University of Leipzig
Encyclopedia
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig
in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
, is one of the oldest universities
in the world and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. Famous alumni include Goethe, Wagner, Nietzsche, Angela Merkel
and multiple Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry and Literature.
The university was founded on December 2, 1409 by Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
and his brother William II, Margrave of Meissen
, and originally comprised four faculties. Since its inception the university has enjoyed over 600 years of uninterrupted teaching and research.
The university was modelled on the University of Prague
, from which the German-speaking faculty members withdrew to Leipzig after the Jan Hus
crisis and the Decree of Kutná Hora
. The Alma mater Lipsiensis opened in 1409, after it had been officially endorsed by Pope Alexander V in his Bull of Acknowledgment on (September 9 of that year). Its first rector was Johann von Münsterberg. From its foundation, the Paulinerkirche
served as the university church. After the Reformation
the church and the monastery buildings were donated to the university in 1544.
During the first centuries the university grew slowly and was a rather regional institution. This changed, however, during the 19th century when the university became a world class institution of higher education and research. Until the beginning of the Second World War, the University of Leipzig attracted a number of renowned scholars and later Nobel Prize laureates. Many of the university's alumni became important scientists.
During World War II, the university was kept open throughout the war even following the destruction of the university buildings. The acting rector, Erich Maschke during the war described the continuation of the university in a memo on May 11, 1945 announcing the vote for a new rector:
members. The chairman of the Student Council, Wolfgang Natonek, and other members were arrested and imprisoned, but the university was also a nucleus of resistance. Thus began the Belter group, with flyers for free elections. The head of the group, Herbert Belter, paid for his commitment to democracy with his life and was executed in 1951 in Moscow. The German Democratic Republic was created in 1949 and in 1953 the University was renamed by its government the Karl-Marx
-University, Leipzig. In 1968, the partly damaged Augusteum
, including Johanneum and Albertinum and the intact Paulinerkirche
, were demolished to make way for a redevelopment of the university, carried out between 1973 and 1978. The dominant building of the university was the University Tower (now City-Hochhaus Leipzig
), built between 1968 and 1972 in the form of an open book.
In 2008 the university was able to prevail in the nationwide "Initiative of Excellence" of Germany and it was granted the graduate school "BuildMoNa
: Leipzig School of Natural Sciences – Building with Molecules and Nano-objects". In addition the university was able to receive grants from the Saxon excellence initiative for the "Life" project – a project that tries to explore common diseases more effectively. Also in 2008 the "Bach Archive"
was associated with the university.
With the delivery of the University Tower
to a private user, the university was forced spread some faculties over several locations in the city. Furthermore it redesigned its historical centre at the Augustusplatz
. This action was highly controversial. In 2002 Behet Bonzio received the second prize in the architectural competition. A first prize was not awarded by the jury. A lobby with partial support of the provincial government called for the rebuilding of St. Paul's Church
and Augusteum
. This caused the resistance of the university leadership, the majority of the students and population of Leipzig. These disputes led to a scandal in early 2003, were the Rector Volker Bigl, and the pro-rectors resigned in protest against the government. This was further forced after severe tensions had built up because of the Saxon university treaty on the future funding of higher education. As a compromise they could agree on the implementation of a second competition, which only covered the Augustusplatz
front of the university. On 24 March 2004, a jury chose the design by Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat
, which was well received by almost all sides. He recalls the outer form of the St. Paul's Church and Augusteum, and abstracted the original building complex. The renovations began in the summer of 2005.
In 2009 the University of Leipzig celebrates its 600th anniversary with over 300 scientific and cultural lectures and exhibitions, reflecting the role of the university's research and teaching from the beginning until today in Germany and Europe.
The University Library of Leipzig
was established in 1543. It is one of the oldest German university libraries and it serves as a source of literature and information for the University of Leipzig as well as the general public in the region. Its extensive historical and special collections are nationally and internationally recognized. The library consists of the main building "Bibliotheca Albertina" and forty branches situated near their respective academic institutions. The current stock comprises 5 million volumes and about 7,700 periodicals. Collections range from important medieval and modern manuscripts to incunabula, papyri, autographs, ostraka and coins.
