Hochschule Essen Proxy
Quickly access resources off-campus through the Hochschule der bildenden Künste Essen proxy.
Proxy Bookmarklet
Whenever you are on a site that requires licensed access, click on the "Hochschule Essen proxy" bookmarklet. You will be asked to login, and then redirected to the "proxified" version of the site.
What is OpenAthens?
OpenAthens is a single sign-on service that lets Hochschule der bildenden Künste Essen students, faculty, and staff securely access the university’s online resources from anywhere. Once you're logged in with your Hochschule Essen credentials, you can explore journals, databases, and other academic content—just as if you were on campus.
Why use OpenAthens?
Because of publisher restrictions, online academic resources at Hochschule der bildenden Künste Essen often require users to be on the university network. OpenAthens bypasses that limitation by using your Hochschule Essen credentials to authenticate access—so whether you're on campus or not, your access stays the same.
What’s the difference between EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN?
While all three systems—EZproxy, OpenAthens, and VPN—help extend access to university resources beyond the campus, they differ in how they authenticate users. EZproxy relies on IP masking to make remote users appear to be on campus. OpenAthens uses a modern, federated identity system to verify individual users through single sign-on. VPNs route your entire internet connection through the university's network, which can offer broader access but may also slow down your connection or raise security concerns for non-academic browsing.