Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg
 Latin: Alma Mater Alberto-Ludoviciana | |
| Motto | Die Weisheit hat sich ein Haus erbaut
("Wisdom has built itself a house") |
|---|---|
| Established | 1457 |
| Type | Public university |
| Location | Freiburg, Germany |
| Website | www.uni-freiburg.de |
Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg (German Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg ) was founded 1457 in Freiburg by the Habsburgs. One of the oldest universities in Germany, it has a long tradition of teaching the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The university is one of Germany's most prestigious and a leading research as well as teaching institution in Europe.
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Mission and Reputation
History
Originally Albrechts University, the university started with four faculties (theology, philosophy, medicine and law). Its establishment belongs to the second wave of German university foundings in the late Middle Ages, like the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen and the University of Basel. Established by papal privilege (papal bull) the University in Freiburg actually was - like all or most universities in the middle ages - a corporation of the church body and therefore belonged to the Roman Catholic Church and its hierarchy. The bishop of Basel consequently was its provost or chancellor (Kanzler), the bishop of Konstanz was its patron while the real founder of the university was the sovereign, Archduke Albert VI of Austria, being the brother of Frederick III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. At its founding, the university was named after Albert VI of Austria. He provided the university with land and a huge amount of endowments as well as its own jurisdiction. Also he declared Albrechts University as the "county university" (German Landesuniversität) for his territory - in the past including an area from Alsace to Tyrol - until it was handed over to the Austrian House of Habsburg in 1490.
Shortly after that the university had a time of prosperity when numerous later famous humanists were educated there like Geiler von Kaysersberg, Johann Reuchlin or Jakob Wimpfeling. When Ulric Zasius was teaching law (until 1536), Freiburg became a centre of humanist jurisprudence. From 1529 to 1535 Erasmus of Rotterdam lived and taught in Freiburg. Since around 1559 the university was housed at the Altes Collegium ("Old College"), today called the "new town-hall." The importance of the university decreased during the time of the Counter-Reformation. To counter those tendencies, the administration of two faculties was handed over to the Roman-Catholic order of the Jesuits in 1620. (The two faculties were, of course, Theology (or Divinity) and Philosophy.) Since 1682 the Jesuits built up their college as well as the Jesuit church (nowadays the "University Church" or Universitätskirche).
At times, especially during the disorders of the Thirty Years' War, the university had to move out of Freiburg temporarily, e.g. from 1686 to 1698, when French troops devastated Freiburg and the southern parts of the upper Rhine region.
After Freiburg as the capital of Further Austria was re-conquered, a new time began for the university by the reforms of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The requirements for admission were changed for all faculties in 1767 (before that time only Roman Catholics were allowed to study) and Natural Sciences were added as well as Public Administration. Also in 1767, the university became a governmental institution despite the Church's protests. The Church finally lost its predominant influence on the university when the Jesuits were suppressed following a decree signed by Pope Clement XIII in 1773. It also might have been the Zeitgeist and the official line of the new Emperor Joseph II (successor and son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria) that his Patent of Tolerance which ensured Protestants the same rights as Catholics (published 1781) finally began an era of Enlightenment within the domains of the Habsburg, nowadays known as an era called "Josephinismus." Consequently Johann Georg Jacobi (brother of the more famous philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi) in 1784 was the first Protestant professor teaching at the university in Freiburg. It is said that Joseph II instructed in his will to offer the professorship in Freiburg to Johann Heinrich Jacobi, probably already guessing the shocked reaction which the citizens of Freiburg would show given the fact that the area around Freiburg was deeply devoted to Catholicism.
When Freiburg became a part of the newly established Grand Duchy of Baden (in German "Großherzogtum Baden") in 1805 (after Napoleon occupied the area of the formerly Further Austria), a crisis began for the university in Freiburg. Indeed there were considerations by Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Baden and Karl, Grand Duke of Baden to close down the university in Freiburg while both of them thought that the Grand Duchy could not afford to run two universities at the same time (the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg also already existed since 1386). The university had enough endowments and earnings to survive until the beginning of the regency of Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden in 1818. Finally in 1820 he saved the university with an annual contribution. Since then the university has been named Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg) as an acknowledgement of gratitude by the university and the citizens of Freiburg.
In the 1880s the population of the student body and faculty started to grow quickly. The excellent scientific reputation of Albert Ludwigs University attracted several researchers like economist Adolph Wagner, historians Georg von Below and Friedrich Meinecke, or jurists Karl von Amira and Paul Lenel. In 1899 Freiburg became the first German university to accept a female student. Just before World War I the university counted 3,000 students. After World War I the highly distinguished philosophers Edmund Husserl and (since 1928) Martin Heidegger taught at Albert Ludwigs University, as well as Edith Stein (she was the assistant of Edmund Husserl, the predecessor of Martin Heidegger). On the field of social sciences, Walter Eucken developed the idea of ordoliberalism, which consequently is also known as the "Freiburg School."
