and pay a fee. The GEZ is a staterun institution, which collects the fees and redistributes the money mainly to public
radio and TV stations. This has nothing to do with the fee for cable TV e.g., the GEZ
fee is always due when you own some kind of receiver. The monthly fee currently
amounts to € 5.52 for a single radio and € 17.03 for a single radio and television receiver.
To register for the broadcast fees, you have to fill out a form (www.gez.de), either
online, or download the request and send it by mail or fax it to GEZ. Registration
forms can also be found in banks, savings banks, or post offices.
Address:
GEZ
50656 Köln
Fax-Number:
Phone:
Web:
+49 (0)180/ 58 21 01 0
+49 (0)180/501 65 65
www.gez.de
5.2.
Telephone
Public Telephones and Call Shops
You find telephone boxes in public areas, their number however is steadily decreasing. Nowadays, very few telephone boxes work with change. Most public phones require telephone cards, which can be bought in amounts of 5, 10 or 15 Euros in TPunkt-stores, in post offices, or in tobacco/newspaper shops.
Especially around the central train station, you also find many walk-in call shops
where you can phone home at cheap rates.
Landline Telephone in Your Apartment
In principal, you have the possibility to get a telephone extension either via telephone
cable or via TV-cable. There are many providers and even more tariffs, and prices
and conditions vary enormously whether you have simply a telephone line or a bundle with internet access. You might also contact your landlord about whether he or
she has a special agreement with a certain provider.
Pa ge 3 3
5.
COMMUNICATION
Providers (via telephone cable):
Deutsche Telekom
www.telekom.de Arcor
www.arcor.de Versatel
www.versatel.de 1&1
www.einsundeins.de Alice
www.alice.de
Providers (via TV-cable):
Unitymedia
www.unitymedia.de
Call-by-Call Services
Call-by-call-services offer less expensive rates, mainly for long distance calls further
than 50 kilometres. Especially calls to foreign countries can be considerably cheaper
than the ordinary tariffs. As this is an additional service, you need an existing landline
at home or call from telephone boxes, but only certain providers allow call-by-call, so
you might want to check before signing up with a provider.
You just dial a special prefix number prior to the number you want. Before being connected, you normally will be told the charge per minute for the call.
There are hundreds of companies offering these services. Each of them has different
rates for the respective countries and tariffs might change quite frequently. So if you
regularly make phone calls to your home country, it is worth to check and find out the
cheapest offer.
For more information check: www.billiger-telefonieren.de
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5.
COMMUNICATION
Mobile Phones
You have the choice between two schemes in Germany:
Mobile phone with a corresponding contract
Mobile phone with a corresponding prepaid card
If you already have a mobile phone, you can also only get a SIM card.
A contract usually lasts for two years. You pay a monthly fee and the calling fees or
you have a flat rate. The advantages of a contract are generally lower calling rates
and better deals on new phones.
With Prepaid tariffs, you have maximum flexibility since you pay as you go. If your
credit expires, you simply buy new credit in telephone stores, kiosks and supermarkets, or online.
Major providers are:
T-Mobile (Deutsche Telekom)
www.t-mobile.de O2
www.o2online.de E·Plus
www.eplus.de Vodafone
www.vodafone.de
5.3.
Internet
There are different options: dial-up, ISDN, and DSL, which work via the telephone
line, and cable.
Dial Up & ISDN
Modem: Most dial-up Internet Service Providers offer two types of access:
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5.
COMMUNICATION
a pay-as-you-go service, mainly on a per-minute basis
a contract service where you pay a fixed amount per month for a limited access (these start at around € 15/month)
Note that there are no flat rates available for dial-up access. Both analogue and
ISDN lines can be used to access the Internet by dial up. ISDN will offer you faster
access at 64 kbps (or 128 kbps, if you use both lines at the same time). The monthly
fee for an ISDN line is approx. € 5 more expensive. You will need a special ISDN
modem and the telephone line must be approved for ISDN use.
Access rates vary considerably. Many providers do not even require any sign-up or
commitment – simply calling a designated number to make the connection is enough.
The costs per minute start at 1 Cent.
For more information check: www.billiger-surfen.de.
DSL
If you wish to have a high speed internet connection, you might want a DSL connection. This provides an Internet access up to 30 times faster than a standard analogue
service. It requires an existing landline and involves additional fees like:
installation fee
monthly fee including
More information can be found here:
Deutsche Telekom
http://telekom.dsl-flatrate-angebote.de
Arcor
www.arcor-angebote.de 1&1
http://dsl.1und1.de
Alice
www.alice-dsl.de
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5.
5.4.
COMMUNICATION
Post Offices
Larger post offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. whereas smaller offices
might have shorter opening hours. Most letters reach their destination within the next
working day.
You can buy stamps at post offices and at vending machines. The post office next to
Campus Riedberg is located in the stationary shop in the Mertonviertel. A big post
office can be found in the NordWestZentrum.
Costs for postcards and standard letters (Sep. 2008, in Euro):
Postcard
140x90mm
235x125 mm
Standard letter
Germany
Europe
World
0.45
0.65
1.00
0.55
0.70
1.70
0.90
1.00
2.00
1.45
2.00 – 4.50
4.00 – 8.00
–
(<20g)
140x90x5mm –
235x125x5mm
Compact letter
(<50g)
150x70x10mm –
235x125x10mm
Big letter (<500g)
100x70x20mm –
353x250x20mm
For more information, please check: www.post.de
For parcels, you can either go to the post office or use one of the parcel services, e.g. Hermes-Versand (www.hermes-versand.de).
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6.
6.1.
TRANSPORTATION
Local Public Transportation - RMV
The Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund – abbreviated as RMV – is the public local transportation network of the Rhine-Main area. Within this local network, you may use any
means of public transport: regional trains (RB), city express trains (SE), regional express trains (RE), suburban light railway (S-Bahn), underground (U-Bahn), trams
(Straßenbahn), and buses (Bus). This means that you just have to buy one ticket
from A to B, irrespective of the means of transportation and regardless of whether
and how often you have to change in between (as long as you reach your destination
the direct way).
Timetables and individual routes can be retrieved online (in English):
http://www.rmv.de/auskunft/bin/jp/query.exe/en?L=vs_rmv&
If you are registered as a doctoral student at the Goethe University Frankfurt and
have paid the semester fee, you will automatically receive the term ticket for public
transportation, which entitles you to use the local public transportation within the
Rhine-Main area (RMV area) free of charge. In this case, your student identity card
will get a blue imprint and counts as your RMV-ticket.
Please note:
If you do not enrol as a doctoral student, you will have to buy a ticket
for public transportation.
For further information check:
www.asta.uni-frankfurt.de/service
www.rmv.de
Tickets
Regular tickets can be purchased at ticket vending machine at the stops or train stations, in buses (directly from the driver), or via internet / mobile phone.
Depending on your destination, the number of persons accompanying you, and the
duration, you have different options for tickets. In the following passage, you will find
a short overview on available tickets:
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RMV Single Ticket
The single ticket entitles you to take all means of transport from train to bus and to
change as many times as necessary to reach your final destination, assuming that
you always take the next possible connection.
For a single ticket within the borders of Frankfurt, you press the red button Einzelfahrt
Frankfurt. It costs € 2.20 during rush hours and € 2.10 off-peak.
For trips to destinations outside of Frankfurt, you look up your destination in the list
on the vending machine, press the button Einzelfahrt, and then type in the number of
the respective destination indicated in the list.
Please note:
A single ticket does not permit breaks, returns, or round trips and is not
transferable after you finished your journey.
RMV Day Ticket
The day ticket is valid for one calendar day until the scheduled end of services on
that date or the last tour marked as a night service. During this day, you can take
unlimited trips within the area you paid for, and again, you are allowed to use every
means of transport by the RMV.
Within Frankfurt, press the button Tageskarte Frankfurt. For destinations outside
Frankfurt, press button Tageskarte and type in the number of the respective destination.
RMV Group Day Ticket
The Group Day Ticket is a Day Ticket for a group of five passengers max.
(adults and children).
It is valid for as many trips as you like within the area you paid for on every
means of transport by the RMV.
Mind that the group has to stay together on all the trips. If group members
separate and take individual rides, they have to buy separate single tickets.
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RMV Hessenticket
The Hessenticket is valid within the state of Hesse for the three transportation
networks Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), Nordhessischer Verkehrsverbund (NVV), and Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar (VRN).
Up to five persons can travel on the Hessenticket.
It is valid on all services, i.e. trains, buses, trams, U-Bahn, and S-Bahn trains
6.2.
