University of Würzburg

The Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg (also referred to as the University of Würzburg; German: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg) is a public research university in Würzburg, Germany. Founded in 1402, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in Germany. The university initially had a brief run and was closed in 1415. It was reopened in 1582 on the initiative of Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn. Today, the university is named for Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn and Maximilian Joseph.

The University of Würzburg is part of the U15 group of research-intensive German universities. The university is also a member of the Coimbra Group. In the winter semester 2025/2026, 25,281 students are enrolled, of which 15,489 are women, 3,078 are international students and 2,919 are first semester university students. The University is associated with 14 Nobel laureates.

Name

Its official name is Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (or "Julius-Maximilian University of Würzburg") but it is commonly referred to as the University of Würzburg. This name is taken from Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, who reestablished the university in 1582, and Prince Elector Maximilian Joseph, the prince under whom secularization occurred at the start of the 19th century. The university's central administration, foreign student office, and several research institutes are located within the area of the old town, while the new liberal arts campus, with its modern library, overlooks the city from the east. The university today enrolls approximately 25,000 students, out of which more than 3,000 are international students.

History

First founding in 1402

The university was founded as the "High School of Würzburg" on an initiative started in 1401 by Prince Bishop Johann von Egloffstein. He wanted to transform the "Gymnasium herbipolense" into a university with four faculties hoping that an influx of teaching staff and students in his territory would cover the need for qualified lawyers and clerics and thus lead to an upturn in the city's economy. He bought the buildings needed for teaching from members of his cathedral chapter.

On 10 December 1402, he was granted the required privilege from Pope Boniface IX. This put Würzburg among the cities with the oldest universities in the then German-speaking area – Prague (1348), Vienna (1365), Heidelberg (1386), Cologne (1388) and Erfurt (1392), and made Würzburg the oldest university in Bavaria. Among the teachers at the university were Winand von Steeg, Johannes Ambundi and Bartholomäus Fröwein.

Already before 1430, however, teaching was suspended shortly after the death of Prince Bishop von Egloffstein. The reason for the decline was primarily the lack of funding, since it had not been possible to establish a foundation that had its own benefice. On 30 November 1413, the rector of the university, Johann Zantfurt, was murdered by his valet; the circumstances were never clarified. Later, Lorenz Fries bought the university building. In 1427, the "Hohe Schule" was mentioned for the last time in a document. By that time, it had not been dissolved yet, but had become insignificant. Friedrich von Wirsberg, who became prince-bishop in 1558, was the first to consider rebuilding the university. Due to problems with the clergy and administration, however, he was unable to realize his plans

From re-founding in 1582 to 1945

After classes had been resumed in some of the subjects in 1551 and the first doctorates had already been awarded in 1567, the Würzburg Prince-Bishop Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn, during the Counter-Reformation, in 1575, first obtained the imperial and then, in 1576, the papal privileges to re-establish the university (see also Erasmus Neustetter called Stürmer). This time, financing was better ensured, and student regulations were stricter. On 2 January 1582, first the theological and philosophical faculties were reopened, and their deans appointed. The name of the university was "Academia Iulia" (Julius University). The university seal was not created until the following year, and thus bears the year 1583. Statutes for the medical faculty were drawn up in 1587. Although the number of lecturers was not complete until 1593, the first medical student, Georg Leyerer from Ebersbrunn, was already enrolled on 2 October 1585.

Miscellaneous

The tower of Neubaukirche (university auditorium), with its height of 91 meters the city's tallest church tower, has one of the four carillons in Bavaria. Between Easter and Christmas, public concerts of about 30 minutes are given on it every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.

In March 2016, JMU was the first university in Bavaria to be awarded the "Bavaria barrier-free" signet. The award was given for the removal of structural barriers, especially in new buildings, and for the establishment of the Information Center for People with Disabilities and Chronic Diseases (KIS), created in 2008.

On 7 January 2019, the online portal WueStudy of the University of Würzburg was launched after a lengthy planning and processing phase. It replaces the former sb@home portal and uses the HISinOne software developed by the Hochschul-Informations-System.

