Founded in 1919 the University of Hamburg stands proudly before you. It’s a testament to Hamburg’s commitment to education and research. This impressive institution wasn’t built overnight. Wealthy citizens initially tried to establish a university in Hamburg. Their petitions failed. Senator Werner von Melle envisioned merging existing institutions. This plan too was initially unsuccessful.
Many in Hamburg viewed the city primarily as a trading hub. They worried about the costs. They feared the social ambitions of potential professors. However the Hamburg Scientific Foundation and the Hamburg Colonial Institute were established. These organizations laid the groundwork for the university’s eventual founding. They supported scholars and funded research. The first lecture building opened in 1911. It later became the university’s main building. The First World War delayed the university’s formal establishment.
After the war a new senate under Mayor von Melle finally succeeded. They passed a law establishing the University of Hamburg. The university opened its doors on March 28 1919. The number of full professorships in Hamburg jumped from 19 to 39. Both the Colonial Institute and the General Lecture System were integrated. The university started with faculties in Law Political Science Medicine Philosophy and Natural Sciences.
The University of Hamburg quickly grew in the Weimar Republic. Thousands of students enrolled. Prominent scholars like Albrecht Mendelssohn Bartholdy Aby Warburg and Ernst Cassirer joined the faculty. The poor economy led to the creation of a student aid association in 1922. Ernst Cassirer became the university’s principal in 1929. He was one of the first Jewish scholars to hold such a position in Germany.
The Nazi era brought a dramatic shift. The university honored Adolf Hitler. The Nazis exerted massive political influence. Books were removed from libraries. Opponents faced harassment. About 50 scientists including Cassirer and William Stern were forced to leave.
After World War II the university reopened in 1945. It employed 17800 people. The first postwar semester saw thousands of students enroll. A student association was elected in 1946 under British supervision. It later became the foundation of the General Students Committee.
The university continued to grow in West Germany. New departments were added. The student population expanded. Construction projects added new buildings. Protests during the 1968 student movements led to structural reforms. Faculties were replaced by interdisciplinary departments. Student and staff participation in administration increased. The office of Rektor was replaced by a university president. Some reforms were later rescinded.
The Hamburg University of Economy and Politics merged with the University of Hamburg in 2005. This was a political act opposed by both institutions. The Bologna process aimed at standardizing European higher education. Tuition fees were introduced but later abolished.
Today the University of Hamburg boasts a vast campus spread throughout the city. Its main building is near Hamburg Dammtor station. It has a state-of-the-art library. Numerous institutes and research centers are affiliated. The university has achieved significant rankings nationally and internationally. It is one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany. Seven Nobel Prize winners and one Wolf Prize winner are connected to this remarkable institution. The University of Hamburg truly stands as a beacon of knowledge.