Taxis
A taxi ride is comparatively expensive in Germany. Therefore, to take a taxi might
only make sense in exceptional cases, e.g. if you miss the last train or bus at night or
if you have a lot of luggage with you. Taxis can be ordered, or you go to a taxi stand
next to your angle. In Germany it is unusual to stop taxis on the street.
Frankfurt Taxi Calls:
+49 (0)69/23 00 01
+49 (0)69/25 00 01
+49 (0)69/23 00 33
Prices:
06:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
Initial Charge
€ 2.00
€ 2.50
The first 10 km
€ 1.60 per km
€ 1.70 per km
From the 11th km
€ 1.38 per km
€ 1.53 per km
Waiting time
€ 21.00 per hour
€ 28.00 per hour
(Date: June 2008)
6.3.
Railway
The railway system in Germany is relatively dense with frequent connections between major cities, and it is the most common transport apart from the car as there is
no transregional bus system.
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Despite the fact that going by train in Germany is relatively expensive (approx. between € 15 and € 25 per 100 km, depending on the train category), you can save
quite some money if you compare the different rates or make use of special deals
when booking early.
In this chapter, we describe the most popular options for cheaper tickets. Individual
enquiries regarding connections and tariffs can be made online: www.bahn.de
The “Bahncard”
The BahnCard is purchased for one year and provides a percentage reduction on the
regular train fares. There are two versions:
The BahnCard 25 costs € 55 for 2nd (€ 110 for 1st) class and gives you a reduction of 25% on all regular train tickets in that year.
The BahnCard 50 costs € 220 for 2nd (€ 440 for 1st) class. For students below the age of 27, it costs only half price. It offers a reduction of 50%.
Happy Weekend Ticket
With the Schönes Wochenend Ticket, up to 5 persons can travel together on either
Saturdays or Sundays between 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. of the following day. It is
only € 35 if you buy your ticket online or at the ticket vending machines, it is slightly
more expensive at ticket counters.
Please note:
The “Happy Weekend Ticket” is only valid for local trains, not for express trains (ICE, IC).
The “Länderticket”
The Ländertickets, such as the above mentioned Hessenticket, are valid for one day
of your choice from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 a.m. of the following day on all local trains
(Interregio-Express, Regional-Express, Regionalbahn, S-Bahn) including underground and so forth. They are not restricted to certain transportation networks but to
the borders of the respective Bundesland (federal state). Ländertickets in most states
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can be either bought for a single person or for groups. In the latter case, the group
size must not exceed 5 persons.
Please note:
If your train ride goes beyond the boarder of the respective state (e.g.
from Hesse to Baden-Württemberg), you have to buy another ticket.
Where to Get Tickets
Internet Ticket Sale
After having registered at the website www.bahn.de, you can book your train tickets
online and directly print them on your printer or have them sent home to you.
When you print your ticket online, you will be asked to also register either BahnCard
or credit card, which will serve as your ID on the train. Do remember to take this ID
with you on the trip as the online ticket is only valid in combination with it.
Ticket Vending Machines
There are about 3,000 touch screen ticket vending machines at almost every train
station in Germany. They offer tickets, timetable information, and seat reservations in
self service even a few minutes prior to departure. This service is offered in five languages apart from English. You may pay either cash or with credit card or EC Card.
Counter
The service staff at the ticket counters at train stations sell train tickets, BahnCards,
and gives you personal advice. You can purchase national and international tickets,
receive timetable information, and make seat reservations. For train tickets bought at
ticket counters, a service fee of € 2 is added to the ticket price.
Train
You may purchase your tickets on board of long distance trains (IC or ICE trains) but
for a small extra charge. You may pay cash or by credit card.
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Please note:
In local and regional trains, there is no possibility to buy a ticket from
the train attendants.
6.4.
Car
Need a “New” Used Car ?
If you have the intention of buying a car, please be aware of the “lemon market”.
Vendors do not always tell you the truth about the cars they are offering. Here are a
few suggestions on what to keep in mind when buying a car:
Before buying a car, get a general impression of the vehicle market and the
price range e.g. by searching the internet
Beside the purchasing price, you should consider the costs for car tax, insurance premium, and gas consumption
You should make a thorough inspection of the “new” used car with a subsequent road test
Request proof of the vehicle’s history – especially a service booklet and proof
of repairs
Get proof of general inspection (HU – Hauptuntersuchung)
Get proof of emission inspection (AU – Abgasuntersuchung)
To buy a “new” used car, you can either go to car dealers (www.gelbeseiten.de) or
you have a look on the internet:
www.gebrauchtwagen.autoscout24.de
www.auto.de
http://automarkt.auto.msn.de www.webauto.de
www.autoboerse.de
www.autoanzeigen.de
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When you have bought a car, you need to officially register it and get it insured.
Car Insurance
Before you can register a car in Germany, you must have proof of coverage for all
damages or injuries to another person, car, or object by an insurance company. So
contact an insurance company before you first pick up the car, because you also
need insurance cover for the way to the registration office (Versicherungsdoppelkarte).
The prices for car insurances in Germany are influenced by many factors. Driving
beginners pay more than experienced drivers. For driving a big car you pay more
than for a small car. In urban areas you pay more than living in rural areas. People
who caused accidents pay of course more than those who have not.
Insurances have a basic rate - the so-called 100% rate. For every "good year" (without any accident caused by you) you drop in the percent-rating. After one year without accident, you only pay 85%, after two years, you only pay 70%. For each following year without accident, you drop by 5% until you reach a lowest rate of 30%. Beginners, who are a much higher risk for insurances, have to pay 140%. If you have a
good driving record in your home country, you might get a lower rate in Germany.
You would usually get a basic insurance that covers damages caused by the driver of
your car but not self-caused damages on your own car (Teilkaskoversicherung).
There is also the possibility to have comprehensive coverage including collision
(Vollkaskoversicherung) covering all damages done to your own car, another car, or
object or injuries to a person. As this insurance is much more expensive than the basic coverage, it is generally only advisable for new cars or very expensive cars.
If you are going abroad with your car, you need to pick up the so-called Green Card
(Grüne Karte) from your insurance company or agent. It is proof of your international
insurance coverage in foreign countries.
Registration of the Car
In general, you have to register your car with the Motor Vehicle Registration office
(Kraftfahrzeug-Zulassungsstelle) at your place of residence, provided you intend to
stay in Germany for more than a year. You can obtain the address and telephone
number from the municipal or local authority. In Frankfurt, the Motor Vehicle Registration Office can be found here:
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Address:
Zulassungsbehörde für Kraftfahrzeuge
Am Römerhof 19
Phone:
E-Mail:
+49 (0)69/ 21 24 23 34
kfz-zulassung@stadt-frankfurt.de
Opening hours:
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fr:
Thu
07:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
07:30 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. and
03:00 p.m. – 05:30 p.m.
The following documents must be presented at the Motor Vehicle Registration Office:
Passport or identity card
Proof of registration with local authorities
If appropriate, certificate of authority and passport of the person who will register your car for you
Proof of coverage from a German insurance company (Versicherungsdoppelkarte)
A statement of the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrzeugbundesamt), that there is no previous motor vehicle registration certificate on hand
The survey report of the Technical Control Board (Technischer Überwachungsverein, TÜV)
If you bring your foreign car to Germany, prior to registration, the TÜV has to check
whether your type of car is basically eligible for licensing in Germany.
In addition, your car will be checked by the Technical Control Board for defects. This
so called “main test” (Hauptuntersuchung, HU) ensures that the cars on German
roads are free of defects. Also, the car’s emissions are tested (Abgas(sonder)untersuchung, ASU). If your car fails the tests, you have to remedy the
defects and show your car again to the Technical Control Board. The main and the
emission test are testified by a small badge on the registration plate at the back of
your car. The certificates are valid for two years. Penalties can apply if the emission
certificate is out of date.
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Please note:
You should keep the Fahrzeugschein (vehicle registration certificate),
which you receive after registration, with you all times. The Fahrzeugbrief (vehicle title) is the proof of ownership and should be kept with your
personal documents.
Motor Vehicle Tax
Everyone in Germany who owns a car has to pay for the Motor Vehicle Tax (Kraftfahrzeugsteuer). The amount of tax is charged according the cubic capacity and the
emission of the respective car.
The tax has to be paid one year beforehand and fiscal authorities will get in contact
with you in due time. If you return to your home country before the end of a tax year,
the tax paid in advance will be refunded proportionally.
Speed Limit
There is no general speed limit on German motorways, however in many sections the
top speed is limited by traffic signs and the following basic rules apply:
Top speed within built-up areas (in between yellow town signs): 50 km/h
Top speed outside built-up areas on country roads: 100 km/h
Recommended speed on highways: 130 km/h
Near pedestrian precinct in the city centre and residential zones, there often is a top
speed limit of 30 km/h.