. The estimated total cost for the renovation project is 140 million euro. The new buildings are going to be completed in 2009/2010, just in time for the university's 600th anniversary celebrations.
Besides the faculties and other teaching institutions, there are several other bodies that serve the university: the University Library, a university archive and administration, numerous museums (e.g. the Museum for Music Instruments
and the Museum of Ancient Egypt) and the university hospital. The university's Leipzig Botanical Garden
was established in 1542 and it is the second oldest botanical garden in Europe.
The University's Musical Instrument Museum includes one of the world's three surviving piano
s built by Bartolomeo Cristofori
, the piano's inventor. Five other Cristofori instruments are included in the Museum's collections.
s, Master's degree
s, Staatsexamen
, Diplom
and Ph.D.s
of which nearly all are tuition
-free. Arguably, the Faculty of Medicine is the university's most renowned faculty.
The university offers a number of courses in English and other foreign languages and there are several programs allowing foreign students to study abroad at the university. Current exchange partner universities include the University of Arizona
, University of Oklahoma
, University of Houston
, University of Alberta
, Ohio University
and University of Edinburgh
among others. Traditionally contacts to universities in Eastern Europe and the Far East are strong as well, e.g. there are cooperations with leading institutions like Lomonosov University (Moscow) and Renmin University (Beijing).
There is a variety of International Master's programs: American Studies, Global Studies, SEPT (MBA in SME Promotion) and one Bachelor/Master's/Ph.D. program (International Physics Studies Program) taught in English. American Studies Leipzig is one of the most distinguished programs of its kind in Europe. In the last three years alone, it has been awarded three prestigious international professorships: The Fulbright-Leipzig Chair for American Studies, the DAAD Professorship for American and International Studies, and the Picador Guest Professorship for Literature. It is also the home of aspeers:emerging voices in american studies
, a graduate-level peer-reviewed scholarly journal for American studies
. Erasmus Mundus Global Studies on the other hand, is an interdisciplinary, research-based Master offered by a consortium of four European universities: University of Leipzig, the London School of Economics
, University of Vienna
, and University of Wroclaw. Since 2008 the university is also home to one of Germany's few Confucius Institute
s. The Institute is based on an agreement of June 2006 between the university administration and representatives of the Chinese Embassy to establish a Confucius Institute in cooperation with the Renmin University
and the "National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language".
The original four facilities were the Faculty of Arts, Theology, Medicine, and Law. Today, the university comprises the following 14 faculties:
The following institutes are affiliated with the university:
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
in the Free State of Saxony, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, is one of the oldest universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the world and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. Famous alumni include Goethe, Wagner, Nietzsche, Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
and multiple Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Chemistry and Literature.
The university was founded on December 2, 1409 by Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Frederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia...
and his brother William II, Margrave of Meissen
William II, Margrave of Meissen
Wilhelm II, the Rich was the second son of Margrave Frederick the Strict of Meissen and Catherine of Henneberg....
, and originally comprised four faculties. Since its inception the university has enjoyed over 600 years of uninterrupted teaching and research.
Founding and development until 1900
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
, from which the German-speaking faculty members withdrew to Leipzig after the Jan Hus
Jan Hus
Jan Hus , often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague...
crisis and the Decree of Kutná Hora
Decree of Kutná Hora
The Decree of Kutná Hora or Decree of Kuttenberg was issued in Kutná Hora, Bohemia, by King Wenceslas IV to give members of the Bohemian university nation a decisive voice in the affairs of the Charles University in Prague....
. The Alma mater Lipsiensis opened in 1409, after it had been officially endorsed by Pope Alexander V in his Bull of Acknowledgment on (September 9 of that year). Its first rector was Johann von Münsterberg. From its foundation, the Paulinerkirche
Paulinerkirche, Leipzig
The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, named after the "Pauliner", its original Dominican friars. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig. From the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, it served as the...
served as the university church. After the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
the church and the monastery buildings were donated to the university in 1544.