In the beginning of the 20th century several new university buildings were built in the centre of Freiburg, such as in 1911 the new main building. During the "Third Reich" the university went through the process of Gleichschaltung like the rest of the German universities. This means that most of the non-governmental or non-state-controlled institutions, unions, clubs and associations of students were illegal (e.g. Catholic student fraternities were declared illegal). Under the rector Martin Heidegger all Jewish faculty members, among them many excellent and renowned Jewish scientists and professors, were forced to leave the university in accordance with the "‘Law for the Reintroduction of Professional Civil Service." After World War II the university was re-opened. New buildings for natural sciences were erected in the Institutsviertel ("institute quarter").
In the late 20th century, the university was part of a mass education campaign and expanded rapidly. The student body grew to 10,000 by the 1960s, and doubled to 20,000 students by 1980.
In the 1970s, the faculty structure was changed to 14 departments, with the Faculty of Applied Sciences becoming the 15th faculty in 1994. In 2002, the number of faculties was reduced to eleven.
In 2003, the university opened a memorial dedicated to the victims of National Socialism among the students, staff, and faculty.
The Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg has many partnerships with universities all around the world, especially the "Sokrates/Erasmus" partnership - a system mainly throughout Europe with an exchange-programme that is very popular with foreign students.
Since March 2006, the Albert Ludwigs University (ALU) Freiburg is a member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU).
Facilities
Campus
Having grown with the city since the 15th century, the university's buildings are deeply intertwined with the city of Freiburg. There are three large campuses scattered throughout the city (the university centre next to the historical city of Freiburg, the institutes quarter and the applied sciences campus), but other buildings can be found all over Freiburg.
The University Medical Center Freiburg (Universitätsklinikum Freiburg) is one of Germany's largest medical centers. It boasts nearly 1,800 beds and handles 54,000 in-patients a year, with another 300,000 being treated ambulatorily. It consists of 13 specialized clinics, 5 clinical institutes, and 5 centers (e.g. Center for Transplantation Medicine). Many of the University Medical Center's achievements are ground-breaking, such as the first implantation of an artificial heart (2002) and so help to make the university clinic one of Germany's most distinguished.
Programs
The university is headed by a rector and divided into 11 faculties:
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Law
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Economics and Behavioural Sciences
- Faculty of Philology
- Faculty of Philosophy (history, sociology, etc.)
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
- Faculty of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Geo-sciences
- Faculty of Biology
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental science
- Faculty of Applied Science (MEMS, computer science)
It is part of the regional EUCOR federation with Karlsruhe, Basel, Mulhouse and Strasbourg.
Today, there are about 430 professors, 2,950 scientific employees and 8,400 non-scientific employees working for the Albert Ludwigs University, making it one of Freiburg's and the region's biggest employer.
The university's reputation attracts world-class professors and researchers to Freiburg, leading to an excellent position in the 2005 Humboldt Ranking[1], which measures the number of research stays by foreign fellows and award winners sponsored by the Humboldt Foundation. Freiburg achieved a particularly high rank in the life sciences, finishing second.
Colleges
The University Medical Center Freiburg (Universitätsklinikum Freiburg) is one of the largest medical centers in Germany, as well as one of the most reputable. It is the teaching hospital of the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg. In 1751, the university's medical faculty began charity medical activities. In 1780, the first general clinic (Allgemeines Kranken-Spital) was established. In the 19th century a medical center was built, followed by an entire campus with different specialized departments. In 1887 the psychiatric clinic was constructed. In 1926 the architect Albert Lorenz began building a modern hospital complex at the present hospital location. During the bombing raid of 1944, almost all medical center facilities were destroyed. In 1952 the reconstruction of the medical center in accordance with the original plans began. Since then, the medical center has continuously expanded and added many institutes and satellite clinics.
Today, the hospital boasts almost 1,800 beds and treats 54,000 in-patients each year. Over 300,000 out-patients are seen annually. The University Medical Center employs more than 8,240 people, including over 1,000 doctors. It consists of many specialized clinics and institutes, as well as research facilities and lecture halls. Schools for jobs in the medical field (e.g. nursing school) and even an own power station are also included.
The University Medical Center Freiburg enjoys an excellent international reputation, due to world-class medical treatment and extensive clinical research. Many sensational achievements have been made here, such as the first implantation of the artificial heart Jarvik-2000, and the first brain surgery assisted by robots, a procedure available in only a select few hospitals. The annual budget of the University Medical Center amounts to approximately EUR 470 million.