Lift Share
This is quite a cheap opportunity to travel in Germany and it is therefore relatively
popular among students. If you own a car and know when you are going to take a
certain trip, you can offer a lift to other people, and they pay you some money for the
gas. On the other hand, you can look for someone going to the same destination and
catch a lift with that person. Usually, you pay about € 5 per 100 kilometres.
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You either advertise your offer or you search for one on the following websites:
www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de
www.mitfahrzentrale.de
Drunk-Driving in Germany
Drunk-driving in Germany is heavily punished, possibly with revoke of the driver’s
license. With blood alcohol level of 0.5 per mill or 0.25 mg/l “breathe alcohol level”
(Atemalkoholwert), you will incur a penalty. Above 0.8 per mill, you will lose you
driver’s license for several months. Even below the limit of 0.5, you can be punished
if you have been caught in combination with other offences.
Please note:
If in doubt, leave your car where it is.
What to Do in Case of Accident
In case of an accident, it is absolutely necessary you stay at the scene of accident
until the police arrive. A hit and run offence will be heavily punished. Insist on the police coming to the scene. In order to have your personal liability insurance pay for the
damage, the accident has to be recorded by the police. DO NOT sign a promissory
letter. Inform your insurance immediately. If the accidental damage exceeds € 3000,
the police have to be called.
6.5.
Trips to and Visits from Abroad
International Student Identity Card (ISIC)
This is a “must have”, if you travel abroad. It can be bought at the ASTA and is valid
for 15 months. On presentation of the card, you benefit from discounts for example in
museums, theatres, and some hotels. The fee for the card also includes an international travel insurance for the duration of the trip.
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Please note:
The ISIC-Card can only be issued for doctoral candidates who are matriculated with the university.
Bring along:
Confirmation of enrolment
Identity card
Passport photograph
€ 12 (in 2008)
Address:
Studierendenhaus
Mertonstr. 26-28
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/79823181
info@asta.uni-frankfurt.de
www.asta-frankfurt.de
Health Insurance for Trips Abroad
If you travel abroad, you should make sure that your health insurance covers the
medical costs in case of illness in the respective country.
For members of a statutory (public) health insurance company, the European
Social Security Agreement (Europäisches Sozialversicherungsabkommen) provides
basic health care to the extent regularly covered by the respective national health
system in the entire EU and some neighbouring countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Morocco, Macedonia, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia and
Montenegro, Tunisia and Turkey. As a rule, return transport in cases of severe illness
is not included.
More information on the countries included in this scheme can be found on the following website:
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http://www.bkkgesundheit.de/leistungen/alle_leistungen/auslandsinfo/inhalt.lasso?a=
auslandsinfo01
Insurance cards issued by the insurance companies from 2008 on already include
this European protection, and you do not have to take further action when travelling.
Holders of older cards must either apply for a new card or contact their insurer for the
E 111 form prior to departure.
For members of private health insurances, protection for trips abroad is sometimes – but not necessarily – included, depending on the company and the tariff chosen. Please read your contract carefully before travelling abroad.
Depending on the country to be visited and the extent of protection provided by your
regular health insurance, it might be advisable to take out an additional health insurance for travelling abroad. An international health insurance is generally valid for all
foreign countries except the country where you are based. Most banks provide this
type of insurance and also e.g. the Automotive Club of Germany (ADAC):
http://www.adac.de/Versicherungen/Auslandskrankenschutz/default.asp?id=1797&lo
cation=2%5FVersicherungen
The contract is normally concluded for one year, however, single trips abroad must
not exceed 45 days respectively. Rates vary between ca. 12 and 40 Euros a year.
Please note:
If you plan a stay abroad with a duration of more than 45 days – e.g. in
the frame of your research project, you require a special type of health
insurance for long term stays abroad. Most private insurance companies offer this type of health insurance but also the ADAC:
http://www.adac.de/Versicherungen/Auslandskrankenschutz/Langzeit/default.
asp?ComponentID=134487&SourcePageID=22603
Travel Visa
When you are travelling to countries that have joined the so called Schengen Agreement, you do not have to apply for a special visa – provided you have a valid residence permit for Germany. Currently, these countries are France, Spain, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, and Italy.
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For all other countries, you require a travel visa which you should apply for well in
advance before your trip. It is still advisable to ask for a confirmation at the respective
Consulate.
Insurance for Visitors
If you invite a family member or a friend to Germany, you should take out a health
insurance for the guest. In some cases, this is even required by the Embassy or the
Aliens’ Department for issuing a visa. Insurances are offered by private insurance
companies or automobile clubs.
Refund of the VAT (Value Added Tax)
Tourists who live in a non-member state of the EU can be refunded the value added
tax (currently 19 %) when leaving Germany. The amount of VAT has to be specified
on the receipt. The amount in question is paid back at the airport.
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7.1.
EVERYDAY LIFE
Health
Many people have a family doctor (Hausarzt), who makes referrals to a specialist if
necessary. It is always advisable to make an appointment because waiting times can
be long. In urgent cases, you can go without an appointment; however, you might
have to wait for several hours.
Names and addresses of doctors can be found in the local telephone directory, specialists are listed in the Yellow Pages (www.gelbeseiten.de ) under Ärzte. You can
choose which doctor you wish to go to.
If you have a German health insurance, you will get a plastic ID card which you need
when visiting a doctor. This card contains your personal data.
Treatment Expenses
With public health insurance, the costs for your medical care will be settled with your
insurance company directly. However, you will have to pay a consultation fee of € 10
each quarter of the year, which you have to pay cash on your first visit in the respective quarter. The next visits at the same doctor within the same quarter will be free of
charge. If you need to see another doctor (e.g. specialist) within the same quarter,
you have to ask for a referral. Without this paper you have to pay another
€ 10.
Please note:
The € 10 consultation fee does not include visits to the dentist. If you require a dentist, you have to pay another € 10, as a referral to the dentist
is not possible.
If you have a private insurance, you will receive a bill which you will have to pay for
first. After handing in the bill and the proof of payment, the amount will be reimbursed
by the insurance company.
Please consider the conditions of your health insurance, there might be special conditions for the refund of certain treatment expenses (e.g. dental treatment, preventive
medical checkups, etc.). Some health insurances include an excess for patients, that
means a part of the treatment expenses has to be paid by yourself.
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Doctors (English speaking):
Dentists:
Dr. Hans Grumbach, Eschersheimer Landstr. 1, 60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 55 19 82
Dr. Andreas Kullmann, Schillerstr. 5, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 13 10 15 2
Dr. Marina Ramil, Blauenstr. 20, 60528 Frankfurt am Main
Phone:+49 (0)69/ 67 67 02
Dermatologists:
Dr. Joerg Rindermann, Broennerstr. 15, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 28 30 36
Dr. Dieter Wessmann, Stephanstr. 10, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 29 80 13
Otorhinolaryngologists:
Dr. Guenter Bell, Eschersheimer Landstr. 144, 60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 59 26 84
Dr. Anna Maria Poloczek, Lindenstr. 43, 60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 74 70 19
General Practitioners:
Dr. Harald Schulte, Ulmenstr. 43, 60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 72 22 22
Dr. Sanja Krajcar, Brönnerstr. 15, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 91 39 72 80
Dr. Peter Kroneberger, Ulmenstr. 43, 60325 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 72 22 22
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Internists:
Dr. Rainer Lentz, Rossmarkt 23, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 91 30 91 0
Gynaecologists:
Dr. Simone Herle, Zeil 123, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 29 65 63
Dr. Brigitte Laufer, Herzogstr. 1a, 60528 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 67 67 60 0
Ophthalmologists:
Dr. Helga Scheer, Gersthoferstr. 6,65929 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 31 66 55
Dr. Hannelore Schulze, Münchnerstr. 13, 60329 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 23 31 03
Orthopaedists:
Dr. G. Oszwald, Tituscorso 2-4, 60439 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 57 82 67
Physical Therapists:
Ursula Barner, Homburgerlandstr. 46, 60435 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 54 84 85 8
Dr. Roger Fry, Rebgaerten 54, 60431 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 51 04 32
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EVERYDAY LIFE
Psychotherapy:
Karen Latner, Wielandstr. 30, 60318 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 59 40 12
Sierra-Averitt, Adelonstr. 21, 65929 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 30 89 77 5
Opticians:
Carl Müller, Steinweg 12, 60313 Frankfurt am Main,
Phone:+49 (0)69/ 91 33 53 0
Rainer Brenner Augenoptic GmbH, Goethestr. 24, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 29 99 08 0
Please note:
The following website provides a search for a doctor speaking your native language: http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=1180072&_ffmpar[_id_inh
alt]=1074051
Hospitals
Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7
60596 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 63 01 1
Rotes Kreuz Krankenhaus
Königswarterstr. 16-26
60316 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 40 71 0
St. Elisabethen Krankenhaus
Ginnheimer Str. 3
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EVERYDAY LIFE
60487 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 79 39 0
Krankenhaus Maingau vom roten Kreuz
Scheffelstr. 2-14
60318 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 40 33 0
Emergency Services
Medical stand-by duty incl. emergency ambulance
+49 (0)69/19292
Accident and emergency unit of the university hospital +49 (0)69/6301 7410
7.2.
