Tag Archive for: mensa

19.Dec2025

Closing times at the turn of the year 2025/26

Winterpause

The Studierendenwerk is taking a short winter break starting on 19 December. We wish you all happy holidays and a great start to the year 2026!

Our gastronomic facilities – cafeterias and dining halls – will be closed from Monday, 22. December 2025, through Tuesday, 6. January 2026. Starting Wednesday, 7. January 2026, we will welcome you back during our regular opening hours.

The BAföG InfoPoints and the Office for Educational Support, the residence hall administrations, the psychotherapeutic counseling center, and the daycare centers operate with different opening and consultation hours during this period:

BAföG

The BAföG Office at Listplatz in Reutlingen, the International BAföG Office on Bismarckstraße in Reutlingen, as well as the BAföG InfoPoints in Tübingen and Hohenheim, will be closed from Monday, 22 December 2025, through Friday, 9 January 2026. The team will be available again starting Monday, 12 January 2026.

Residence Hall Administrations

The residence hall administrations in Tübingen and Hohenheim will be closed starting Monday, 22 December 2025. Staff will be available again from 7 January 2026.

Psychotherapeutic Counseling Center

The counseling center will be closed from Monday, 22 December 2025, through 31 December 2025. Regular registration times will resume on 2 January 2026.

Daycare Centers

The daycare centers in Tübingen and Hohenheim will be closed starting Monday, 22 December 2025. Both facilities will reopen on 5 January 2026.

With the opening hours tool on our website, you’ll always stay up to date!

18.Dec2025

Adjustments in Campus Catering Effective 1 January 2026

Anpassungen

The Studierendenwerk hereby informs you of the following changes to the university catering services effective 1 January 2026:

The taxable benefit-in-kind value for a lunch increases from €4.15 to €4.60 as of 1 January 2026. At the same time, the canteen subsidy for employees (KAO) will be reduced in accordance with the prescribed calculation key from €2.90 to €2.70. For a meal price of €7.30, the subsidy will be applied in full; for lower prices, the subsidy will be adjusted accordingly in order to avoid a taxable benefit.

This adjustment affects the daily menus and choice meals. Prices for side dishes and desserts remain unchanged. As the guest price serves as the reference price, the increase also leads to a corresponding adjustment of prices for employees. The reason for these adjustments continues to be rising personnel and food costs.

Prices for students currently remain unchanged. The Studierendenwerk has therefore deliberately decided against imposing an additional burden on students following significant price increases and semester fee increases in 2025.

The measures outlined above are necessary to ensure the long-term stability of university catering while complying with legal requirements.

01.Nov2025

Information for pupils on the study information day

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Studierende in der Mensa

We invite all pupils to our refectory for the study information day on 19th November. However, payment is only possible without cash.

Pupils from all over Baden-Württemberg have the opportunity to get a taste of university life for the first time.

Studies and refectory, they belong together. That’s why the Studierendenwerk invites all pupils interested in studying to eat in the refectory at a special student price on this day. Please note that payment is only possible without cash! Payment transactions in the refectory and cafeterias of the Studierendenwerk were completely converted to card payments some time ago. Payments for external guests are therefore only possible with EC and credit cards as well as via Apple and Google Pay.

20.Oct2025

50 years Morgenstelle refectory

mensa morgenstelle 1

Tübingen – The Morgenstelle refectory is celebrating its 50th anniversary this autumn.

On 2 October 1975, it was ceremoniously handed over by the city of Tübingen to the then Tübingen Student Services Organisation – since then, it has catered for generations of students, teachers and staff and quickly developed into a central meeting place on the Berg Campus.

With 1,150 seats in the large dining room and another 250 seats in the buffet hall, the canteen was originally designed to serve up to 6,000 meals a day. In the early years, an average of 2,000 regular meals and 700 buffet meals were served per day, with another 200 meals added in the evening. An in-house butcher’s shop with four butchers produced sausage products, two confectioners provided guests with cakes and pastries, and a large potato store with a conveyor system held up to 1,000 hundredweight. On 13 October 1975, the first dishes were on the menu – including gypsy schnitzel with spaetzle and salad, as well as an inexpensive pea stew.

But from the very beginning, the cafeteria was more than just a place to eat: over the decades, its two floors hosted dance balls, Turkish weddings and flea markets. Concerts also shaped the history of the cafeteria. Performances by ELO, Barclay James Harvest, Nina Hagen, The Cure, Hannes Wader, Konstantin Wecker and many other artists made the cafeteria famous far beyond the university.