In March, 2007 the university clinic's Tumorzentrum Ludwig Heilmeyer CCCF (Comprehensive Cancer Center Freiburg) was named an oncological center of excellence, one of four in Germany to be specially funded by the German Cancer Aid.
Medical School
The University of Freiburg Faculty of Medicine was founded in 1457 and is one of Germany's oldest and most distinguished. The pre-clinical facilities and institutes are located in the Institutsviertel just north of Freiburg's historical inner city. The clinical departments are situated at the University Medical Center Freiburg.
The Faculty of Medicine offers three degree programs: medicine, dental medicine, and molecular medicine. Currently, approximately 2,800 students are enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine, whereas the medical program is by far the largest with about 2,300 students. Each year, around 340 students are admitted to the medical program and circa 40 each to the dental and molecular medicine programs. A MD/PhD program will be added soon at the new Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine.
The University of Freiburg medical school is held in high esteem by students, leading to competitive admission. Freiburg medical students regularly score very well on the two federal medical exams Erster Abschnitt der ärztlichen Prüfung and Zweiter Abschnitt der ärztlichen Prüfung ([2], in German). However, not only is Freiburg an attractive choice for students, it also brings acclaimed researchers to the Faculty of Medicine. According to the 2005 Humboldt Ranking ([3]), measuring the number of research stays by foreign fellows and award winners sponsored by the Humboldt Foundation, Freiburg placed second in the life sciences.
In addition to the University Medical Center Freiburg, there are 15 other teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Freiburg in the area.
List of clinics, departments, and institutes
- Anaesthesiology Clinic
- University Eye Clinic (Department of General Ophthalmology, Department of Retinology, Department of Neuropathy, Child Ophthalmology, Strabismic Therapy)
- Surgery Clinic (Department of General and Abdominal Surgery, Cardiovascular Center, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Urology Department, Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery)
- Woman’s Clinic (General Gynecology, Department of Obstetric and Gynecology, Endocrinology and Reproduction Medicine)
- Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Clinic
- Dermatology Clinic
- Center for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (Clinic I – Paedicatrics, Adolescent Medicine and Neonatology, Clinic II – Neuropaediatrics and Muscle Disease, Clinic III – Paediatric Cardiology, Congenital Heart Defects, Clinic IV – Paediatric Haematology and Oncology)
- Medical Clinic (Department of Haematology and Oncology, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Department of Nephrology and General Medicine, Department of Pneumology, Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Rehabilitation and Preventative Sport Medicine, Department of Clinical Chemistry and Central Laboratory)
- Neurocenter (Department of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Department of General and Stereotaxic Neurosurgery, Department of Neuroradiology, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology)
- Department of Orthopaedics (Department of Traumatology, Department of Sports Medicine)
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine (Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Child and Youth)
- Radiology Clinic (Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Department of Radiology, Department of Nuclear Medicine)
- Dental Clinic (Department of Dentistry and Parodontology, Department of Prosthodontics, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Regional Plastic Surgery, Department of Orthodontics)
- Tumor Biology Clinic
- Department of Pathology
- Department of Forensic Medicine
- Medical Biometry and Clinical Informatics
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Hygiene
- Pharmacology Center
- Transplantation Center
- Center for Data Processing
- Gerontology Center
- Oncology Center
Student Life
Today the university has a student population of around 22,100, including both undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 16% of these students are foreigners.
Traditions
Notable Alumni
Humanities & Social Sciences
- Günther Anders
- Hannah Arendt
- Götz Briefs
- Rudolf Carnap
- Alfred Döblin
- Erasmus of Rotterdam
- Hans Friedrich Karl Günther
- Edmund Husserl
- Martin Heidegger
- Karl Jaspers
- Paul Kirchhoff
- Emmanuel Lévinas
- Karl Löwith
- Niklas Luhmann
- Karl Mannheim
- Herbert Marcuse
- Friedrich Meinecke
- Wilfred Harold Munro
- Heinrich Rickert
- Gerhard Ritter
- James Harvey Robinson
- Franz Rosenzweig
- Humphrey Spender
- Leo Strauss
- Gerd Tellenbach
- Martin Waldseemüller
- Max Weber
Politics & Law
- Konrad Adenauer
- Richard V. Allen
- Hildegard Behrens
- Karl Binding
- Konstantin Fehrenbach
- Hans Filbinger
- Joseph Goebbels
- Julius Leber
- Jutta Limbach
- Karl von Rotteck
- Panagiotis Pipinelis
- Wolfgang Schäuble
- Peter Schlechtriem
- Ulrich Zasius
Economics
- Walter Eucken
