Hey Tübingen

Tübingen, a city in the northwest of Germany. A college town, and most interestingly, a very old college town. Established in 1477, the Univeristy of Tübingen is known for an array of important alumni, especially in the field of theology.

Today, the city embraces the activities of any other modern student body. Students bringing home carry-out pizza and beer, decorating their apartments, and posting valued texts and items on windows for passers by to see.

The postcard view of Tübingen is located right as you cross the main bridge from the train station. Five colorful houses reflecting in the water seem hardly worthy of a postcard to a person traveling in Germany for several weeks. It scares the visitor into thinking there's nothing more inside...

15th century style German houses, exclusively brick roads, uneven winding alleys, a river passing underneath a street (this street held the most prized apartments back in the day because of its great laundry access).  We were there on a chilly rainy day, but it seemed naturally quiet, hushed.  And although we didn't see too many students, everywhere we looked there were little reminders that they are there: drawing on road signs, a bottle and a couple empty glasses, parked bicycles.

"Papa, I want to wear a dress."

Whether it is the memory of the great minds who had lived there, the desire to continue the legacy, or the old architecture, Tübingen feels charged with ideas.  It's as if the gripping quiet atmosphere is an analogy of the hushed concentration that a genius might experience right before the conception of the next world shattering invention.

Out of all the window poems and wall proverbs, I picked the one that was most meticulously put together.  The text and it's Google translation is as follows:

***

Hey Tübingen - das tier in dir ist ausgebrochen!

Noch spürst du nicht was kommen wird! Doch wir sind uberall!

Versteckt lauern wir dir auf und fordern dich hler heraus:

Langst haben wir dich umzingelt und machen uns zum großen sprung bereit.

Wir sind wild!

Wir sind mutig

Wir sind neu gerig (?) & tun worauf wir lust haben!

und du?

Mit gebrüll, getöse gelachter und gezische stürzen wir uns auf dich.

Tübingen du wirst unser dschungel sein

die visonäre

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Hey Tübingen - the animal in you is broken!

Still, you do not feel what is to come! But we are everywhere!

We lurk hidden in you and challenge you counter:

The Original

Long since we have surrounded you and make us ready for big leap.

We are wild!

We are brave

We are new g'erig & do what we have pleasure!

and you?

With roar, roar laughter and hisses we jump on you.

Tubingen you will be our jungle

the visionaries