Anniversary week with retro meals

To mark its 50th anniversary, the Tübingen-Hohenheim Student Services Association is inviting all students, university staff and guests to celebrate from 21 to 23 October 2025. From Tuesday to Thursday, a special dish from the 1970s will be offered at a price of €2.85 for students and €6.85 for university staff and guests.

‘Congratulations to the entire team at the Morgenstelle cafeteria! Many colleagues have been part of the institution for decades – your commitment and experience have made the cafeteria what it is today,’ congratulates Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Tübingen-Hohenheim Student Services Association. ‘The cafeteria is an indispensable meeting place at Morgenstelle: it provides daily meals and creates spaces for people to meet, especially since there are no bakeries, butchers or bistros in the immediate vicinity. This anniversary is a thank you to everyone who ensures that the campus on the hill remains lively.’

Speisesaal Mensa Morgenstelle
Speisesaal Mensa Morgenstelle
Warteschlange Mensa Morgenstelle
Warteschlange Mensa Morgenstelle
10.Oct2025

Meat-Free Action Week in the Reutlingen Refectory

Fleischlose Aktionswoche Mensa Reutlingen

From 13 to 17 October, our Reutlingen Refectory will be all about colourful, varied and truly delicious meat-free cuisine.

Every day you can look forward to one vegan and one vegetarian main dish – complemented by our fresh salad buffet.

Enjoy these tasty specialities:

Monday, 13 October 2025:

  • Colourful chickpea curry with bread roll & leaf salad (vegan)
  • Zucchini piccata Milanese with linguine & lemon sauce (vegetarian)

 

Tuesday, 14 October 2025:

  • Tabouleh & falafel with hummus (vegan)
  • Gnocchi with tomatoes and rocket, herb sauce & salad (vegetarian)

 

Wednesday, 15 October 2025:

  • Cucumber pappardelle with lemon dressing and salt-baked beetroot (vegan)
  • Homemade vegetable patty with beetroot croquettes & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Thursday, 16 October 2025:

  • Shakshuka with naan bread & leaf salad (vegan)
  • Pearl barley risotto with courgette boats & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Friday, 17 October 2025:

  • Mille-feuille of Mediterranean vegetables with tagliatelle & tomato sauce (vegan)
  • Stuffed peppers with butter rice & seasonal salad (vegetarian)

 

Dishes are available only while stocks last.
Please note that short-term changes to the menu may occur.

06.Oct2025

Temporary Closure of the Refectory Prinz Karl

Warnstreik

The Prinz Karl refectory, located in Tübingen’s Old Town (Hafengasse), will be temporarily closed starting 13 October 2025.

“This decision was not an easy one for us, as we know how popular this refectory — with its special focus on meat-free dishes — is among many guests in Tübingen,” explains Edith Hein, Managing Director of the Studierendenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim. “However, technical work is required in the building, which cannot be carried out while operations continue.” The Refectory Prinz Karl is expected to reopen no earlier than the beginning of 2026.

Alternative and Replacement Options

At the Refectory Wilhelmstraße, the Studierendenwerk is introducing a revised serving concept to accommodate additional guests from the Refectory Prinz Karl. A newly colour-coded guidance system, clearly positioned information stands, a restructuring of the serving areas, and the introduction of modern visual till systems are all intended to significantly improve guest flow in the future.
“Especially during the busy winter semester, we expect this to bring noticeable relief. Short queues at peak times cannot be entirely avoided, but they will be much easier to manage,” Hein adds.

In addition, during the course of the winter semester, the range of meals offered at the Cafeteria Wilhelmstraße will be expanded. The cafeterias at the GeiWi, the University Library, and the Theologicum will also remain open, offering a wide selection of snacks and light meals.

The Studierendenwerk will provide timely updates on the progress of the work and the reopening date of the Refectory Prinz Karl.

26.Sep2025

New Self-Checkout System Launched

Visuelles Kassensystem

Since this month, a new checkout system has been in place at the Wilhelmstraße refectory in Tübingen: in addition to traditional tills, self-checkout terminals are now available. Students and guests can scan their own food and drinks and pay cashlessly.

At the heart of the innovation is the “visioncheckout”: guests simply place their tray under a camera. Within half a second, all items are automatically recognised and transferred directly to the checkout system – whether it’s the daily meal or a bottle of mineral water. Payment is made using a student ID card or refectory card.

