This building houses the institutes of the so-called exact sciences (the ExWi). Although, strictly speaking, only mathematics can truly be described as exact, the three physics institutes as well as the institutes of astronomy and statistics are also located here.
One thing is essential when navigating this building: a good understanding of its layout. With its many letters and numbers, it is easy to lose your bearings in the seemingly endless corridors and winding staircases.
To make it easier to find your way through this labyrinth, the following section provides a brief overview of the layout of the ExWi. When entering the building from Sidlerstrasse, you will see the central notice board and an orientation board on your left. The notice board lists lectures offered by the various institutes, including the lecturer’s name, the lecture title, the date and time, and the designated lecture hall. This is often where the confusion begins: how do you find A6, B7, 099, or any of the other room numbers?
The orientation board provides the key. The ExWi consists of two main sections. You are initially in the old building, which has six floors. Rooms in this part of the building are identified by three-digit numbers. The first digit indicates the floor level: the ground floor is numbered 0, the upper floors are 1, 2, and 3, while the two basement levels are numbered 9 and 8. The remaining digits follow a mathematically positive direction around the library, whose main entrance is located on the first floor.
Facing the train station is the newer terrace building, which is offset by half a floor relative to the two basement levels of the old building. This section consists of three levels, labelled A, B, and C. The C level does not contain rooms accessible to students. As in the old building, room numbering follows a mathematically positive direction, although the various side corridors can make orientation challenging. Here, perseverance is often the best strategy.
A detailed floor plan of the ExWi, designed to help you find your way around the building, is available at the bottom of this page.