During the first centuries the university grew slowly and was a rather regional institution. This changed, however, during the 19th century when the university became a world class institution of higher education and research. Until the beginning of the Second World War, the University of Leipzig attracted a number of renowned scholars and later Nobel Prize laureates. Many of the university's alumni became important scientists.
During World War II, the university was kept open throughout the war even following the destruction of the university buildings. The acting rector, Erich Maschke during the war described the continuation of the university in a memo on May 11, 1945 announcing the vote for a new rector:
The University under the German Democratic Republic
By the end of World War II, 60 per cent of the university's buildings and 70 per cent of its books had been destroyed. The university reopened on 5 February 1946, but it was affected by the uniformity imposed on social institutions in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1948, the freely elected student council was disbanded and was replaced by Free German YouthFree German Youth
The Free German Youth, also known as the FDJ , was the official socialist youth movement of the German Democratic Republic and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany....
members. The chairman of the Student Council, Wolfgang Natonek, and other members were arrested and imprisoned, but the university was also a nucleus of resistance. Thus began the Belter group, with flyers for free elections. The head of the group, Herbert Belter, paid for his commitment to democracy with his life and was executed in 1951 in Moscow. The German Democratic Republic was created in 1949 and in 1953 the University was renamed by its government the Karl-Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
-University, Leipzig. In 1968, the partly damaged Augusteum
Augusteum (Leipzig)
The Augusteum was a building on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, to the left of the Paulinerkirche. It was the original site of the University of Leipzig.-History:...
, including Johanneum and Albertinum and the intact Paulinerkirche
Paulinerkirche, Leipzig
The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, named after the "Pauliner", its original Dominican friars. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig. From the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, it served as the...
, were demolished to make way for a redevelopment of the university, carried out between 1973 and 1978. The dominant building of the university was the University Tower (now City-Hochhaus Leipzig
City-Hochhaus Leipzig
City-Hochhaus , at a height of 142.5 metres, is the tallest building in the city of Leipzig, and the tallest multistory building erected in the former East Germany. It was designed by architect Hermann Henselmann in the shape of an open book, and built between 1968 and 1972...
), built between 1968 and 1972 in the form of an open book.
After the reunification
In 1991, the University was renamed again to its original name University of Leipzig (Alma mater lipsiensis). The reconstruction of the University Library, which was heavily damaged during the war and in the GDR barely secured, was completed in 2002.In 2008 the university was able to prevail in the nationwide "Initiative of Excellence" of Germany and it was granted the graduate school "BuildMoNa
BuildMoNa
The Graduate School BuildMoNa at Universität Leipzig, Germany, focuses on interdisciplinary graduate education through top-level, synergistic research in the areas of physics, chemistry and biosciences. The Graduate School BuildMoNa was founded in November 2007 within the German Excellence...
: Leipzig School of Natural Sciences – Building with Molecules and Nano-objects". In addition the university was able to receive grants from the Saxon excellence initiative for the "Life" project – a project that tries to explore common diseases more effectively. Also in 2008 the "Bach Archive"
Bach-Archiv Leipzig
The Bach-Archiv Leipzig or Bach-Archiv is the institution for the documentation and research of life and work of Johann Sebastian Bach in Leipzig, where Bach lived from 1723 until his death. Topic of research is also the Bach family, especially their music...
was associated with the university.
With the delivery of the University Tower
City-Hochhaus Leipzig
City-Hochhaus , at a height of 142.5 metres, is the tallest building in the city of Leipzig, and the tallest multistory building erected in the former East Germany. It was designed by architect Hermann Henselmann in the shape of an open book, and built between 1968 and 1972...
to a private user, the university was forced spread some faculties over several locations in the city. Furthermore it redesigned its historical centre at the Augustusplatz
Augustusplatz
The Augustusplatz is a square located at the east end of the city centre of Leipzig. It is the city's largest square and one of the largest squares in Germany...
