Freiburg's New UB Makes the News

Freiburg's new university library (Universitätsbibliothek = UB) was opened on July 23. Here are some impressive photos of the reflecting diamond.

The UB is viewed from the top of the university's main building.
Note the solar panels on the roof and
the trackbed for the new streetcar line passing in front of the UB (©BZ)

The main building of the university is reflected in the front face of the UB (©Thomas Kunz/BZ)

The square in front of the cafeteria. Freiburg's theater is reflected on the right (©Sieglinde Köhler/BZ)

Today two events made the press. The UB is open 24h/7d, but between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m., access is limited to persons holding a university card, i.e., primarily students. 

On July 27, in the evening, Red Baron passed through the exceptionally slowly rotating revolving door of the UB only a few minutes past eight. I wondered. Was this bottleneck built in to slow down bustling students? Although I only intended to visit the cafeteria, a gorilla barred my entrance. Neither did I have a student card nor look like a student. Last Sunday night, despite the meticulous entrance checks, two guys succeeded in stealing audio/video equipment from the UB's media center. The theft still is under investigation.

During the day of the UB opening at the still fully equipped media center:
From right to left: UB Director Antje Kellersohn,
Head of all university construction projects Karl Heinz Bühler, and
University Rector Hans-Jochen Schiever (©Universität Freiburg)

On the lighter side, the following photo with the UB in the background dates from yesterday morning. Did the police immobilize the car of a student parking offender using the UB? Not at all. One of the workers laying tracks for the new streetcar line to Madisonallee in front of the UB simply appropriated street barriers to protect his private car within the perimeter of the building site.

Is private parking tolerated? (©Alexander Schuhmacher/BZ)

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