The student prison was established in the 1780s and remained in use until 1914. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Heidelberg. From 1823 to 1914 students were incarcerated for offenses such as disturbance of the peace by night and other breaches of the public order.

The university has had the privilege of disciplining its own members since its founding. Since 1886, however, its jurisdiction has extended only to disciplinary procedures. Students could be incarcerated for durations from two days to four weeks, depending on their offence. Although students were theoretically permitted to continue attending lectures during their terms, life in detention was considered quite comfortable and the arrest was frequently used to skip lectures and spend time immortalising oneself on the walls and ceiling with drawings and poems. Today the university is trying to preserve these legacies in order to share these unique historical testimonials to student prison life with future generations.

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