Ecumenical Student Hall
The Ecumenical Student Residence is beautifully located below Heidelberg Castle in the immediate vicinity of the University in Heidelberg's Old Town. The new building from the 1950s was renovated and completely refurnished in 1991. The house offers for 25 students 23 places in single rooms and 2 places in double rooms. Furthermore, there is a kitchen, a dining room, a small kitchenette as well as a TV room and a devotional and common room. Behind the house is a large beautiful garden, which is accessible to the residents. The small internal library with various works on topics of dogmatics and worldwide ecumenism can be shared. The residence sees itself as an open house where guests are welcome.
Although the dormitory is located in the immediate vicinity of the theological faculty, it does not see itself as a pure theologians' dormitory. We strive for a diverse composition of the house community. In the selection of new residents, it is important to maintain a balance between men and women (1/2 to 1/2), German-speaking and foreign-language students (1/2 to 1/2), doctoral candidates (or occasionally guest lecturers) and students (1/3 to 2/3), theologians and students from other faculties (1/3 to 2/3).
The house community in the Ecumenical Residence for Students is Christian. The students, who have grown up in a different cultural and religious context, should bring their ways of life and faith into the community and enrich it.
Links
The Ecumenical Student Residence is part of the Ecumenical Movement. The Oecumenicum consists of the Ecumenical Institute and the Ecumenical Student Residence and is an institution of the University of Heidelberg. It emerged from the Ecumenical Movement and is connected to it. In the Ecumenical Residence, German and foreign students from different fields of study, denominations, cultures and religions live together as a living community in diversity.
What Living Together Involves
The academic house evenings take place during the semester every Tuesday from 7 pm. After a common prayer and dinner, there is a session on topics chosen by the residents themselves. Speakers from university, politics and society are invited. Residents of the house can also speak. Participation in the academic house evenings is a obligatory pillar of community life.
Prayers and other types of religious celebrations, which are prepared by the residents and / or the director of studies, offer the opportunity to become acquainted with different forms of piety and to engage with different religious traditions. Traditions and experiences from other religions can and shall be incorporated. All residents take part in the Tuesdays' prayer as part of the house evening. In addition, the residents are invited to attend the prayer service on Thursdays at 10.00 pm. Morning prayers take place by arrangement.
The communal programme also includes breakfast, which is provided between 8.00 and 9.00 a.m. during the lecture period from Monday to Friday (except on public holidays).
At the beginning of each semester, there is an opening weekend where old and new residents can get to know each other. This also applies to the study trip that takes place every summer semester. Here we combine community activity with culture.
The residents are very welcome to prepare and offer other activities and events on their own initiative in consultation with the house director.
