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| The University - Outline, History, 500 Years of University |
Introduction to the University Halle - The Town With a population of 280,000 inhabitants, Halle, which is situated on the River Saale, is the biggest town in Saxony-Anhalt. As Halle was hardly destroyed in World War II, almost the entire inner city, with its numerous fine buildings from the last century, is well preserved. Halle offers an attractive mixture of new and restored buildings. The University - Past and Present The Martin Luther University of today developed from two universities: one was founded in Wittenberg in 1502, and the other in Halle in 1694. Both universities went through a very eventful history with many ups and downs. Luther and Melanchthon taught in Wittenberg and made the town and its university the intellectual centre of the Reformation. In around 1700, the lawyer Christian Thomasius and philosopher Christian Wolff made Halle an important centre of the German Enlightenment.Then Napoleon abruptly closed the university in Wittenberg in 1813. As a result of territorial restructuring after the Napoleonic Wars, both universities were united in Halle in 1817. After the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the foundation of Halle University in 1994, the 500th Jubilee of the foundation of the University of Wittenberg lies ahead of us in the year 2002. Owing to its long history, the University developed alongside the City of Halle. The University has continued to develop and spread across the whole of the inner city. Many institutions are housed in old villas or historical buildings; additionally, many new university buildings have been built or completely restored. Numerous institutes and clinics now provide modern workplaces with state-of-the-art equipment. The University Square Without any doubt, the centre of the University is the University Square (Universitätsplatz) with its classicist main building which is still used for lectures. Opposite the main building is the Juridicum which was completed in the winter term of 1998/99 and now provides an excellent learning environment for students of law. The construction of an auditorium (the Audimax) is planned for the near future. On completion of the ´Universitätsplatz`, the town of Halle will be able to boast one of the most attractive university squares in Europe. The Opera House and the New Theatre (Neues Theater) are located in the direct vicinity of the University. In this way, science, art and culture have come close together in Halle. Around the University Square, a diverse pub scene is developing, thus adding to the attractiveness of the city's university quarter. No Mass University - Efficient Studies More than 13,200 students are registered at the University of Halle. In most subjects, there are neither overcrowded lecture-halls and seminars nor waiting lists for tutorials and practicals. The favourable ratio of university teachers to students enables most undergraduates to complete their courses in due time. Halle is a cosmopolitan town - a ´passport` to studies abroad Since the political changes in 1989/90, all professorial chairs have been newly established, more than half of them with applicants from outside. Owing to this influx of many young and new university professors, the number of international contacts has grown enormously. Today the University has 22 partner institutions all over the world. In recent years, new agreements with the University of Naples, the Senshu University (Japan) and the University of Tel-Aviv have been signed. Those who choose to study in Halle have a wide range of opportunities to study for one or more semesters abroad. Nearly every member of the university staff has established contact with foreign universities and is willing to provide initial support to students intending to study abroad. Moreover, the International Students' Office offers plenty of advice for all those interested. More Than 100 Courses The University of Halle is a traditional university at which nearly all subjects can be studied. The four main areas of study - social sciences and the arts, natural sciences, engineering sciences and medicine - are subdivided into seven faculties and 18 departments. Detailed information on specific study courses is available from the Students' Advisory Centre at any time. E-Mail for Everybody Upon registration, each student has access to the student server (www.student.uni-halle.de). This means that every student has a mailbox and a homepage of his/her own. Studies and Leisure Activities In and outside the University, Halle has many leisure facilities. The Uni-Big-Band, the University's Orchestra, the University Choir or the University Sports Centre with its wide range of facilities are just some examples of the ample opportunities and attractions. Furthermore, numerous cultural events - typical of a university town - have become part and parcel of life in Halle. Accommodation in Halle Contrary to common expectation, accommodation for students in the inner city is reasonable. Many students share flats - often spacious flats - to be found in old buildings. In addition, the Students' Union Office organizes accommodation for about 3,500 students in halls of residence. Rents (bills extra) range from 110 to 350 DM per month, depending on the facilities and location. Up until now, it has been possible to give every applicant a place in a hall of residence. A Brief History of the MARTIN LUTHER UNIVERSITY The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is the largest and oldest institution of Higher Education in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and is one of the oldest universities in the German-speaking area. The University was founded by the Saxon Elector, Frederick the Wise, in Wittenberg in 1502. Owing to the work of Martin Luther and the influence of Philipp Melanchthon, the University developed into the centre of the Reformation and of the reform of the humanities. In 1694 the Brandenburg Elector, Frederick III, opened the university in Halle. The appointment of famous scholars such as the jurist, Christian Thomasius, and the theologian, August Hermann Francke, soon made the University the centre of the early Enlightenment and Pietism. In Halle, as was the case in Wittenberg before, the foundation of the University took place against the background of a far-reaching university reform that was spreading all over Germany. In 1717 the first German university clinic was opened by J. Juncker in the Francke Foundations ( Franckesche Stiftungen). In the mid-18th century, Dorothea Erxleben was awarded a doctorate by the University. She was the first woman to be honoured in this way by a German university. As a result of territorial restructuring following the Congress of Vienna, the Universities of Wittenberg and Halle were united in 1817, and academic teaching in Wittenberg came to an end. The University under the name of ´Vereinigte Friedrichsuniversität` underwent further fundamental reforms in the spirit of Wilhelm von Humboldt. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the University developed into a highly esteemed place of research and academic teaching and was on a par with other old and famous universities such as Tübingen, Heidelberg, Jena, Leipzig and Göttingen. On 10 November 1933, the University was named `The Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg`. A Fresh Start in 1989/1990 Despite politically-biased teaching, ideological restrictions and material shortages in East German times, the Martin Luther University has remained, to a large extent, a place of autonomous research and is also renowned for its high standard of academic teaching. This could be resumed after the re-unification of Germany. Since the early 1990s, more than 300 professors have been appointed. Recently, the number of external appointments has risen sharply, and the renewal and expansion of the University is evidently making good progress. Thus, on average, university professors in Halle tend to be younger than usual. In the last two years, almost a third of all chairs have been assigned to women. In the winter semester of 1998/99, about 13,250 students studied at the seven faculties of the Martin Luther University. In addition to these faculties, the University has several interdisciplinary scientific institutions. |
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