. This action was highly controversial. In 2002 Behet Bonzio received the second prize in the architectural competition. A first prize was not awarded by the jury. A lobby with partial support of the provincial government called for the rebuilding of St. Paul's Church
Paulinerkirche, Leipzig
The Paulinerkirche was a church on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, named after the "Pauliner", its original Dominican friars. It was built in 1231 as the Klosterkirche St. Pauli for the Dominican monastery in Leipzig. From the foundation of the University of Leipzig in 1409, it served as the...
and Augusteum
Augusteum (Leipzig)
The Augusteum was a building on the Augustusplatz in Leipzig, to the left of the Paulinerkirche. It was the original site of the University of Leipzig.-History:...
. This caused the resistance of the university leadership, the majority of the students and population of Leipzig. These disputes led to a scandal in early 2003, were the Rector Volker Bigl, and the pro-rectors resigned in protest against the government. This was further forced after severe tensions had built up because of the Saxon university treaty on the future funding of higher education. As a compromise they could agree on the implementation of a second competition, which only covered the Augustusplatz
Augustusplatz
The Augustusplatz is a square located at the east end of the city centre of Leipzig. It is the city's largest square and one of the largest squares in Germany...
front of the university. On 24 March 2004, a jury chose the design by Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat
Erick van Egeraat
Erick van Egeraat is a Dutch architect. He is based in Rotterdam but particularly active in Germany and Russia....
, which was well received by almost all sides. He recalls the outer form of the St. Paul's Church and Augusteum, and abstracted the original building complex. The renovations began in the summer of 2005.
In 2009 the University of Leipzig celebrates its 600th anniversary with over 300 scientific and cultural lectures and exhibitions, reflecting the role of the university's research and teaching from the beginning until today in Germany and Europe.
Library
Leipzig University Library
Leipzig University Library , known also as Bibliotheca Albertina, is the central library of the University of Leipzig. It is one of the oldest German university libraries.- History :...
was established in 1543. It is one of the oldest German university libraries and it serves as a source of literature and information for the University of Leipzig as well as the general public in the region. Its extensive historical and special collections are nationally and internationally recognized. The library consists of the main building "Bibliotheca Albertina" and forty branches situated near their respective academic institutions. The current stock comprises 5 million volumes and about 7,700 periodicals. Collections range from important medieval and modern manuscripts to incunabula, papyri, autographs, ostraka and coins.
Campus
The university's urban campus comprises several locations. All in all, the university is spread across 38 locations in Leipzig. The university's buildings in the center of Leipzig underwent substantial reconstruction since 2005; the new university's main building being drafted by Dutch architect Erick van EgeraatErick van Egeraat
Erick van Egeraat is a Dutch architect. He is based in Rotterdam but particularly active in Germany and Russia....
. The estimated total cost for the renovation project is 140 million euro. The new buildings are going to be completed in 2009/2010, just in time for the university's 600th anniversary celebrations.
Besides the faculties and other teaching institutions, there are several other bodies that serve the university: the University Library, a university archive and administration, numerous museums (e.g. the Museum for Music Instruments
Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig
The Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig is a museum in Leipzig, Germany. It is located on Johannisplatz, near the city centre...
and the Museum of Ancient Egypt) and the university hospital. The university's Leipzig Botanical Garden
Leipzig Botanical Garden
Leipzig Botanical Garden , , is a botanical garden maintained by the University of Leipzig, and located at Linnéstraße 1, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany. It is the oldest botanical garden in Germany and among the oldest in the world, and open daily without charge.Leipzig's botanical garden dates back to...
was established in 1542 and it is the second oldest botanical garden in Europe.
The University's Musical Instrument Museum includes one of the world's three surviving piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
s built by Bartolomeo Cristofori
Bartolomeo Cristofori
Bartolomeo Cristofori di Francesco was an Italian maker of musical instruments, generally regarded as the inventor of the piano.-Life:...
, the piano's inventor. Five other Cristofori instruments are included in the Museum's collections.
