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Leipzig University

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Leipzig University is located in Saxony, Germany. It is one of the oldest universities in the entire world. This school was founded on December 2, 1409. Two leaders started it: Frederick I and his brother William II.

Memorial stone to the foundation of Leipzig University, quadrangle of Wittenberg University
Memorial stone to the foundation of Leipzig University, quadrangle of Wittenberg University

The university has taught students for over 600 years without stopping. It is the second-oldest university in Germany based on years of existence. It began with four main groups called scholastic faculties.

In the beginning, the university used a system of colleges. These groups helped organize where students lived and where they learned. Some of these were the Small College and the Large College. There was also the Red College, also known as the New College.

Rotes Kolleg Leipzig
Rotes Kolleg Leipzig

Other groups included the College of Our Lady and the Pauliner College. These colleges even had their own rules for their members. Today, the names of these colleges still live on.

History shows how the school changed over many centuries. In the 1500s, the university was given nine villages to help pay for its work. For nearly 400 years, this helped the school stay independent. During the 1800s, the university became a world-class place for research. It was also very kind to women during this time. It was one of the first German universities to let women join as guest students.

Goethecut
Goethecut

In 1873, a woman named Johanna von Evreinov became the first woman in Germany to get a JD.

Many famous and smart people have been part of this university. Famous alumni include the leader Angela Merkel and the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Angela Merkel (2008)
Angela Merkel (2008)

The school is also linked to ten Nobel Prize winners. One recent winner was Svante Pääbo, who won for Medicine in 2022. Other famous names include the scientist Tycho Brahe and the thinker Friedrich Nietzsche.

Portr%C3%A4tt av Tycho Brahe - Skoklosters slott - 90153
Portr%C3%A4tt av Tycho Brahe - Skoklosters slott - 90153

The university even helped educate over 5,500 students from the Balkan states between 1859 and 1909.

Today, the university is spread across 38 different locations in the city. It has a huge library called the Bibliotheca Albertina.

Bibliotheca Albertina
Bibliotheca Albertina

This library holds about 5 million books and many old papers. One very special item is the Papyrus Ebers from ancient Egypt. It is a medical paper from around 1600 BC. The university also has a beautiful botanical garden. This garden was started in 1542 and is the second-oldest in Europe.

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🖼️ Images & Media (11)
File:Memorial stone to the foundation of Leipzig University, quadrangle of Wittenberg University.jpg
Memorial stone to the foundation of...
File:Leipzig - Universität.jpg
Leipzig - Universität.jpg
File:Rotes Kolleg Leipzig.jpg
Rotes Kolleg Leipzig.jpg
File:Leipzig University.JPG
Leipzig University.JPG
File:Bibliotheca Albertina.jpg
Bibliotheca Albertina.jpg
File:Anatomie-Leipzig.jpg
Anatomie-Leipzig.jpg
Portr%C3%A4tt_av_Tycho_Brahe_-_Skoklosters...
File:Goethecut.png
Goethecut.png
File:Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Bernhard Christoph Francke.jpg
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Bernhard...
File:Angela Merkel (2008).jpg
Angela Merkel (2008).jpg
File:Portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche.jpg
Portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche.jpg
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