Göttingen, College town in Lower Saxony, Germany
Göttingen is a college town in Lower Saxony that spreads on both banks of the Leine River through thirteen districts. Gothic churches and timber-framed houses stand beside modern research centers while the old town with its narrow lanes forms the historic core.
First documented in 953, the settlement grew around a crossing point on the Leine River. It joined the Hanseatic League in the 13th century and the university opened in 1734.
Doctoral candidates kiss the Gänseliesel statue in the market square after passing their exams, a custom that has shaped academic life for generations. Students gather in old town lanes where cafés and pubs draw a lively crowd from morning until late evening.
The main station offers regular connections to Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt. The old town can be easily explored on foot while buses serve the outer districts.
The town is home to many manufacturers of scientific instruments and precision engineering, earning it the nickname Measurement Valley. More than 40 Nobel laureates have researched or taught here.
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