english version below
Einige Fragen werden immer wieder gestellt. Deswegen sollen die hier peu a peu gesammelt und beantwortet werden. Damit hier kein Chaos ausbricht, ist der Thread gesperrt, aber Input ist trotzdem in einem eigenen Beitrag sehr willkommen.
- Wo finde ich öffentliches WLAN, Spielplätze, Toiletten, Bike-Sharing, Grillplätze, Skateparks, Wochenmärkte usw. usf.?
- Ich besuche demnächst Dresden, was muss ich mir unbedingt anschauen?
- Wo gibt es den besten Döner?
In Dresden Studieren, Arbeiten und Wohnen
- Wie finde ich eine WG?
- Wie finde ich Studentenjobs?
- Wie ist Dresden für Familien?
- Wie schlimm sind Rassismus und Intoleranz?
- Brauche ich in Dresden ein eigenes Auto?
- Wie parkt man in Dresden?
- Wie gut ist der Dresdner ÖPNV?
- Welche Apps bieten sich für Mobilität in Dresden an?
Some questions are asked again and again. Therefore, they should be collected and answered here bit by bit. To avoid chaos, the thread is locked, but input is still very welcome in a separate post.
Unfortunately, many of the linked statistics and newspaper articles are only available in German. Even the English information on the website of the city of Dresden and the Dresden public transport is only rudimentary or outdated. My apologies, please send me any more in-depth information you can find in English.
- Where can I find public WLAN, playgrounds, toilets, bike sharing, barbecue areas, skate parks, weekly markets, etc. etc.?
- I’m visiting Dresden soon, what must I see?
- Where can I get the best Döner?
Study, work and live in Dresden
- How do I find a flat share?
- How do I find student jobs?
- What is Dresden like for families?
- How bad are racism and intolerance?
- Do I need my own car in Dresden?
- How do you park in Dresden?
- How good is Dresden’s public transport?
- What apps are available for mobility in Dresden?
Study, work and live in Dresden
Q: How do I find a flat share?
A: WG-gesucht.de is actually always the first port of call. Sometimes you can find something on Kleinanzeigen.de and you can also find something at the Studentenwerk. All in all, the Dresden housing market is tight, but it’s far from what’s going on in other big cities. But the most important tip is and remains: don’t come at the last minute.
Q: How do I find student jobs?
A: Your first port of call is probably the Student Employment Service. If you’re already a bit further along in your studies, you can check out ITsax and all the Fraunhofer institutes. They have higher standards, but networking is also important. Finally, temporary employment agencies like Studitemps aka jobvalley are often discouraged, but on the other hand it helps to pay the bills.
Q: What is Dresden like for families?
A: Dresden is a relatively young city, especially compared to the surrounding area, but also compared to Germany as a whole. 47% of Dresden’s residents were under 40 years old in 2021. The infrastructure for young families is correspondingly good when it comes to kindergartens, schools and leisure facilities. Families are often recommended Blasewitz, Striesen, Johannstadt and, more recently, Löbtau. Neustadt is interesting for singles and students, but is not recommended for families.
Q: How bad are racism and intolerance?
A: Felt: quite bad. But what do the numbers say? The annual statistics of the project “Support” of RAA Sachsen e.V. “Right-wing motivated, racist and anti-Semitic violence in Saxony 2022” sees Dresden with 11.7 attacks per 100,000 inhabitants right in front of Leipzig (8.3) and Chemnitz (5.8). That fits the picture as far as it goes. However, if one looks at the mean expression of right-wing extremist attitudes in the Mitte-Study 2020/21 on page 120, the situation seems to be exactly the opposite. At least the right-wing extremist attitudes of the population in Dresden are the lowest of all three major Saxon cities.
None of this is very informative, so let’s look beyond Saxony for a moment. Another study “Right-wing, Racist and Anti-Semitic Violence 2021” sees a decrease in acts in Saxony. The same study one year later even shows, when looking at selected serious crimes, that there are fewer crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in no eastern federal state than in Saxony. And even tolerant and cosmopolitan Berlin is more than twice as high.
So yes, Dresden has a problem and still has a long way to go, but there are many examples of civil society engagement against racism and intolerance in Dresden. So in comparison, it’s not as bad as its reputation would suggest.