Academics
Today, the university has 14 faculties. With over 29,000 students, it is Saxony's second-largest university. There are now more than 150 institutes and the university offers 190 study programs leading to Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s, Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s, Staatsexamen
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
, Diplom
Diplom
A Diplom is an academic degree in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and a similarly named degree in some other European countries including Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Finland , Greece, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, and Ukraine...
and Ph.D.s
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
of which nearly all are tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
-free. Arguably, the Faculty of Medicine is the university's most renowned faculty.
The university offers a number of courses in English and other foreign languages and there are several programs allowing foreign students to study abroad at the university. Current exchange partner universities include the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
and University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
among others. Traditionally contacts to universities in Eastern Europe and the Far East are strong as well, e.g. there are cooperations with leading institutions like Lomonosov University (Moscow) and Renmin University (Beijing).
There is a variety of International Master's programs: American Studies, Global Studies, SEPT (MBA in SME Promotion) and one Bachelor/Master's/Ph.D. program (International Physics Studies Program) taught in English. American Studies Leipzig is one of the most distinguished programs of its kind in Europe. In the last three years alone, it has been awarded three prestigious international professorships: The Fulbright-Leipzig Chair for American Studies, the DAAD Professorship for American and International Studies, and the Picador Guest Professorship for Literature. It is also the home of aspeers:emerging voices in american studies
Aspeers
aspeers is a peer-reviewed academic journal on European American studies#American studies outside of the U.S.. It is published by the American Studies Leipzig MA Program and is available annually in print as well as online. As of 2009 it is also available via EBSCOhost.- Title :The title reflects...
, a graduate-level peer-reviewed scholarly journal for American studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
. Erasmus Mundus Global Studies on the other hand, is an interdisciplinary, research-based Master offered by a consortium of four European universities: University of Leipzig, the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, and University of Wroclaw. Since 2008 the university is also home to one of Germany's few Confucius Institute
Confucius Institute
Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions that aim to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, as well as facilitating cultural exchanges. They are sometimes compared to language and culture promotion organizations such as France's...
s. The Institute is based on an agreement of June 2006 between the university administration and representatives of the Chinese Embassy to establish a Confucius Institute in cooperation with the Renmin University
Renmin University of China
Renmin University of China; RUC, also known as People's University of China , colloquially Renda , is a major research university in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Its campus neighbors those of Peking University and Tsinghua University....
and the "National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language".
Rankings
The university is ranked 2nd in Germany, 20th in Europe and 105th in the world by the web-based Webometrics Ranking of World Universities. (A ranking evaluating the university's scientific online publications.) The 2010 ARWU-Ranking sees the university in the 201-300 tier of world universities and within the top 25 in Germany. In respect to university sports Leipzig has constantly been ranked among the German top 10 in various disciplines over the past decades.Faculties
- Faculty of TheologyTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
- Faculty of LawLawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
- Faculty of HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, ArtArtArt is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and Oriental StudiesOriental studiesOriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies... - Faculty of PhilologyPhilologyPhilology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
- Faculty of EducationEducationEducation in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
- Faculty of Social SciencesSocial sciencesSocial science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational... - Faculty of EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and ManagementManagementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
(including Civil EngineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
) - Faculty of Sports ScienceSports scienceSport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
- Faculty of MedicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
(with a University Hospital) - Faculty of MathematicsMathematicsMathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Computer ScienceComputer scienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems... - Faculty of Biosciences, PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society... - Faculty of PhysicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences... - Faculty of ChemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and MineralogyMineralogyMineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing... - Faculty of Veterinary MedicineVeterinary medicineVeterinary Medicine is the branch of science that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in non-human animals...