Working
Dissertation and Employment
Whereas the labour market for EU citizens has been liberalised, the German employment regulations for other nationals are extremely strict. As a rule, Non-EU candidates cannot finance their dissertation completely by taking up a job.
As the general prerequisite for obtaining a residence permit is the proof of sufficient
financial resources, you already need sufficient financial support before departing for
Germany (e.g. a scholarship). If you look for a temporary job to finance some extras,
you can, assuming that you are enrolled (matriculated) as a doctoral student before
you start searching for an appropriate position.
Who is Allowed to Work and When?
Students from the EU, EEA countries, and Switzerland have the same status
as German students. Exceptions are students from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, who, under
the EU Accession Treaty, only have restricted access to the German labour
market until 2011. Before they can take up a job, they always have to obtain
approval from the Federal Employment Agency.
Students from countries outside the EU are allowed to work for 90 full or 180
half days per year – up to 4 hours count as half a day. If you plan to work for
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EVERYDAY LIFE
a longer period of time, you first need the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (www.arbeitsagentur.de) as well as the Aliens’ Registration Office. To work as a freelancer or to run a self-employed business is not allowed.
Student assistants and academic assistants are allowed to work for a period
longer than 90 full days or 180 half days a year if the job is relevant to
their academic work and does not slow down their studies. The approval of
the Aliens’ Registration Office is necessary (you will receive a stamp in your
passport).
Foreigners graduating from German Universities are allowed to stay in Germany for one more year after graduation to look for a job (approval of the
Aliens’ Registration Office has to be obtained in advance).
The income limit for holders of Otto Stern School scholarships and all sorts of
scholarships funded from public sources is 4.800 Euros per year (according
to the scholarship contract).
Taxes and Social Security Contributions
For jobs with a monthly income of up to 400 Euros (Minijob), neither taxes
nor Social Security Contributions have to be paid.
For jobs with a monthly income of more than 400 Euros (also applies for several Minijobs at a time with a total income of more than 400 Euro), taxes as
well as Social Security Contributions have to be paid. Taxes can be reimbursed in full if your total annual income is less than 7.664 Euro (including
scholarships). You need to do a tax return at the end of the year to claim the
refund.
Please note:
If you take on a job with more than 20 hours a week, you also have to
pay unemployment insurance contributions!
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EVERYDAY LIFE
Where to Find Job Offers
You can find job offers on the notice boards at the university institutes
Agentur für Arbeit Frankfurt Main
Fischerfeldstr. 10 – 12, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)1801/555111
E-Mail: Frankfurt-Main@arbeitsagentur.de
Web: www.arbeitsagentur.de/Frankfurt
Internet offers:
D www.jobworld.de
D www.monster.de
D www.jobscout24.de
D www.stellenanzeigen.de
7.3.
Shopping
Groceries
In Germany, there are two types of supermarkets: regular ones and so-called “Discounter”. Both offer a wide range of products from fresh fruit and vegetables to
bread, meat, and cosmetic products. Discounter are generally cheaper, the biggest
chains are ALDI, LIDL, PLUS, and PENNY.
Shops are usually open from 08:00 a.m. until 08:00 p.m., even on Saturdays (REWE
supermarkets until 10:00 p.m.) but are closed on Sundays.
Be aware that there is a deposit on beverage bottles and cans called Pfand, which is
not calculated in the prices shown. You can return the bottles at almost every shop,
but it is safest to take them back to where you bought them.
Shopping Near Campus Riedberg
Riedberg Centrum
By the beginning of 2009, the Riedberg Centrum will be opened. At the crossroad of
Altenhöferallee/ Riedbergallee, the new “heart” of the Riedberg area is presently under construction. In the future, you will find supermarkets and drugstores, retail shops
and service providers, a coiffeur, a bakery, a solarium, restaurants, snack bars, a
copy shop, a fitness centre and much more there.
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EVERYDAY LIFE
Mertonpassage
In the Mertonviertel, there is a small shopping centre called Merton Passage. You
find a pharmacy, an ATM, a hairdresser, an alteration shop, dry cleaners, a post office, a bakery, a travel agency, a supermarket and a kiosk there.
Opening hours:
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, Sat
Wed
Web:
www.mertonpassage.de
09:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.
09:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.
Nordwestzentrum
This mall hosts around 150 different shops with a large variety of services, e.g. supermarkets, restaurants and snack bars, clothing stores, department stores, banks,
doctors, and the Bürgeramt (for registering with authorities if living in Niederursel or
Riedberg).
Opening hours:
Mon – Sat
10:00 a.m. – 08:00 p.m.
Web: www.nwz-frankfurt.de
Shopping International
Kleinmarkthalle Frankfurt
The Kleinmarkthalle is lovingly said to be the “secret seductress” in the heart of
Frankfurt. Besides the usual range of local farm products, you will find delicacies from
all over the world here. Frankfurt’s Kleinmarkthalle is the meeting point for all the
gourmets in- and outside of Frankfurt. From good and solid to exotic-piquant, you
have the choice between 90 market stands with a diverse range of products.
Address:
Kleinmarkthalle Frankfurt
Hasengasse 5-7
60311 Frankfurt
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri
Sat
Web:
www.kleinmarkthalle.de
08:00 a.m. – 06:00 p.m.
08:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.
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EVERYDAY LIFE
International Supermarkets
African Basar
Düsseldorfer Str. 22, 60329 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 25 94 88
Asia Supermarkt Hansa Warenhandels GmbH
Fahrgasse 95, 60311Frankfurt am Main
Khamba's Indien-Shop
Dreieichstr. 50, 60594 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 62 68 74
Italienisches Lebensmittelgeschäft Basanisi
Reichsburgstr. 12, 60489 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 78 80 28 86
Gülsen IlkyazBerkersheimer Bahnstr. 6, 60435 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 54 35 92
Second Hand – Cheap Clothes
Second-hand shops in Germany are a good alternative to the more expensive
clothes from the stores. In Germany, it is not unusual to buy clothes from a second
hand shop, because clothes are usually in good conditions and at the same time
worth the money.
Aschenputtel Second Hand
An der Kleinmarkthalle 11, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 28 52 09
First & Second Hand Cinderella
Zeil 5, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 92 88 79 32
Endless Summer
Hinter der schönen Aussicht 9, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 90 02 16 85
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EVERYDAY LIFE
Outflip
Höhenstr. 30, 60385 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 49 22 22
Furniture
IKEA
You find a big furniture company – IKEA –approx. 5 minutes by car from Riedberg
campus. IKEA offers a huge selection of furniture (not always cheap) and home textiles.
Address:
IKEA Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Branch Frankfurt
Züricher Straße 7
60437 Frankfurt Nieder-Eschbach
Web:
www.ikea.de
Opening hours:
Mon – Thu
Fri – Sat
09:30 a.m. – 09:00 p.m.
09:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Second-hand Furniture
Leipold-Markt
Wittelsbacher Allee 29,
Web:
www.leipold-markt.de
Opening hours: Mon – Fri
09:15 a.m. – 05:45 p.m.
Sat
09:00 a.m. – 03:45 p.m.
Werkstatt Frankfurt e.V.
Lärchenstraße 135
Web:
www.werkstatt-frankfurt.de
Opening hours: Mon – Fri
10.00 a.m. – 06.00 p.m.
Sat
09.00 a.m. – 02.30 p.m.
Free classified advertisements:
Web:
www.quoka.de
www.ebay.de
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LIVING AND LEISURE IN FRANKFURT
As one of Germany’s largest cities with almost 660.000 inhabitants living in the region, Frankfurt and also its region offer an enormous potential for leisure activities of
almost any kind. In the following section, we have compiled a small selection of typical events and locations and some useful information about Germany and German
customs.
8.1.
Some General Information
Germany
Germany has been a parliamentary federal democracy since 1949. The capital is
Berlin with 3.4 million inhabitants. State holiday is on 3rd October. The official language is German.
It borders on the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea in the north; in the east on
Poland and the Czech Republic; in the south on Austria and Switzerland; and in the
west on France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
With 82.5 million inhabitants, Germany has the largest population of all EU member
states. Around 7.3 million foreigners live in Germany (8.8 percent of the total population).
