Marburg University

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox university

Marburg University (Template:Langx) is a public research university located in Marburg, Germany. It was founded in 1527 by Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, which makes it one of Germany's oldest universities and the oldest still operating Protestant university in the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is now a public university of the state of Hesse, without religious affiliation.

Marburg University has 21,162 students (2024/25) and is located in Marburg.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It offers an International summer university programme and offers student exchanges through the Erasmus programme.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

Founding years

On 1 July 1527, the landgravial chancellor Johann Feige formally inaugurated the university, which had been founded by Landgrave Philip I by decree on 30 May. At that time, it had eleven professors and 88 students.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The first rector was Johannes Eisermann, known as Ferrarius Montanus, a professor of law and assessor at the landgravial court in Amöneburg.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The same year, he granted the university the necessary academic freedoms. On 4 October 1541, the university gained financial independence through the deed of endowment. The following year, the Landgrave received the university privilege from Emperor Charles V during the Imperial Diet in Regensburg.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The university initially used the former monastic buildings of the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Brethren of the Common Life<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Landgrave Philip granted it privileges such as the right to send a representative to the regional assembly and exemptions from tolls and levies for university members.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1529, the landgrave hosted the Marburg Colloquy, a religious debate between Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and Philip Melanchthon. The reputation of its theological faculty attracted international students, especially from Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Scotland. Among them were Patrick Hamilton, who studied briefly at Marburg.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Outbreaks of disease (such as English sweating sickness and the plague) repeatedly forced the university to relocate temporarily to nearby towns during its first century.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

16th and 17th century

Until his death in 1560, Johann Friedrich Dryander held the chair of medicine at Marburg University. On 15 November 1565, Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel appointed Georg Marius as professor, without the university’s formal consent. A second medical chair was added in 1566, filled by Victorinus Schönfeldt, who was already serving as professor of mathematics.<ref>Heyers, Rolf (1957). Dr. Georg Marius, genannt Mayer von Würzburg (1533–1606) (in German). Würzburg. pp. 25–30.</ref>

Between 1580 and 1628, Rudolph Goclenius was professor of philosophy, logic, and ethics at Marburg University.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

When Landgrave Maurice of Hesse-Kassel, who had inherited the Landgraviate of Hesse-Marburg in 1604, converted to Calvinism the following year, the university was compelled to adopt the reformed confession as well (which it maintained until the end of its confessional alignment in 1866). This shift drove many Lutheran professors to the newly founded University of Giessen in 1607. In 1625, when Marburg temporarily came under Lutheran Hesse-Darmstadt, the University of Giessen returned to Marburg University and was later closed.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> On 24 June 1653, the university was reopened by William VI of Hesse-Kassel, who moved the state’s university back from Kassel to Marburg, thereby closing the University of Kassel. In the years that followed, the university faced difficult times due to ongoing confessionalization and financial hardship.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

18th century

In 1723, philosopher Christian Wolff was appointed to a chair at Marburg University after being expelled from Halle by Frederick William I. Despite opposition from parts of the theological faculty, Wolff taught in Marburg until 1740 under the protection of the Landgrave, before being recalled to Prussia by Frederick the Great. The Seven Years' War later disrupted the university, as Hesse became a battleground and Marburg was fortified.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

By 1785, the university held special legal and political status: it had its own jurisdiction, ecclesiastical endowments, and a seat in the regional assembly. The Landgrave acted as rector, the finance minister as curator, and the senate consisted of representatives from theology, law, medicine, and philosophy, along with language and technical instructors.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

19th century

Marburg University experienced renewed growth during the Napoleonic era. In 1807, the Electorate of Hesse became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Westphalia, a French satellite state. Although several universities within the new kingdom were closed, Marburg was spared and benefited financially from the redistribution of resources, particularly following the closure of the universities in Rinteln and Helmstedt. The university library expanded significantly through transfers from Rinteln.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1810, Westphalian authorities banned students from wearing regional colours and uniforms, triggering a prolonged conflict between students and the administration. In May 1811, around 200 students protested by marching to Gladenbach, leading to the release of an imprisoned student and an official inquiry.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

After the return of the prince-elector in 1813, many reforms were reversed, including the dissolution of Westphalian administrative structures and centralised funding.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Influenced by the Wars of Liberation, student movements promoting national unity and liberal ideas gained traction in Marburg. In 1816, the student society Teutonia merged with local student associations to form Germania Marburgensis, though its development was hindered by the Carlsbad Decrees until the 1850s. Under prince-elector Wilhelm I, religious restrictions were eased, allowing the appointment of Catholic professors alongside Lutherans. Wilhelm II later granted full confessional equality, which contributed to rising enrolment. During the 1820s and following decades, the university expanded its facilities, including a new botanical garden, library, chemical laboratory, anatomical theatre, observatory, and clinics. The women’s clinic, begun under Hessian rule, was completed in 1867.<ref name=":0" />

