Pausenscheibe

Pausenscheibe = Pause (break) + Scheibe (disk) = break disk.

This photo stems from the Universität Hamburg during exam time (generally February to March for the Winter Semester and July to August for the Summer Semester). As the University doesn’t have enough space for all students to have a study spot at the library, they implemented the “pausenscheibe.” The purpose of the Pausenscheibe is to control for students taking “excessive breaks” (over 1 hour). How how do you use the Pausenscheibe? When you go for a break, be sure to put the time you left on the disk. During exam times there is “Bibliothek Sicherheit” or library security, who patrols for expired disks. If your time is over one hour, your study materials will be picked up and the desk will be freed for another student. Of course you could set the Pausenscheibe to a later time and cheat the system. But the average German is too honest to do such a cruel thing.

PS. Google “Pausenscheibe Bibliothek” you might be surprised by all the Unis who use the Pausenscheibe! I don’t make it up.