Karzer, Student detention facility at Old University, Heidelberg, Germany
The Karzer is a former student detention facility at the Old University in Heidelberg with several small cells containing iron frame beds and wooden tables. The walls are covered with inscriptions and drawings carved or written by former detainees during their stays.
Heidelberg University operated this detention facility from the late 1700s until 1914 as punishment for students who broke conduct rules. This system reflected the university's authority to discipline its own students separately from civil law.
The walls display sketches and writings left by students who treated their confinement as social time, turning their days into creative expression. These marks show how detainees found ways to occupy themselves and leave their mark on the cells.
Visitors can enter the cells to examine the inscriptions and drawings up close, with combination tickets available for both the University Museum and this facility. The rooms are quite small and narrow, so allow time to study the wall markings carefully.
Detained students were permitted to attend their classes during the day and return to the cells afterwards, making the punishment feel more like a restriction than solitary confinement. This unusual arrangement showed how the university integrated discipline with continued education.
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