Following the annexation of Hesse by Prussia in 1866, the university transitioned from a regional institution to part of the Prussian education system, benefiting from its reforms. At the time, it had 264 students (22 from outside Hesse) and 51 professors.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Due to property constraints and a preference for using existing state-owned buildings, the university remained decentralised across the city rather than adopting a unified campus model. Student numbers rose steadily, reaching 500 in 1880 and surpassing 1,000 by 1887.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

20th century

By 1909, student enrolment at Marburg University had doubled. Although women were not yet formally admitted, Tadako Urata received a doctoral degree in medicine in 1905 under a special provision. The first academic honour awarded to a woman at the university had been granted in 1827 to Daniel Jeanne Wyttenbach, who received an honorary doctorate for her philosophical writings on aesthetics.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Formal admission of women began in the winter semester of 1908/09 with 26 female students; their number rose to 206 by the outbreak of World War I.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The war marked a major disruption. While 2,258 male students were enrolled in summer 1914, the number dropped to 1,899 in the following semester, with only 478 attending lectures. Within three months of war, the university had lost 55 students.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>

Nazi period

Template:Main In 1926, a chapter of the National Socialist German Students' League (NSDStB) was established in Marburg. By 1931, it held a majority in the student council and led it from then on.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, 21 professors—more than a tenth of the teaching staff—were dismissed for political or racial reasons under civil service laws. Among them were notable scholars such as economist Wilhelm Röpke, Romance philologist Erich Auerbach, and philosopher Karl Löwith. Professor Hermann Jacobsohn, a linguist, took his own life in April 1933 following his suspension.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> New racial and gender quotas were imposed on students, limiting Jewish enrolment to 1.5% overall and 5% for first-year students. The proportion of female students was temporarily capped at 10%.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite thesis</ref>

After 1945

Following 1945, the university saw rapid growth in student numbers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> To accommodate demand, expansion efforts began in the 1960s, including new administrative, dining, and lecture buildings, and the relocation of the Faculty of Philosophy. A Faculty of Natural Sciences was founded on the newly developed Lahnberge campus, whose buildings were among the first in Germany to follow a prefabricated construction model known as the Marburg System.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

21st century

A nationally unprecedented event occurred on 1 January 2006, when the university hospital was privatised and sold to Rhön-Klinikum AG, a private healthcare company, following its merger with the University Hospital of Gießen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2012 the university opened the first German interactive chemistry museum, called Template:Lang. Its experimental course programme is aimed at encouraging young people to pursue careers in science.<ref name="chemicum-news">Template:Cite web</ref>

In December 2023, the ceiling of a lecture hall in the Faculty of Law building collapsed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Structure

File:Marburg UB Neubau Eingang Alter Botanischer Garten von OSO.jpg
University library
File:Uni Marburg Lahnberge 04.jpg
The Lahnberge Campus is dedicated to the natural sciences. The image shows the Multiple Purpose Building, home of the Departments of Mathematics and Computer Science, as well as laboratories for research into material sciences and physical chemistry

Departments

Marburg University is divided into 16 departments. In its early days, the university consisted of the Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Law, and the Faculty of Philosophy, from which the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences was separated in 1964. In 1970, under the Hessian Higher Education Act, these faculties were restructured into 20 departments. Following mergers after 1997, the present organisation comprises 16 departments, whose numbering is no longer consecutive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As part of the Bologna Process, the University introduced a large number of new Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes. At the same time, the traditional degree programmes with Magister, Diplom and similar qualifications were discontinued.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Associated institutes and museums

The university cooperates with the following affiliated institutes:

The following museums are affiliated with the university:

Collections of the university (selection)

Research

Rankings

The departments of psychology and geography reached Excellence Group status in the Europe-wide CHE Excellence Ranking 2009. Template:Infobox Germany university rankings As per the QS World University Rankings of 2024, the institution is situated within the 761–770 range globally, and it holds the 40–41 position nationally.<ref name="QS" /> According to the THE World University Rankings of 2024, it ranks within the 401–500 bracket globally, while its national standing falls between 37 and 41.<ref name="THE" /> In the ARWU World Rankings of 2023, the university is listed in the 401–500 range worldwide, and it takes a national position between 25 and 31.<ref name="ARWU" />

Collaborative Research Centres

The university is significant for its life-sciences research but is also home to one of the few centres that conduct research on the Middle East, the CNMS (Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies).