With 231 inhabitants per square kilometre, Germany is one of the most densely
populated countries in Europe. Just under 53 million people declare to be Christians
(26 million Catholics, 26 million Protestants, 900,000 members of Orthodox
churches), 3.3 millions are Muslims, 230,000 Buddhists, 100,000 Jews, 90,000 Hindus. The German constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. There is no state religion.
Germany has a multi-party system; parties have a special constitutional status, receive state financial support, and can only be prohibited by the Federal Constitutional
Court.
Holidays in Germany
New Year:
Good Friday:
Easter Sunday:
Easter Monday:
Labour Day:
1st January
Friday before Easter
1st May
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Ascension Day:
Whit Sunday:
Whit Monday:
Corpus Christi:
German Unification Day:
1st Christmas day:
2nd Christmas day:
39 days after Easter (always Thursdays)
49 days after Easter Sunday
50 days after Easter Sunday
60 days after Eastern (always on Thursday)
3rd October
25th December
26th December
Hesse
Hesse (German: Hessen) is one of the sixteen German federal states with an area of
21,110 km² and over six million inhabitants. The state of Hesse stretches from the
Sauerland district in the north to the Oden Forest in the south. The state capital is
Wiesbaden. The landscape of Hesse has everything from a forested range of small
mountains to flat land with fields and pastures.
Frankfurt am Main is the biggest city in Hesse and the fifth biggest in Germany. It is
quite international: The tallest buildings, the largest airport, and the most banks in
continental Europe (including the European Central Bank). The rail station and the
motorway intersection together have the highest traffic volume in Germany.
Industries as varied as the famous wine production from the Rheingau region and car
manufacturer settled here. Opel in Rüsselsheim and VW near Kassel are the major
industries, whereas ESA in Darmstadt is responsible for a large share of the European space program.
Climate
Germany's climate is temperate. Extreme temperature lows and highs are rare. Winter temperatures vary from west to east, with around freezing temperatures in the
west and well below freezing in the east of Germany. Summer temperatures typically
move between 20°C and 30°C with more rainfall during the summer months. Frequent changes of weather make forecasting difficult. To be on the safe side, bring
warm clothes for the winter months as well as rain clothing with you.
Frankfurt and the surrounding Rhine-Main area are located in the north of the UpRhine lowlands (Oberrheinische Tiefebene), which climatically belong to the warmest
regions in Germany. The average annual temperature is about 9.7 °C. Thus, the
weather in Frankfurt is relatively mild.
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8.
Cost of Living
Studying in Germany is comparatively expensive as the cost of living is high, although this varies regionally. However, Frankfurt is one of the most expensive cities/areas in Germany.
The following monthly costs must be expected:
Rent (in dormitories, in private halls, rooms or flats) amounts up to 350 Euros per
month; health insurance for doctoral candidates is about 120 Euros per month. A
meal in the students' restaurant (Mensa) costs about 3 Euros if you are enrolled as a
doctoral student. In case you are not matriculated (matriculation is not compulsory for
doctoral candidates), meal prices are generally € 1 more expensive. Depending on
lifestyle, approximately 180 Euros per month can be expected to be spent on food.
So, the cost of living amounts to a minimum of 800 Euros monthly.
Monthly rent
Health insurance
Food
Leisure time
Books & clothes
€ 350
€ 120
€ 180
€ 100
€ 50
In Total
€ 800
Money
After your arrival in Germany, you will need some money in cash for the first days.
German currency (Euro) or foreign currencies can be brought to Germany on a limitless amount – but please consider the exchange regulations in your home country.
Exchange bureaus in Germany are also open in the evening and at weekends. You
will find them in or next to the train station or at the airport. It is recommended to
change some of your Travelers Cheques or Euro-Banknotes into small change, because you need some coins for the buses or taxis you may take the first days.
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8.
8.2.
Useful to Know
An Introduction to Social Graces
In the following chapter, you will find some very basic information on what is considered good manners in Germany.
The Correct Form of Address: Du or Sie?
In Germany, it is considered an act of politeness to address everyone by Sie (Können Sie mir bitte helfen? / Could you help me please?). Du, which tends to be used
as the general translation for the English ‘you’, is a very informal address. If you formally want to address someone by the name, the correct form is Herr or Frau followed by the family name (Herr Müller, Frau Schäfer). Generally, academic titles are
added to the name, such as Herr Doktor Müller or Frau Professor Schäfer. Only family members, friends, and students (and this also applies for doctoral candidates)
normally address each other per Du.
There are certain rules for switching from Sie (and the family name) to Du (and the
first name):
In private, the older person proposes the informal Du to the younger person
and the woman to the man. In the business world, the higher ranking person –
regardless of age and sex – would always be the one to suggest switching to
Du.
A nice compromise –imported from the Anglo-Saxon countries – can be to address a person by his/her first name but then use the formal Sie. Always ask,
however, before you decide to take this step. If you are not on first-name
terms in German and you use ‘you’ when speaking English, do not forget to
switch back.
Shaking Hands
Germans usually shake hands when meeting another person. It is especially common when you meet and part. But keep a formal physical distance when shaking
hands, strangers will be put off by more body contact like a kiss on the cheek. Among
close family members and friends, this habit might be less formal depending on the
person and region.
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8.
Punctuality
Do not turn up late for an appointment. Germans are extremely punctual, and even a
few minutes’ delay can offend (even though amongst students, these rules might be
less strict). Be five to ten minutes early for important appointments and be sure to call
the person you are meeting if you really cannot make it in time. At big parties with
lots of guests on the other hand, punctuality is not an issue.
Invitations
It is an act of courtesy to bring a little gift, e.g. a bottle of wine, chocolate, or some
flowers, if you’re invited to a German home for some social occasion. If the flowers
are wrapped in paper, remember to take off the wrapping just before you enter the
home. It is considered thoughtful to thank your host for the invitation one day later,
either in person or by telephone.
Knocking
When entering an office, it is common to knock first, wait for the Herein (engl.: come
in) and then enter the room. Office doors in Germany are usually kept shut, but even
when they are open, it is polite to knock before you enter the room.
Coffee & Cake
Coffee and cake sessions are typical for Germany, especially on Sundays. They
generally take place between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
And Some More Useful Things to Know
When you meet Germans for the first time, you might get the impression that they are
very reserved and cold. So do not be offended when it takes a while until you receive
the first private invitation from your new acquaintances. You could try to shorten the
slow way of getting to know each other and take the initiative by inviting them to your
place or suggesting to do something together. Once the initial difficulties are overcome, genuine and long lasting friendship can develop.
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8.
At Christmas, you should not expect to get an invitation to a German home. Christmas in Germany is regarded as a family celebration or a get together with family
members only.
Drinking / Eating / Going to Restaurants
In Germany, you can normally choose your seat in a restaurant yourself, unless you
see a host or hostess seating people.
Cutlery
Germans hold the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left and do not switch
around. They tend to keep their hands on the table at all times and not let one of their
hands rest in their laps.
Crossing the knife and fork on your plate indicates that you are not yet finished with
your meal. Placing knife and fork on the right side of the plate in parallel is a signal to
the waiter that you have finished and that the plate can be cleared away.
Beer and Wine
Beer and wine are part of a normal dinner and alcoholic drinks are usually offered to
guests. Do not force alcoholic drinks on someone if that person has refused your offer, and do not order drinks for him/her. A German person who refuses a drink is not
being shy or impolite but really does not want to have a dink. The legal drinking age
in Germany is 16 for beer and wine and 18 for spirits.
Smoking
In Hesse, there was a smoking ban for all restaurants, bars, discos, and public institutions. This ban has been preliminarily suspended by the Federal Court of Justice,
so that for the moment being smoking is allowed provided that the location indicates
this at the entrance. In some locations you will find an extra smoking room.
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8.
Bills
Separate bills for each person even in smaller groups dining together are a common
practice in Germany. The waiter will come to your table and calculate your individual
bill, and you pay him right at your table.
Service
The service is usually included in the price of a meal or beverage. In restaurants,
however, it is customary to give a tip of 5-10% of the total amount. In bars, you can
easily round up to the next whole amount.
Dogs
You may see dogs accompanying their owners into German restaurants, pubs, and
cafes. Many restaurants allow dogs inside and at their outside seating and will often
provide a bowl of water for the pet.
Clothes
Clothing is a matter of fashion, and in the most areas of life, there are no clothing
rules. Although an official suit and tie is regarded as the “correct” clothing in business
life, at universities and other research establishments, clothing is less formal. It depends on faculties and regions but more importantly on the position within an institute. Anyhow, people are often judged by their dress. Especially at evening events
(e.g. concerts, theatre, speeches), you should therefore not dress too far down.
