University of Cologne
Full-fledged university founded in 1919 in Cologne-Lindenthal; with over 43,000 students, one of Germany's largest on-campus universities.
since 1388
The University of Cologne covers the full spectrum of disciplines expected of a comprehensive university and ranks among Germany's largest on-campus institutions of higher learning. Its present form dates back to 1919, though the city's academic tradition stretches back to the Middle Ages.
At a Glance
- Type
- Comprehensive university (research university)
- Founded
- 1919 (re-establishment); medieval predecessor from 1389
- Location
- Inner Green Belt, Cologne-Lindenthal
- Students
- over 43,000 (winter semester 2024/25)
- Distinction
- Excellence status from 2012 to 2019
Age comparison
Age compared with other places in Cologne.
Medieval Predecessor
A university already began operating in Cologne in 1389, after Pope Urban VI granted the city council a founding charter. Within the Holy Roman Empire, it was the fourth university to be established, following Prague (1348), Vienna (1365), and Heidelberg (1386). Notably, the initiative came not from an emperor or prince but from the council of the Free Imperial City, which also bore the costs. This old university was closed in 1798 following the French occupation.
Re-establishment in 1919
Efforts to revive the university in the 19th century came to nothing. Out of a school of commerce (founded 1901) and other institutions, a new university finally emerged in 1919 — the second university founded in the Weimar Republic after Hamburg. The state treaty was signed by Minister of Culture Konrad Haenisch and Mayor Konrad Adenauer, with the aim of continuing the tradition of the University of Strasbourg, lost after the First World War. Christian Eckert became the first rector. From 1925 onward, Cologne was the second-largest Prussian university after Berlin.
Campus and Architecture
From 1919 to 1934, the university was housed in a building at Römerpark in the Südstadt district. In 1934 it moved to its present site, where a new building designed by Adolf Abel was inaugurated in 1935. Following wartime destruction, extensive expansion took place from the 1950s onward, including lecture halls, Wilhelm Riphahn's seminar tower, and the library. Albertus-Magnus-Platz and the surrounding buildings bear the artistic imprint of Jürgen Hans Grümmer, with floor mosaics and façade design.
The Nazi Era
After 1933, 58 faculty members — 23 percent of the teaching staff, mostly professors of Jewish descent — were driven out as part of Nazi "purges." Institutes aligned with the regime's aims were established. Despite severe war damage to the main building, lectures resumed as early as 1945.
Governance
Until 1954, the university was solely under municipal governance. When the city could not afford the costs of reconstruction, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia took over. Ties to the city persisted until 2007 through a board of trustees chaired by the mayor.
Gallery
Map
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Address
Albertus-Magnus-Platz
50923 Köln
Hours
Mo: 08:00–18:00
Di: 08:00–18:00
Mi: 08:00–18:00
Do: 08:00–18:00
Fr: 08:00–18:00
Sa: 08:00–18:00
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Sources & links
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-30
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