The following institutes are affiliated with the university:
- Herder-Institute
- East-Asian Institute of the University of Leipzig
- Institute for Religious Studies of the University of Leipzig
- Institute for Classical Archaeology of the University of Leipzig
- Institute for International Law, European Law and Foreign Public Law (InVEA)
People associated with the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig has produced many notable individuals. Some famous people affiliated with Leipzig include:- C. F. W. WaltherC. F. W. WaltherCarl Ferdinand Wilhelm Walther was the first President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod and its most influential theologian...
was the first President of the Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodLutheran Church - Missouri SynodThe Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
and its most influential theologian. - Johann Wolfgang Goethe, German poet and polymath
- Michelle BacheletMichelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
, first female President of ChilePresident of ChileThe President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
between 2006 and 2010 - Angela MerkelAngela MerkelAngela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
, first female German Chancellor - Felix BlochFelix BlochFelix Bloch was a Swiss physicist, working mainly in the U.S.-Life and work:Bloch was born in Zürich, Switzerland to Jewish parents Gustav and Agnes Bloch. He was educated there and at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, also in Zürich. Initially studying engineering he soon changed to physics...
, Swiss physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics - Gustav Hertz, German physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics
- Julius Edgar LilienfeldJulius Edgar LilienfeldJulius Edgar Lilienfeld was an Austro-Hungarian physicist. He was born in Lemberg in Austria-Hungary , moved to the United States in the early 1920s, and became American citizen in 1934...
, Jewish Austro-Hungarian Physicist, inventor of the transistorTransistorA transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current... - Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich NietzscheFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
, German philosopher - Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
, German composer - Wilhelm WundtWilhelm WundtWilhelm Maximilian Wundt was a German physician, psychologist, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. He is widely regarded as the "father of experimental psychology"...
, German psychologist, founded the first formal laboratory for psychological research - Gotthold Ephraim LessingGotthold Ephraim LessingGotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
, German philosopher and writer - Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
, German politician, Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor - Werner HeisenbergWerner HeisenbergWerner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics and is best known for asserting the uncertainty principle of quantum theory...
, German physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, German polymath
- Ferdinand de SaussureFerdinand de SaussureFerdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the fathers of 20th-century linguistics...
, linguist, founder of structuralism - Bartel Leendert van der WaerdenBartel Leendert van der WaerdenBartel Leendert van der Waerden was a Dutch mathematician and historian of mathematics....
, Dutch mathematician - Maximilian von FreyMaximilian von FreyMaximilian Ruppert Franz von Frey was an Austrian-German physiologist who was born in Salzburg. He received his doctorate from the University of Leipzig in 1877, and subsequently worked at Carl Ludwig's Physiological Institute in Leipzig...
, physiologist, inventor of the esthesiometerEsthesiometerAn esthesiometer is a device for measuring the tactile sensitivity of the skin . The measure of the degree of tactile sensitivity is called aesthesiometry.... - Zhar LestinZharNot to be confused with Tsar.Zhar may mean:* Zhar , a fictional deity in the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft* Zhar Lestin, a Kaliningradian Professor at the University of Leipzig in the early 20th Century...
, Kaliningradian (Russian) mathematician - Hans-Georg GadamerHans-Georg GadamerHans-Georg Gadamer was a German philosopher of the continental tradition, best known for his 1960 magnum opus, Truth and Method .-Life:...
, German philosopher and rector of the university
Radio
The local radio station of the University is "mephisto 97.6" and is receivable in the Leipzig area on FM 97.6 MHz and is also fed into the cable network of Leipzig at 93.6 MHz (both on a shared frequency with radio "R.SA"). It can be received Monday to Friday from 10 to 12am and 6 to 8pm. Therefore it can be received by over a million people in the broadcasting area.See also
- List of universities in Germany
- List of medieval universities
- Nobel laureates by university affiliation
- Leipzig school (sociology)Leipzig school (sociology)The Leipzig school was a branch of sociology developed by a group of academics led by philosopher and sociologist Hans Freyer at the University of Leipzig, Germany in the 1930s....
- Handelshochschule Leipzig (HHL)Handelshochschule Leipzig (HHL)Handelshochschule Leipzig - Leipzig Graduate School of Management is a private business school in the German state of Saxony. It is one of the world's oldest Business Schools, having been established in 1898...
- Research Academy Leipzig
- Carl Ludwig Institute of PhysiologyCarl Ludwig Institute of PhysiologyThe Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology was established by Carl Ludwig in 1865. This Physiological Institute is part of the University of Leipzig and is designated today after him.- Heads and earlier teachers of physiology:...