8.3.
Typical Local - Events
Hessentag
The Hessentag is an annual commemorative festival in the state of Hesse and at the
same time the oldest and largest federal state festival in Germany. It features presentations and exhibitions of Hesse’s cultural diversity, but it is also known for its big pop
and rock concerts. This one week event takes place in different locations within
Hesse each year and usually starts in June.
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8.
Wäldchestag
The Wäldchestag (forest day), unique to the Frankfurt area, falls on the Tuesday after Whitsun and is the highlight of the Whitsun holiday. Frankfurt has been celebrating this day as its “national holiday” for centuries. Traditionally, families would set off
for the woods for a picnic and barbecue. Today, you also find fairs and other events
in and around Frankfurt.
Museumsuferfest
The Museumsuferfest is a very big festival on both sides of the river Main. It promotes the museums, arts and crafts, variety theatre, music, and specialties from
around the world. All museums can be visited for a small single entrance fee. The
annual festival takes place at the end of August.
Web: www.museumsuferfest-frankfurt.de
Mainfest
The Mainfest takes place on a weekend at the beginning of August every year. With
children’s carousels, fairground rides, games, tombolas, and shooting ranges, it is a
festival for the whole family. A superb firework display represents the traditional highlight and is the end of the festival.
Dippemess
Frankfurt’s Dippemess at the Festplatz (Fairground) on Ratsweg is the largest folk
festival in the Rhine-Main region. Dippemess is local dialect and means Topfmarkt
(pot market), revealing the historic origin of this event. This festival consists of a big
market with many stands as well as a fair with fairground attractions. It takes place
twice a year in spring and in autumn.
Web: www.dippemess.de
Ebbelwei-Express
The local transportation company VGF (Verkehrsgesellschaft Frankfurt) owns some
historic tram wagons on which special tours are offered. A sightseeing tour on board
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of the Ebbelwei-Express (apple wine express) passes many of Frankfurt’s sightseeing attractions, and during your one-hour trip, you get to enjoy a glass of original
Frankfurt apple wine or juice accompanied by music and pretzel.
Web: www.ebbelwei-express.com
8.4.
Typical Local - Drinking and Eating
Ebbelwei
Ebbelwei is the typical beverage in Frankfurt and the surrounding region. Apfelwein
(engl.: apple wine) is the German form of cider produced from apples. It is also
known as Äbbelwoi, Äppler, Stöffche. It is often served in the Geripptes (a glass with
rhombus-shaped cuts that refract the light). You can get Apfelwein in all restaurants
and bars in Frankfurt, and also in special Apfelwein bars, e.g. the Gemaltes Haus
(www.zumgemaltenhaus.de).
Grie Sos (Grüne Soße)
Grüne Soße is a cold gravy which is composed of chunky chopped herbs, yoghurt,
mayonnaise, and sour cream or curd. Traditionally, it is served with beef or hard
cooked eggs. It is said that Grüne Soße was the favourite dish of Johann Wolfgang
Goethe.
A recipe can be found on: www.hausfrauenseite.de
Handkäs mit Musik
Handkäs mit Musik (curdled milk cheese) is a Frankfurt cheese delicacy. The cheese
lies in a marinade of onions, vinegar, oil, caraway, salt and pepper for a few days.
Handkäs mit Musik will be eaten with bread. Musik alludes to the digestive noises
due to the uncooked onions in this meal. Usually an Äppelwoi will be served, too.
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8.5.
Culture
Frankfurt offers a lot of cultural events. Students might get tickets at a reduced price
– another argument for enrolling with the university. Rock concerts, sports events,
and festivals regularly take place all across the city at different locations, e.g.:
Frankfurt Theatre: www.schauspielfrankfurt.de
Frankfurt Opera: www.oper-frankfurt.de
Frankfurt Old Opera: www.alteoper.de
Frankfurt Boulevard Theatre: www.volkstheater-frankfurt.de
International Theatre Frankfurt: www.ITF-Frankfurt.de
Mousonturm - House of Artists: www.mousonturm.de
English Theatre Frankfurt: www.english-theatre.org
The Forsythe Dancing Company: www.theforsythecompany.de
Online Ticket Shop for Frankfurt: www.frankfurt-ticket.de
Museums
A huge variety of museums of all kinds can be found in Frankfurt. If you feel like exploring many different museums all in one location, the Museumsufer is the place to
go. Here at the southern bank of the Main River, you find thirteen different museums
all in one street. The themes range from architecture and films to modern art.
This is just a selection of interesting museums:
History
Historical Museum Frankfurt: www.historisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Natural History Museum Frankfurt: www.senckenberg.de
Goethe’s Birthplace and Museum: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
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8.
Money Museum: www.geldmuseum.de
Archaeological Museum Frankfurt:
www.archaeologisches-museum.frankfurt.de
Jewish Museum Frankfurt: www.juedischesmuseum.de
Arts & Culture
In the film museum, they show a large choice of films, historic, modern, and original
versions of international movies.
The Schirn Kunsthalle is the city’s main modern art gallery. The exhibitions change
depending on the artist displayed.
Museum for Modern Art Frankfurt: www.mmk-frankfurt.de
German Film Museum Frankfurt: www.deutschesfilmmuseum.de
Städel – Art Museum: www.staedelmuseum.de
Museum for Applied Arts: www.museumfuerangewandtekunst.de
The Schirn Gallery: www.schirn-kunsthalle.de
Struwwelpeter Museum – dedicated to the famous children’s book:
www.struwwelpeter-museum.de
Museum of the World’s Cultures: www.mdw-frankfurt.de
Goethe’s Birthplace and Museum: www.goethehaus-frankfurt.de
Science & Technology
Museum for Telecommunication: www.museumsstiftung.de
Dialogue Museum: www.dialogmueum.de
Museum for Science and Technology: www.EXPLORAmuseum.de
Natural History Museum Frankfurt: www.senckenberg.de
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On the homepage of the city of Frankfurt, you will find a list and further information on
all 30 museums: www.frankfurt.de
Cinemas
Frankfurt has a great range of cinemas. 3D-Films, original versions, or a cinema
showing classic movies – there is a cinema for everyone.
On the website indicated below, you can find an overview on the current programme
of all Frankfurt cinemas, search for cinemas in your neighbourhood as well as get an
outlook on the programme of next week or month: http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=6982&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=12719
Foreign Cultural Institutes
During your stay in Frankfurt, you might be interested in meeting people from your
home country. The following list contains culture associations in Frankfurt and the
surrounding area:
Afrikanischer und Karibischer Kulturverein e.V.
(African and Caribbean Culture Association)
+49 (0)69/293551
www.afro-karibik.de
Afrikanischer Kulturverein e.V.
(African Culture Association)
Friedberger Landstr. 121
www.akv-frankfurt.de
Marrokanischer Islamischer Kulturverein e.V.
(Moroccan Islamic Culture Association)
Lärchenstr. 78
+49 (0)69/38030449
Türkischer Kultur- und Bildungsverein e.V.
(Turkish Culture and Education Association)
Zuckschwerdtstr. 1
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+49 (0)69/333 503
Türkischer Kulturverein e.V.
(Turkish Culture Association)
Alt Fechenheim 136
+49 (0)69/419 4916
Arabischer Kulturverein e.V.
(Arabian Culture Association)
Mönchhofstr. 24 a
+49 (0)69/9739 0353
Deutsch – Afghanischer Kulturverein e.V.
(German-Afghan Culture Association)
Albusstr. 18
+49 (0)69/281735
Portugiesischer Kulturverein e.V.
(Portuguese Culture Association)
Pfarrbornweg 1
61352 Bad Homburg
+49 (0)6172/459431
Thailändischer Kulturverein Wat Thai Germany e.V.
(Thai Culture Association Wat Thai Germany)
Kirchstr. 8
63538 Großkrotzenburg
+49 (0)6186/905832
Spanischer Verein
(Spanish Association)
Erbacherstr. 44
64747 Breuberg
+49 (0)6165/940740
Deutsch-Ibero-Amerikanische Gesellschaft e.V.
(German-Ibero-American Association)
Gräfstr. 83
+49 (0)69/779395
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8.6.
Nature and Sports
Palmengarten & the Student ID
The Palmengarten is a trust founded by the citizens of Frankfurt in 1868. On 50
acres, the gardens display numerous beautiful and interesting plants throughout the
year. In addition, the Palmengarten offers a variety of recreational activities including
guided tours, summer concerts, evening festivals, and exhibitions. The Palmengarten
is worth a visit at any time of the year. If you are enrolled as a student at the Goethe
University, you get free entry to the Palmengarten.
