University of Rostock

University of Rostock
Universität Rostock
Logo of the University of Rostock
Latin: Universitas Rostochiensis
Motto	Traditio et Innovatio
Motto in English	Tradition and innovation
Established	13 February 1419
Type	Public
Chancellor	Joachim Wittern
Rector	Professor Wolfgang D. Schareck^[1](906th rector)
Admin. staff	2.634 (2007)
Students	14.000 (2007)
Location	Rostock, Germany
Campus	Urban
Affiliations	EUA
Website	uni-rostock.de
Central building, University of Rostock

The University of Rostock (German: Universität Rostock) is the university of the city Rostock, in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Founded in 1419, it is one of the oldest univiersities in the world - and the oldest and largest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Sea area. It is the third oldest university in Germany in continuous operation.

History

Seal of the University of Rostock

It was founded in 1419 by confirmation of Pope Martin V and thus is one of the oldest universities in continental Northern Europe.

In Germany, there are only five universities that were founded before, while only Heidelberg and Leipzig operated continiously since then: Heidelberg (1386), Cologne (1388), Erfurt (1392/1994), Würzburg (1402/1582) and Leipzig (1409). That makes Rostock University the third oldest German university in continious operation.

Throughout the 15th century, the University of Rostock had about 400 to 500 students each year, a large number at that time. Rostock was among the largest universities in Germany at the time and many of its students also came from the Low Countries, Scandinavia or other states bordering the Baltic Sea.

In the course of political struggles and pressure from the church, the university moved to Greifswald in 1437 and remained there until 1443. From 1487 to 1488 teaching took place in Lübeck.

Detail of the central building depicting the coat of arms of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

A few years later the city of Rostock, its university also became Protestant in 1542. Humanism and Lutheranism were defining characteristics of the university. After the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), the University of Rostock played only a regional role. When the "ownership" of the university moved from the city to the state (Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) in 1827, however, things changed for the better. The end of the 19th century saw generous building activity in Rostock's alma mater and the university soon regained its old reputation amongst German universities.

On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the university, Albert Einstein and Max Planck received honorary doctorates on 12 November 1919. This made the University of Rostock the world's first institute of higher learning to award this honour to Einstein. Interestingly enough, the doctorate was not revoked during the Nazi rule in Germany (1933–1945), despite such orders by the Nazis. The reason for this remains unknown. David Katz, Hans Moral (committed suicide) and others lost their posts in 1933.

The end of the Second World War in 1945 brought many changes. The university, now finding itself in the Soviet Zone of Germany (the later German Democratic Republic), was re-opened on 24 February 1946. The Faculty of Law was closed in 1951, a Faculty of Agriculture was introduced in 1950 and in 1951 saw the opening of a Department of Shipbuilding (renamed Faculty of Technology in 1963). The University of Rostock was the first traditional university in Germany to open a technical faculty. In 1952, the Faculty of Aviation was opened, but eventually relocated to Dresden.

In 1976 the university was renamed Wilhelm-Pieck-Universität after Wilhelm Pieck, the first president of the German Democratic Republic. The renaming was annulled after the German reunification.

In 1978, the university engaged in a partnership with the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), to help design the course structure and support the development of the Department of Ship Technology at CUSAT. Also, a group of Rostock faculty members were sent to Cochin University of Science and Technology to improving the university's teaching facilities, remaining there until the late 1980s. The prominent place of Cochin University of Science and Technology's Department of Ship Technology in the world maritime industry is thus largely credited to the extensive support of the University of Rostock.

Joachim Gauck, current President of Germany, studied in Rostock

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People

In nearly six centuries numerous notable students and professors have had ties with the university, for instance:

Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Brockmann, philosopher (PhD in 1848)
Albert Einstein, honorary Doctor of Medicine, 1919^[2]
Arno Esch (1928–1951), student and liberal politician
Karl von Frisch, ethologist and Nobel Prize laureate
Joachim Gauck, 11th President of Germany, studies of theology in Rostock until 1965, honorary doctor
Konrad Gesselen from Geismar, Hesse, astronomer, mathematician, pastor, taught at Rostock and Thorn, wrote Cisiojanus
Walter Hallstein (1901–1982), first President of the European Commission
Walter Kempowski, writer
Albrecht Kossel, medical scientist and Nobel Prize laureate (PhD 1878)
Max Planck, honorary doctorate, 1919
Isaac Rülf, philosopher, humanitarian organizer, author (PhD in 1865)
Moritz Schlick, philosopher
Heinrich Schliemann, archeologist (PhD in 1869)
Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophist (PhD in 1891)
Otto Stern, physicist
Rudolph Sohm, lawyer and Church historian

Zoologisches Institut (Department of Zoology)

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Structure

Anatomisches Institut (Institute of Anatomy)

Building of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock

Botanical Garden of Rostock University, greenhouse

Like many continental European universities, the University of Rostock is divided into academic faculties (German: Fakultät). Those can be sub-divided into academic departments (German: Institut) and chairs (German: Lehrstuhl).

Faculties/Schools

It is divided into the following nine faculties:

evangelical theology
philosophy (and arts)
mathematics and natural sciences
law
engineering
agricultural and environmental sciences
medicine
economic and social sciences
electrical engineering and informatics

Research

The university co-operates with several independent research centres. Among those:

Leibniz Institute for Atmospheric Physics at Kühlungsborn
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research at Warnemünde
Leibniz Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals at Dummerstorf, in co-operation with the German federal government
Leibniz-Institut for Catalysis
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
Fraunhofer-Institut for Graphic Data Processing

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The University Clinic of Rostock

The university operates a teaching and research hospital, The University Clinic of Rostock.^[3]

The hospital operates several teaching and research institutes. Among those:

Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration

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Points of interest

Botanischer Garten Universität Rostock, the university's botanical garden

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Partner Universities

university restaurant/cafeteria

university library

Although cooperation and student exchanges are possible with many more institutions, the university has signed cooperation agreements with the following international universities:

Europe