The university and the city

Today, around 28,000 students are enrolled at the university. In addition, there are more than 8,600 students at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, founded on 1 August 1971, and around 750 students at the University of Music. Thus, every fourth citizen of Würzburg is a student.

With a total of more than 10,000 employees, the university and its hospital are among the largest employers in the region.

Due to the university's history, its institutes and hospitals are spread over the entire city. Facilities are found in the following places, among others:

Dallenberg: Botany with Botanical Garden, Pharmaceutical Biology,

Grombühl: Medicine, university hospitals, Rudolf Virchow Center – Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging,

Hubland with Campus South and Campus North (on the site of the former Leighton Barracks): University Library, Computer Center, Biocentre, the faculties and institutes of German, English, Romance Language and Literature, History, Art History, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Food Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Computer Science, Parts of Education, the New Sports Center, the Robotics Hall, the Nanostructure Laboratory, and the Mineralogical Museum,

• Wittelsbacherplatz: Sociology, Political Science, Education, Special Education,
• Neue Universität (Sanderring): University management, Economics,
• Residence: Classical Philology, Egyptology, Oriental Studies, Philosophy, Ancient History, Prehistory and Early History, Classical Archaeology,
• Domerschulstraße, Alte Universität: Law; Domerschulstraße 13: Institute for Music Research,
• Bibrastraße 14: Catholic Theology,
• City center and Pleich: Dentistry; Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Clinics of the University Hospital Würzburg,
• Röntgenring (until 1909 "Pleicher Ring"): Anatomy, Physiology, Psychology, Chemical Technology of Material Synthesis,
• Versbacher Straße: Pharmacology, Toxicology, Virology, Immunobiology, Medical Radiology,

Judenbühlweg: Sports Center.

Research institutions

• Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (DZHI)
• Institute for Higher Education (IfH)
• Adolf Würth Center for the History of Psychology (AWZ)
• Mineralogical Museum Würzburg
• Institute for Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB)
• Martin von Wagner Museum (MvW)
• Rudolf Virchow Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging (RVZ)
• Theodor Boveri Institute for Biosciences
• Center for Experimental Molecular Medicine (ZEMM)
• Research Center for Infectious Diseases (ZINF)
• Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HIRI)
• Max Planck Research Group for System Immunology (WÜSI)
• Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE)
• Interdisciplinary Bank of Biomaterials and Data Würzburg (ibdw)
• Forschungsstelle Deutscher Orden

Faculties

• Faculty of Catholic Theology
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Medicine (Human Medicine, Dentistry, and Biomedicine)
• Faculty of Arts: Historical, Philological, Cultural and Geographical Studies
• Faculty of Human Sciences
• Faculty of Biology
• Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy
• Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
• Faculty of Physics and Astronomy
• Faculty of Business Management and Economics

Rankings

The University of Würzburg has been ranked globally and nationally in several university rankings. As of 2024, the QS World University Rankings places the university at 440 globally and 23rd in Germany. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2024, it is positioned at 175th globally and 17th nationally. In the 2023 ARWU World Rankings, the University of Würzburg is within the 201–300 range globally and within the 10–19 range nationally.

Nobel laureates

Worked at the university

• 1901 Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (Physics)
• 1902 Emil Fischer (Chemistry)
• 1907 Eduard Buchner (Chemistry)
• 1911 Wilhelm Wien (Physics)
• 1919 Johannes Stark (Physics)
• 1935 Hans Spemann (Medicine)
• 1985 Klaus von Klitzing (Physics)
• 1988 Hartmut Michel (Chemistry)
• 2008 Harald zur Hausen (Medicine)

Temporarily worked at the university

• 1903 Svante Arrhenius (Chemistry)
• 1909 Ferdinand Braun (Physics)
• 1914 Max von Laue (Physics)
• 1920 Walther Hermann Nernst (Chemistry)
• 1930 Karl Landsteiner (Medicine)

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)