Web: www.palmengarten-frankfurt.de
Zoo
From the Tropics to the South Pole in a few hours: In the Big Cat Jungle, lions and
tigers prowl in a nearly natural environment. Observers are separated from the animals only by panes of glass or water-filled ditches for an immediate experience. Then
visit the Grzimek House, where night is turned to day. It is a unique opportunity to
observe nocturnal animals in their habitat. In the Exatorium, a trip from the Arctic Sea
to the Amazon awaits the visitor. Fish, lizards, crocodiles, and other reptiles and insects can be observed here.
Web: www.zoo-frankfurt.de
Ice Skating
The ice stadion in Frankfurt can be reached with the underground 7. It is located in
Bornheim near the Ostpark. The rink has a frozen surface of 9000 m2. There are
three areas of ice. It is possible to borrow some skates, and you can have some
drinks or snacks in the Pistenbar. The opening hours vary between busy and low
season. The entrance is about 6 Euros.
Web: www.eissporthalle-ffm.de
Swimming Pools
Frankfurt has several indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Some also include saunas
or fitness facilities. An overview can be found on: www.frankfurt.de
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9.
RETURNING HOME
In due time before leaving Frankfurt and Germany, you should consider and plan the
necessary steps for returning to your home country. The following chapter should
give you some ideas about what you should think of.
9.1.
Recognition of Your Qualification
In order to avoid bad surprises after your return home, we recommend that you acquire information on how to get your qualifications/ doctoral degree recognised in
your home country soon. There are several institutions you can contact.
Contacting the Embassy
The first address for obtaining more information would of course be the respective
embassy or consulate of your home country in Germany.
The department of the consul is responsible for pass and visa affairs, but they also
accomplish certification and accreditation. Please ask your respective embassy /
consulate which services are offered.
On the website of the Auswärtiges Amt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Department of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany) you will find all foreign
representations in Germany, in case you need to contact another branch.
Web: www.auswaertiges-amt.de
Zentralstelle für Ausländisches Bildungswesen
In Germany, the Zentralstelle für Ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB) is responsible
for the evaluation and acknowledgement of foreign proof of education, usually when
students from abroad come to Germany. But they also can certify your German degree for your home country. The issuing of the equivalent document is free of charge
but will take several weeks.
For the issuing of the certification, you have to bring:
All documents have to be accredited copies or originals
Information on the purpose the equivalence certification
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Information on the educational system for which the equivalence certification
is required
Information on the language in which the equivalence certification is required
(German, Spanish, French, English, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian)
Mail the documents – best after telephone consultation – to the Zentralstelle für Ausländisches Bildungswesen.
Address:
im Sekretariat der Ständigen Konferenz der Kultusminister
der Länder der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Büro Bonn
Lennéstr. 6
53113 Bonn
Phone:
Fax:
E-Mail:
+49 (0)228/50 10
+49 (0)228/50 17 77
zab@kmk.org
or:
Address:
im Sekretariat der Ständigen Konferenz der Kultusminister
der Länder der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Büro BerlinMarkgrafenstr. 37
10117 Berlin
Phone:
Fax:
+49 (0)30/25 41 84 00
+49 (0)30/25 41 84 50
Website:
www.kmk.org/zab/home.htm
Other Institutions for Acceptance of Foreign Degrees
More information on whom to contact and what the equivalent degree will be back
home, you can find on the information system for acceptance of foreign educational
achievements in Germany (ANABIN) – “Zuständige Stelle in Deutschland” (responsible office in Germany): http://87.106.9.54
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Under the heading “Übersicht nach Ländern”, you will find the respective offices
which are responsible for the acknowledgement of German or foreign qualifications in
your home country. For the specific acknowledgement modalities of German qualifications in your home country, best address the respective local offices.
9.2.
Cancelling Contracts
Certainly, you have concluded contracts during your stay in Germany which have to
be cancelled, when you return to your home country. The following topics should be
an orientation on what needs to be done.
Accommodation
Tenancy Contract
Cancel your tenancy agreement in due time. Termination always requires a written
letter.
Normally, the period of notice is three months. If you want to leave earlier or you
cancel a temporary rental contract before it expires, you have to find a new tenant
which will be accepted by the landlord.
Accommodation Handover / Refurbishment / Bulky Waste
Come to an agreement with your landlord regarding the refurbishment which you will
have to attend. Normally, the refurbishment includes wall painting and paperhanging
if necessary. Have refurbishments you carried out taken down in a handover form, so
the landlord confirms them and you will get your full deposit back.
Basements, garages, and grounds have to be cleared out. Ask the municipality about
the next date for bulky waste or order a transport yourself.
In case you cannot take all your furniture with you when moving, there might be a
possibility that your landlord or next tenant take your furniture for a reasonable price.
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Deposit
In case that you have paid a rent deposit, manage the repayment with your landlord.
He/she has to pay back the deposit including interest but will generally only do so
after a final check of the empty flat together with you.
Utilities (Electricity / Gas / Water / Heating / Waste)
If utilities were not included in your rent and you concluded separate contracts with
the respective companies (in Frankfurt predominantly MAINOVA), you have to remember to cancel them. For electricity, gas, heating, and water, you read the meters
on the last day of rental and forward them to the companies. The meters are either
situated in the flat or in the basement. Please also write the results down for yourself.
The waste company may also need to know that you are leaving.
Communication
Radio / Television / Cable TV
Giving the Gebühreneinzugszentrale notice is only possible in written form. Forms
can be downloaded here:
www.gez.de/online_service/abmelden/index_ger.html
If cable TV, telephone, and internet were not included in the additional expenses, you
have to cancel your contract with the respective companies as well:
Telephone - Landline
You should not forget to cancel your landline. For termination, please consider the
terms and conditions of your provider. You might need to present a proof that you are
actually leaving the country before they let you cancel. The registration office will
hand out such a document when you give them notice of departure (see below).
In your letter, state all information from name to customer number, and best send it
via registered mail, so you can proof that you sent something in time.
If your contract lasted for a certain minimum of time (24 or 12 months) and expiry
meets with your departure, you still have to cancel the contract at least 3 months before the expiry date, otherwise the contract is automatically extended for another
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9.
RETURNING HOME
twelve months. In case that no period of notice exists, the processing of cancellation
takes 6 to 8 days.
Your last telephone bill will be sent to the address stated on your written notice. It will
not be mailed abroad though. Therefore, it is advisable to state an address of an acquaintance in Germany, who then forwards the last telephone bill abroad to you.
If you use a mail forwarding service (see below), you can state your old address
when cancelling.
Telephone - Mobile
Normally, contracts with mobile phone providers run 24 months and will automatically
be extended for another 12 months if you do not cancel the contract 3 months in advance. Therefore it is recommended to cancel the contract way in advance, so that
you cannot miss the period of notice. Cancellations can be revoked if necessary.
Again, please state all personal data (address, mobile phone number, and customer
number) in your written notice. Only in this case, the cancellation will be processed.
Mail Forwarding Service
If you are returning to your home country, you have the option to have your letters
forwarded to your new address for a certain period of time. The forwarding service
lasts (optionally) for six (€ 15.20) or twelve months (€ 25.20) and can be set up at all
post offices.
Web: www.efiliale.de/nachsendeservice
Please note
You have to pay the difference between the postage within Germany
(e.g. for standard letter Germany = € 0.55) and the postage to your
home country (e.g. for standard letter world = € 1.70 Æ difference to
pay= € 1.15) when the letters arrive. Parcels will not be forwarded by the
Deutsche Post.
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Banking Activities
Closing Your Bank Account
You should not forget to close your account. There is no period of notice, you simply
visit your local branch to notify your bank. Yet, it is recommended to keep the German bank account for about 4 weeks after you leave until all are final payments like
the rent deposit refund are made.
The banks have special forms where you can enter a date when the account is to be
closed and to which account the remaining money is to be transferred (i.e. the account in your home country).
The following documents have to be brought along when you go to the branch:
Passport with police declaration confirmation for legitimating
EC-Card belonging to that account
Cheque book with all remaining cheques
If applicable, credit cards belonging to the account
If saving accounts exist: savings certificate and the last account statement
Direct Debit Authorizations and Standing Orders
Direct debit authorizations have to be changed or cancelled with the responsible institutions like an insurance you keep. Standing orders will be cancelled by the banks
themselves.
Closing a Bank Account from Abroad
Either you have internet banking and might be able to close your account from home
after your last payments. The other option is to take the cancellation form (do not forget to pick up the form while still in Germany!) home with you and submit the completed form later. Do not forget to state to which account remaining money should be
transferred to.
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Insurances
Periods of notice have to be considered if you intend to terminate your insurances. In
general, the period of notice is 3 months towards the end of the insurance period.