The university's research is illustrated by its participation in several SFBs (Template:Lang). These collaborative research centres are financed by the German Science Foundation Template:Lang. They encourage researchers to cross the boundaries of disciplines, institutes, departments and faculties within the participating university. The current SFB at Marburg University are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

  • SFB 1083 – Structure and Dynamics of Internal Interfaces (started in 2013, in cooperation with Donostia International Physics Center San Sebastián)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • SFB/TRR 138 – Dynamics of Security: Forms of Securitisation in Historical Perspective (started in 2014)
  • CRC/TRR 393 – Trajectories of Affective Disorders (since 2024)

Nobel Prize winners

Between 1901 and 2011, eleven individuals associated with Marburg University through study or teaching were awarded the Nobel Prize:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Leibniz Prize winners

The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize was awarded to the following researchers affiliated with Marburg University:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

  • 1987: Rudolf K. Thauer – Biochemical Microbiology
  • 1989: Manfred T. Reetz – Organic Chemistry
  • 1991: Ernst O. Göbel – Solid-State Physics
  • 1991: Rolf Müller – Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
  • 1996: Reinhard Lührmann – Molecular Biology
  • 1997: Paul Knochel – Organometallic Chemistry
  • 1997: Stephan W. Koch – Theoretical Physics
  • 2002: Bruno Eckhardt – Theoretical Physics
  • 2003: Roland Lill – Cell Biology / Biochemistry
  • 2006: Gyburg Radke (married Uhlmann) – Classical Philology and Philosophy
  • 2011: Friederike Pannewick – Arabic Studies
  • 2022: Stefanie Dehnen – Inorganic Chemistry
  • 2024: Tobias Erb – Synthetic Microbiology

Ars legendi prize for excellent university teaching

The Ars legendi Prize for Excellent University Teaching, the highest German award in the field of higher education, presented by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK), was awarded to the following individuals teaching at Marburg University:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

  • 2010: Jürgen Schäfer (Faculty Prize for Medicine)
  • 2015: Jürgen Handke (for "Digital Teaching and Learning")
  • 2016: Ilka Agricola (Faculty Prize for Mathematics)
  • 2017: Stefan Bösner (Faculty Prize for Medicine)
  • 2018: Evelyn Korn (for "Constructive Alignment")
  • 2024: Rolf Kreyer (for "Theory and practice of English linguistics combined")<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Scientific institutions

Marburg University hosts several academic and research institutions:

  • Marburg University Research Academy (MARA) supports early career researchers through interdisciplinary training, funding, and career development services.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The German Documentation Centre for Art History (Bildarchiv Foto Marburg) is one of Europe’s largest image archives for art and architecture, providing resources and services for museums, scholars, and publishers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The Democracy Centre Hesse coordinates efforts against right-wing extremism and offers a Master's programme in counselling within that context.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The Research Centre Deutscher Sprachatlas documents and studies regional varieties of German and maintains an expansive archive of dialect materials from around 50,000 locations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The Centre for Gender Studies and Feminist Research, founded in 2001, promotes interdisciplinary work in gender studies and coordinates related academic programmes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • The Botanical Garden, located on the Lahnberge campus, spans 20 hectares and includes extensive plant collections, research areas, and greenhouses; the Old Botanical Garden now serves as a public park.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • SYNMIKRO, the Centre for Synthetic Microbiology, advances research on engineering microbial functions, with applications in biotechnology and medicine, in collaboration with the Max Planck Society.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Students

File:Alte Universität (Marburg) 2.jpg
The Old University, housing the university church, the department for religious studies and a representative lecture hall

Students at Marburg University are represented by the General Student Committee (AStA) and the Student Parliament (StuPa), with additional representation at faculty level through student councils. The universal transit pass (semester ticket), negotiated by the AStA, allows students extensive access to public transport in Hesse and neighbouring areas, including use of selected InterCity (IC) and InterCity Express (ICE) trains.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The university offers various student residences, including the Christian-Wolff-Haus,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the historic Collegium Philippinum,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the Vilmarhaus, run by the Protestant Church. The Konrad-Biesalski-Haus remains notable for its pioneering accessibility for students with physical disabilities.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable alumni and faculty

Natural scientists

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Theologians

Marburg was always known as a humanities-focused university. It retained that strength, especially in Philosophy and Theology for a long time after World War II.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Life scientists

The university has been known for its life sciences since 2022 at the latest. In the Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2022, it was ranked among the top 175 universities worldwide in the discipline of life sciences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Philosophers

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Other

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Alumni

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

See also

Notes

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category

Template:Universities in Germany Template:Compostela Group of Universities Template:Authority control

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Marburg_University&oldid=306945"