How the self-checkout works:

  1. Place your tray under the camera
  2. Check the automatically recognised items
  3. Tap “Pay”
  4. Hold your student ID card or refectory card to the reader and wait for the payment to be processed
  5. Enjoy your meal 😊

Please note: Sufficient credit must be available on the chip card for payment. Top-ups are only possible via Autoload, not with debit cards.

Philipp Fritz, manager of the Wilhelmstraße refectory, welcomes the innovation: “Nobody wants to stand in a queue for minutes on end during their lunch break. The new self-checkout tills mean our guests can get to their seats more quickly – and have more time for what really matters: a proper break and good conversation.”

The Studierendenwerk is closely monitoring the test phase and welcomes feedback from guests. If the system proves successful in Tübingen, it will also be introduced in other refectories run by our organisation.

10.Sep2025

Autoload – now available to apply online!

Autoload

From now on, you can conveniently apply for Autoload online. This way, you’ll always have enough credit on your chip card: as soon as your balance at the till falls below a set amount, your credit will automatically be topped up – provided you’ve given your consent. This saves you a trip to the top-up machine and lets you pay even faster in the canteen and café.

Simply complete the online form in full. Important: we need the card serial number of your student or staff ID card, or your canteen card. You can obtain this either directly from our staff at any till or from the top-up machine via the menu option “More” → “Transaction list”.

Of course, you can still register in person – at the InfoPoints in Tübingen and Hohenheim, or at the tills in all canteens at our smaller sites. All you need is your chip card, your Girocard and your ID card.

Learn more about Autoload here
24.Mar2025

Restricted operation on 28/03/2025

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Warnstreik

On Friday, 28 March 2025, many of our refectories cafeterias and service facilities will be closed due to an internal staff meeting. Please check the current opening hours on our website here to see which locations may still be open.

Thank you for your understanding!

13.Mar2025

Updates from our refectories

Studierende in Mensa Gastraum

In unseren Mensen tut sich einiges! Ob nachhaltigere Essensangebote, mehr Transparenz beim CO₂-Fußabdruck oder neue Lernmöglichkeiten – wir haben Updates von verschiedenen Standorten für euch.

There’s a lot happening in our refectories! From more sustainable meal options and greater transparency on CO₂ footprints to new study spaces – we have updates from various locations for you.

Meat-Free Day at Rottenburg Refectory

Starting from 20th March, the refectory at the University of Applied Forest Sciences Rottenburg (HFR) will serve exclusively meat-free dishes every Thursday. This initiative responds to student requests for a greater range of vegetarian and vegan options on campus. The change will initially be introduced as a four-week trial. If it proves popular, we plan to make it permanent.

Extended Opening Hours at Wilhelmstraße Refectory

From the summer semester onwards, we are significantly extending the opening hours at the Wilhelmstraße refectory in Tübingen. The cafeteria in the building is already open until 6 pm, and a Saturday opening is also planned. This will ensure that students have better access to meals outside regular lecture hours. Just in time for the upcoming summer, we have also provided outdoor seating at this location for the first time.

CO₂ Values Now Also in Reutlingen Refectory

How climate-friendly is my lunch? From the upcoming summer semester, you’ll find it easier to answer this question at the Reutlingen refectory. The CO₂ values for each meal will now be displayed alongside the menu options. This will help our guests make informed and sustainable food choices.

New Study Spaces at Wilhelmstraße Refectory

Since early March, new study spaces have been available in the foyer of the Wilhelmstraße refectory. You can now work here outside meal times, meet with study groups, or prepare presentations. At the moment, there are no charging points for laptops and other devices, but these will be installed soon. A practical bonus: The cafeteria with snacks, coffee, and other refreshments is just a few metres away.

Cheapest Refectory Meal Stays Under €3

From 1st April, prices in our refectories will increase. However, we want to ensure that students can still afford a reasonably priced meal. That’s why one menu option will remain unaffected by the price rise: The “Dish of the Day” will still cost just €2.85 for students! This guarantees that there will continue to be an affordable meal option for under €3.

Studierende sitzen vor der Mensa Wilhelmstraße in der Sonne
Studierende sitzen vor der Mensa Wilhelmstraße in der Sonne
Studierende sitzen an den Lernarbeitsplätzen im Foyer der Mensa Wilhelmstrasse
Studierende sitzen an den Lernarbeitsplätzen im Foyer der Mensa Wilhelmstrasse
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