Living in Gießen: Stadtbüro Five Districts, Flat Hunting

The old core city covers around 40 km² and has about 65,000 inhabitants. The JLU's main building on Ludwigstraße stands in the southern city centre, while the Seltersweg pedestrian zone and Berliner Platz, with the town hall and Stadtbüro, are central. After severe destruction in the war, Gießen was rebuilt to suit cars, so many buildings date from the post-war period.

Five further districts are formal local wards with their own local council: Wieseck in the north-east and Kleinlinden in the south-west (both since 1939), Allendorf on the Lahn in the south-west and Rödgen in the east (since 1971), and Lützellinden (since 1979). The city's qualified rent index shows the usual local comparative rent, and the Mieterverein Gießen (tenants' association) offers advice.

The Justus Liebig University passed the mark of 25,000 students for the first time in the 2011 winter semester; its focus is on the natural sciences and medicine. The Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen, the Freie Theologische Hochschule and a branch of the Hessian University of Police and Administration complete the range. The University Hospital Gießen and Marburg is in the south of the city; as the seat of the regional council and the district, Gießen also offers many jobs in public administration.

Gießen is a transport hub: the Main-Weser railway connects Frankfurt and Kassel, plus lines to Koblenz, Fulda and Gelnhausen. The Gießen Ring, made up of the A 480 and A 485, links to the A 5 and A 45. For leisure, there is the Botanical Garden opened in 1609, the Mathematikum and the Liebig Museum.

Small flat, big move? No problem – our prices adapt to the size of your flat: 1 room from €359, 2 rooms from €589, 3 rooms from €915 and 4 rooms from €1,279. For houses and villas there is an individual quote, as these moves can vary a great deal. Long-distance moves are no problem either – here we charge from €3.90/km. Book a free survey now.

Besides the volume, the distance (from €3.90/km) is decisive for the price. Structural factors such as the floor and lift, as well as a parking restriction zone, can increase the effort further. We are also happy to help with furniture assembly and a shared load.

We come from Berlin-Moabit; it is around 494 km to Gießen via the A9, A4 and A5, and the lorry takes about 7.5 hours including a break. The route is described on the page Moving Berlin – Gießen, other destinations in the locations overview. The return trip is also possible.

Under § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (Bundesmeldegesetz), you must register within two weeks of moving in to Gießen. According to the University City of Gießen, the residents' registration office is located in the Stadtbüro: Berliner Platz 1, ground floor, 35390 Gießen. The city states that registering or changing your address can be done entirely online. Services available online include registering your address and the certificate of registration. Appointments at the Stadtbüro can also be booked online.

Opening hours according to the city: Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 6 pm, Friday 7:30 am to 1 pm and Saturday 10 am to 1 pm, though on Saturdays only in person and not by phone. You can reach the Stadtbüro by phone on 0641 306-1234 or 0641 306-2266, or by email at [email protected]. According to the city, since 1 May 2025 biometric photos have only been taken digitally, at a photo station in the Stadtbüro or by certified photographers.

To register, you need the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). Under § 19 of the Federal Registration Act, it is issued by the landlord or a person they have authorised, with the landlord's name and address, the move-in date, the address of the flat and the names of the persons required to register. In its directory of services, the city also lists “Setting up a parking restriction zone”, in case the removal van needs to stop outside the building; more on this under parking restriction zone.

Gießen is a university city, so flat hunting takes many forms. On its housing page, the city lists online ads from the Gießener Allgemeine, the Gießener Anzeiger, Express magazine and WG-Gesucht. Printed flat ads appear on Fridays in the Gießener Allgemeine and the Gießener Anzeiger. As housing companies and cooperatives, the city lists Wohnbau Gießen, WBG, Baugenossenschaft 1894, Wevato and GSW. On rents, the city provides a qualified rent index with information on the usual local comparative rent; tenants can get advice from the Mieterverein Gießen e. V.

According to the city, the Studierendenwerk Gießen has over 2,500 places in halls of residence for students and runs a free housing exchange where students and landlords offer or look for rooms and flats. Plan early; if needed, our student move can help.

Bulky waste often builds up after moving in. The City of Gießen offers an online form for booking a bulky waste collection. The collection calendar is an online calendar by street, where you can also create your own personal collection calendar. The waste management centre at Lahnstraße 220 accepts waste, recyclables and bulky waste from private households. You can reach the street cleaning and transport department on 0641 306-1639 or at [email protected]. More about the city: Moving in Gießen and Guide to moving to Gießen.