Giessen Giessen (Gie? En), a city in western Germany, is located in Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative center and university town of central Hesse and the eighth largest city in Hesse. With a population of about 7 1 000, including about 22,000 college students, it is the city with the highest density of college students in Germany. Giessen is small, surrounded by high-grade highways from Asfeld to Damtate and railways on both sides. The adjacent river is a tributary of the Rhine. The city of Giessen is divided into two parts by the Larne River, about 50 kilometers north of Frankfurt. Giessen University was founded in 1607, which is all over the city. During World War II, 75% of the urban area of1944 was bombed, including many historical buildings. It was rebuilt after the war.