Fotoğraf: Hans Weingartz · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 de)
University of Bonn
Founded in 1818, a well-established Rhineland university housed in a former electoral palace.
Highlights
- A historic main building in a former electoral palace, overlooking the Hofgarten park
- A founding philosophy inspired by Humboldt's principles of academic freedom
- Historical ties to figures like Heinrich Hertz and Konrad Adenauer
- One of Germany's leading universities, with around 36,000 students
Pros
- A strong program in law, economics, mathematics, and natural sciences
- Benefits from the presence of UN institutions and international organizations in the city
- A historic palace campus with a strong academic tradition
Things to Consider
- Bonn's job market is smaller than Berlin's, despite the international organizations present
- Competitive admission for law and medicine
- A large student body can mean crowded introductory lectures
History
Founded on October 18, 1818, by King Frederick William III of Prussia as the Rhine University, the University of Bonn is the direct successor to the Academy of the Prince-Elector of Cologne, founded in 1777. Inspired by Wilhelm von Humboldt's principles of academic freedom and the unity of research and teaching, it quickly became one of Germany's most respected institutions.
In the 1930s, the Nazi regime forced many Jewish scholars and dissidents to leave the university; the 1944 bombing of Bonn then destroyed much of the campus. In the postwar period, the university was rebuilt and restored to its former standing.
The university's main building sits in the former Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Palace), overlooking the Hofgarten park. Associated with figures such as physicist Heinrich Hertz, chemist August Kekulé, and former German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Bonn is today one of Germany's leading universities, with around 36,000 students.
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