Home > Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg

It is a member of the Coimbra Group and the LERU.

1 History

It was founded at the behest of the Count Palatinate and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire, Ruprecht I , in order to provide faculties for the study of philosophy, theology,

in 1378, which split European Christendom into two hostile groups, was initiated by the election of two popes after the death of

(elected by the French) and the other in RomeRome ( Italian and Latin Roma is the capital city of Italy, and of its Lazio region. It is located on the lower Tiber river, near the Mediterranean Sea, at 41°50'N, 12°15'E. The Vatican City State, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman (elected by the Italian cardinals). The German secular and spiritual leaders voiced their support for the successor in RomeRome ( Italian and Latin Roma is the capital city of Italy, and of its Lazio region. It is located on the lower Tiber river, near the Mediterranean Sea, at 41°50'N, 12°15'E. The Vatican City State, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman, which had far reaching consequences for the German students and teachers in ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to: they lost their stipends and had to leave. Palatine Elector Ruprecht I recognized the opportunity and initiated talks with the Curia, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Papal Bull of Foundation which can be considered the establishment of the University of Heidelberg. On October 18, 1386 a ceremonial fair commemorated the opening of the doors of the university. As a motto for the seal, Marsilius von Inghen, the first Rector of the university chose "Semper apertus" - the book of learning is always open. At this point in time the city of

first year of existence the university had almost 600 enrolled. On October 19, 1386 the first lecture was held. Thus, the University of Heidelberg is the oldest GermanThe Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland is one of the world's leading industrialized countries, located in the middle of the European Union. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark and the Baltic Sea, to the east University.

During the second half of the 16th century15th century 16th century 17th century more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. Events Beginning of the " Little Ice Age" a cooling period that resulted in lower crop yi the University underwent a flowering time and was converted into a calvinisticEmmanuel de Witte Calvinism is a Protestant Christian doctrine named after John Calvin. Calvin had international influence on the development of the doctrine of the Protestant Reformation, beginning at the age of 25, when he started work on his first edit institution. It attracted scholarsA scholar is either a student or someone who has achieved a "mastery" of some academic discipline. In British usage, a scholar is equally likely to be a schoolchild (usually a boy) or a learned person. In American usage, the "schoolchild" meaning is rare. from all over the continent and developed to a cultural and

of the Thirty Years' War in 1618, the intellectual and fiscal wealth of the university declined. In 1622 the then world-famous

from the Heiliggeistkirche (the University Cathedral) and brought to Rome.

It was not until 1803 that this decline stopped. In this year, the University was reestablished as a state-owned institution by Großherzog Karl-Friedrich of

Ruprecht I. During the late 19th century, the Ruperto Carola housed a very liberal and open-minded spirit which was deliberatly fostered by

In the Weimar Republic, the University was widely recognized as a centre of democratic thinking, coined by

also dark forces working within the university: Nazi physicist

Following the assassination of Walther Rathenau he refused to half mast the national flag on the institute, thereby provocing its storming by communist students.

With the advent of the third reich the University, just lika all other german universities, lost many of its professors (among them Emil Gumbel and went into decline. But since Heidelberg was for the most part spared from destructions during the war, the reconstruction of the University was realised rather quickly. With the foundation of the Collegium Academicum, Heidelberg became the home of Germany's first and, until today, only self-governed student hall. Newly laid statutes obligated the University to "the living spirit of truth, justice and humanity".

During the sixties and seventies, the University grew dramatically in size. On the outskirts of the city, in the Neuenheimer Feld Area, a large campus for Medicine and natural sciences was constructed. Today, most buildings of the arts and humanities faculties are located in the old part of the town while the largest parts of the natural sciences and medicine faculties buildings, including three large university hospitals, are situated in the Neuenheimer Feld.