- Friedrich August von Hayek
, professor (Nobel Prize 1974, Economics) - Adolph Wagner
Theology
- Johann Eck
- Josef Frings
- Karl Cardinal Lehmann
- Gregor Reisch
- Franz Anton Staudenmaier
Medicine & Sciences
- Ludwig Aschoff
- Robert Bárány , scientist (Nobel Prize 1914, Physiology or Medicine)
- Erwin Baur
- Theodor Bilharz
- Vincenz Czerny
- Eugen Fischer
- Otfrid Foerster
- Paul Ehrlich , student (Nobel Prize 1908, Physiology or Medicine)
- Felix Hausdorff
- Philip Hench , student (Nobel Prize 1950, Physiology or Medicine)
- Karl Herxheimer
- George de Hevesy , student and professor (Nobel Prize 1943, Chemistry)
- Alfred Hoche
- Karen Horney
- J. Hans D. Jensen , student (Nobel Prize 1963, Physics)
- Georges J. F. Köhler , student and professor (Nobel Prize 1984, Physiology or Medicine)
- Otto Krayer
- Hans Adolf Krebs , student (Nobel Prize 1953, Physiology or Medicine)
- Adolph Kussmaul
- Paul Langerhans
- Kurt Lewin
- Ferdinand von Lindemann
- Ernst Messerschmid
- Otto Meyerhof , student (Nobel Prize 1922, Physiology or Medicine)
- Mario Molina , student (Nobel Prize 1995, Chemistry)
- Karl Wilhelm von Nägeli
- Julius von Sachs
- Bert Sakmann , student (Nobel Prize 1991, Physiology or Medicine)
- Christoph Scheiner
- Hans Spemann , professor (Nobel Prize 1935, Physiology or Medicine)
- Hermann Staudinger , professor (Nobel Prize 1953, Chemistry)
- Otto Heinrich Warburg , student (Nobel Prize 1931, Physiology or Medicine; Nobel Prize 1944 in Physiology or Medicine offered, was forced to decline due to political reasons)
- August Weismann
- Heinrich Otto Wieland , professor (Nobel Prize 1927, Chemistry)
- Adolf Windaus , student (Nobel Prize 1928, Chemistry)
- Georg Wittig , professor (Nobel Prize 1979, Chemistry)
- Ernst Zermelo
In university rankings of German magazines and periodicals (Der Spiegel, Zeit, Focus, etc. [4] [5] ) the Albert Ludwigs University has established itself as one of Germany's top universities. The faculties for law, medicine, history, English studies, biology, and pharmacology achieve especially high scores.
The European Commission compiled a list of the 22 European universities with the highest scientific impact [6] (measured in terms of the impact factor of their scientific output), taking several years of specialist effort to evaluate. The ranking focuses on the scientific quality of an institution, as opposed to its size or perceived prestige. The University of Freiburg ranked 6th highest in Europe and 2nd highest in Germany.
The University of Freiburg further demonstrated its position as one of the best German universities during the Excellence Initiative by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Germany), receiving funding for the new graduate school Molecular Cell Research in Biology and Medicine. This graduate school is based on cooperation with other internationally renowned institutions, such as the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neurosciences (BCCN). The university has also generated a very positive response towards the concept for the future of the university, called "Windows for Research” – New Universitas and Four Beacons of Learning, which aims to promote a high level of interdisciplinarity between the research fields and attract scientists from all over the world. The University of Freiburg intends to found a "Freiburg Institute of Advanced Studies” (FRIAS) with four main schools: School of Historical Studies, School of Language and Literature, School of Life Sciences, and School of Soft Matter Science and Functional Systems. Members of this institute will be top researchers of international renown to be invited as fellows.
On January 12, 2007 the Excellence Initiative jury chose eight universities out of a total of 27 to submit their proposals for the second round of the contest. The University of Freiburg is among the institutions selected and is considered to be a favorite, due to the excellent placement in the first round. The final results will be announced in October 2007.
In 2007, the Albert Ludwigs University celebrates its 550th anniversary.
University Medical Center Freiburg
Notes
1. http://www.uni-freiburg.de/en/universitaet/ranking.php
2. CHE research ranking (http://www.che.de/cms/?getObject=260&getName=Projekte+alphabetisch&strAction=show&PK_Projekt=172&getLang=)
3. Downsizing and specialising: the university model for the 21st century? (Ranking of top 22 European Universities with highest scientific impact, part of the "Third European Report on Science & Technology Indicators" 2003, updated 2004) ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/indicators/docs/3rd_report_snaps10.pdf
1. http://www.impp.de/index.php?id=9, in German
2. http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/aktuelles/presse/pn_archiv_2006/2006_11.htm
External links
- Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg
- University Library
- University Medical Center Freiburg
- http://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de
- http://www.medizinstudium.uni-freiburg.de
- http://www.mobilmed.uni-freiburg.de/
- http://www.uni-freiburg.de
- http://www.uniklinik-freiburg.de/ip/live/klinikum/wissenswertes/webcam_en.html (Medical center webcams)
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