An extraordinary termination of the insurance contract is possible if you can provide
evidence that you leave Germany permanently. This has to be supported by an official document (see below).
The cancellation requires the written form. To have a proof you sent it, the written
notice should be mailed per registered mail.
9.3.
Official Departure
Einwohnermeldeamt / Bürgerbüro
If you leave Germany for a longer time (e.g. returning to your home country), you
have to sign off formally with the responsible registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt)
where you also registered when you arrived first. The procedure is similar to the one
described in chapter 2.1.
Do not forget to bring along your own passport as well as the passports of your family
members.
Aliens‘ Registration Office / Ausländeramt
If your residence permit has expired and you are about to return to your home country, you will have to get in contact with the respective aliens’ registration office. There
you hand in your plane ticket for your trip home and your passport and in return you
will get a so called “Boarder Crossing Certificate”. The aliens’ registration office deposits your passport and plane tickets at the airport.
With the Boarder Crossing Certificate, you proof to the Federal Boarder Guard that
you have legally stayed in Germany even if your residence permit has expired.
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9.
9.4.
RETURNING HOME
Returning Assistance
Several organisations with special programmes for professional integration can also
support you in your return home.
AGEF GmbH
(Arbeitsgruppe Entwicklung und Fachkräfte im Bereich der Migration und der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit)
Address:
AGEF GmbH
Königswinterstr. 1
10318 Berlin
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)30/5010850
info@agef.de
www.agef.net
Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst e.V.
Address:
Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst e.V.
Ulrich-von-Hassel-Str. 76
53123 Bonn
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)228/81010
eed@eed.de
www.eed.de
United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
Address:
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
United Nations Volunteers
UN Campus
Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10
53113 Bonn
+49 (0)228/815 2000
information@unvolunteers.org
www.unv.org
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9.
RETURNING HOME
World University Service (WUS)
Address:
World University Service
Deutsches Komitee e.V.
Goebenstr. 35
65195 Wiesbaden
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)611/446648
info@wusgermany.de
www.wusgermany.de
Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung (CIM)
Address:
Centrum für internationale Migration und Entwicklung
Mendelssohnstr. 75-77
60325 Frankfurt
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/7191210
cim@gtz.de
www.cimoline.de
9.5.
Alumni Contacts
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD)
Address:
DAAD - Geschäftsstelle Bonn-Bad Godesberg
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)228/8820
postmaster@daad.de
www.daad.de
Alumni Uni Frankfurt
Address:
Alumni Uni Frankfurt
Koordinierungsstelle Förderer und Alumni
Abteilung Marketing und Kommunikation
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9.
RETURNING HOME
Senckenberganlage 31
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/798 22756
alumni@uni-frankfurt.de
www.alumni.uni-frankfurt.de
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
Address:
Jean-Paul-Str. 12
53173 Bonn
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)228/8330
info@avh.de
www.humboldt-foundation.de
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10.
APPENDIX
Glossary
ATM (Automatic Teller Machine)
Geld-/ Bankautomat
Charge / Fee
Gebühr
Consultation hours
Sprechstunde
Direct Dial
Durchwahl
Dormitory
Studentenwohnheim
Enrolment
Einschreibung
Aliens‘ Registration Office
Ausländeramt
Form
Formular
Insurance
Versicherung
Job Centre
Arbeitsamt
Metro
S-Bahn / U-Bahn
Registration Office
Einwohnermeldeamt
Rent / Rental
Miete
Semester / Term fee
Semesterbeitrag
Stop / Station
Haltestelle
Student ID
Studentenausweis
Student restaurant / Cafeteria
Mensa
Ticket Machine
Fahrkartenautomat
Ticket
Fahrkarte
Tram
Straßenbahn
Underground
U-Bahn
Vending Machine
Automat (Getränke, Snacks)
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10.
APPENDIX
Hello
Hallo
Good morning!
Guten Morgen!
Good evening!
Guten Abend!
Goodbye!
Auf Wiedersehen!
See you tomorrow!
Bis morgen!
Give my regards to …
Grüß … von mir.
Thank you!
Danke!
Thanks a lot!
Vielen Dank!
You are welcome!
Bitte! / Bitte sehr!
yes (please)
ja (bitte)
no (thanks)
nein (danke)
Excuse me!
Entschuldigung!
Do you speak English?
Sprechen Sie/ Sprichst du Englisch?
Pardon?
Wie bitte?
I understand.
Ich verstehe.
I do not understand (you).
Ich verstehe (Sie) nicht.
What´s your name?
Wie heißt du/ heißen Sie?
My name is…
Ich heiße …
How are you?
Wie geht es Ihnen/ dir?
Thanks, I´m fine.
Danke, mir geht es gut.
Where is the student restaurant?
Wo ist die Mensa?
How do I get to the next station?
Wie komme ich zur nächsten Haltestelle?
I´d like to have a coffee / tea.
Ich hätte gerne einen Kaffee / Tee.
May I have the bill, please.
Ich hätte gerne die Rechnung.
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10.
APPENDIX
How much is …?
Wieviel kostet …?
Are you open (tomorrow)?
Haben Sie (morgen) geöffnet?
Where is….?
Wo ist….?
Where can I find a doctor?
Wo finde ich einen Arzt?
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10.
APPENDIX
International Press
Schmitt & Hahn Buch und Presse GmbH & Co. KG
Address:
Im Hauptbahnhof
Phone:
+49 (0)69/2425230
Opening hours:
daily; 04:30 a.m. – Midnight
Information Material
DAAD - Geschäftsstelle Bonn-Bad Godesberg
Address:
Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)228/8820
postmaster@daad.de
www.daad.de
Tourist Information Römer
Address:
Tourismus + Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main
Römerberg 27
Phone:
E-Mail:
Web:
+49 (0)69/21238800
info@infofrankfurt.de
www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri
Sat, Sun
09:30 a.m. – 05:30 p.m.
10:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.
Pa ge 8 8
10.
APPENDIX
Consulates in Frankfurt
Consulate General of America
Gießener Str. 30
Web: http://frankfurt.usconsulate.gov
Consulate General of Argentina
Eschersheimer Landstr. 19-21
Phone: +49 (0)69/9720030
Web: www.embajada-argentina.de
Consulate General of Brazil
Hanseallee 32 a+b
Phone: +49 (0)69/9207420
Web: www.consbras-frankfurt.org
Consulate General of Bulgaria
Kennedyallee 89
Phone: +49 (0)69/63198165
Web: www.honorarkonsul-bulgarien-hessen.de ; www.botschaft-bulgarien.de
Consulate General of Chile
Humboldtstr. 94
Phone: +49 (0)69/550194
Web: www.embajadaconsuladoschile.de
Consulate General of China
Mainzer Landstr. 175
Phone: +49 (0)69/75085 548
Web: www.china-botschaft.de
Consulate General of Venezuela
Eschersheimer Landstr. 19-21
Phone: +49 (0)69/91501100
Web: www.consulvenezfrankfurt.de
Pa ge 8 9
10.
APPENDIX
Consulate General of India
Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 26
Phone: +49 (0)69/1530050
Web: www.cgifrankfurt.de
Consulate General of Italy
Kettenhofweg 1
Phone: +49 (0)69/75310
Web: www.consfrancoforte.esteri.it
Consulate General of Croatia
Am Weingarten 25
Phone: +49 (0)69/7071012
Web: http://de.mvp.hr/?mv=918&mh=159
Consulate General of Marocco
Mittelweg 49
Phone: +49 (0)69/95501257
Web: www.consulatmarocfrankfurt.de
Consulate General of Romania
Breitscheidstraße 58
34119 Kassel
Phone: +49 (0)561/3012206
Web: http://berlin.mae.ro/
Consulate General of Russia
Öderweg 16/18
Phone: +49 (0)69/59674503
Web: www.ruskonsulatfrankfurt.de ; www.russische-botschaft.de
Consulate General of Turkey
Zeppelinallee 17
Phone: +49 (0)69/713773
Web: http://www.tcberlinbe.de/
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10.
APPENDIX
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10.
APPENDIX
Pa ge 9 2
10.
APPENDIX
Important Phone Numbers
Police Emergency
110
Fire Emergency
112
Emergency Doctor
19292
Otto Stern School
+49 (0)69/798-49 45 0
International Office
+49 (0)69/798-79 80
Directory assistance:
National
International
Cancellation of credit / EC card
(e.g. in case of theft)
116116, or
+49(0)1805-021021
11833
11834
Compilation of Emergency Services of the City of Frankfurt
http://www.frankfurt.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=1180072&_ffmpar[_id_inhalt]=101851
Pa ge 9 3

welcome to frankfurt - Goethe

Transcription

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