Goethe University Frankfurt facts for kids
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Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
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Former name
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Königliche Universität zu Frankfurt am Main |
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| Type | Public |
| Established | 18 October 1914 The Goethe University has roots dating back to 1484, the year in which the current "Johann Christian Senckenberg University Library" was founded. |
| Budget | € 715.3 Mio. (2020) |
| Chancellor | Albrecht Fester |
| President | Enrico Schleiff |
| Vice-president | Bernhard Brüne, Michael Huth, Christiane Thompson, Ulrich Schielein |
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Academic staff
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3.631,8 (FTE, 2020) |
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Administrative staff
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2,082,9 (FTE, 2020) |
| Students | 42,355 (2022) |
| Undergraduates | 19,329 (2022) |
| Postgraduates | 6,816 (2022) |
| 1,213 (2022) | |
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Other students
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5,940 (teacher education) (2022) |
| Address |
Campus Westend:
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Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1 60323
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Germany
50°7′40″N 8°40′00″E / 50.12778°N 8.66667°E |
| Campus | Multiple sites |
| Language | German |
| Colours | Blue |
| Affiliations | U15 |
Goethe University Frankfurt (German: Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a large public research university in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It started in 1914 as a "citizens' university." This means it was founded and paid for by wealthy and active citizens of Frankfurt.
Its first name was Universität Frankfurt am Main. In 1932, the university was named after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He was a very famous poet, philosopher, and writer from Frankfurt. Today, about 45,000 students study at the university. They are spread across four main campuses in the city.
The university celebrated its 100th birthday in 2014. Many famous people have been connected to the university. This includes 20 Nobel Prize winners like Max von Laue and Max Born. It is also linked to 18 winners of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. Goethe University is part of the IT cluster Rhine-Main-Neckar. It also works with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Technische Universität Darmstadt as the Rhine-Main-Universities (RMU).
Contents
- History of Goethe University
- University Departments and Schools
- University Campuses
- Goethe Business School
- University Logo
- The Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics
- Student Groups and Activities
- Alumni Organizations
- Notable People from Goethe University
- University Rankings
- Places to Visit
- See also
History of Goethe University
The university's history goes back to 1484. That year, a City Council Library was started. This library later became the university library in 1914. Some people say the university's founding date is 1484. However, in Germany, a university's founding year is usually when it gets the right to give out doctorates.
The modern university began on September 28, 1912. That's when the agreement for the "Royal University at Frankfurt on the Main" was signed. The university officially opened on October 16, 1914. Many people from Frankfurt's Jewish community and industrialists helped pay for the university. They gave two-thirds of the money needed to start it.
The university became well-known for its Institute for Social Research, started in 1924. This was the home of the Frankfurt School. This group of thinkers included Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, and Jürgen Habermas. Other important scholars like Martin Buber and Paul Tillich also taught here.
During a difficult historical period, the university faced challenges. Many of its teachers and students were dismissed. This was more than at any other German university. The university also played a big part in the German student movement of 1968.
Goethe University has also been important in science and medicine. Nobel Prize winners like Max von Laue and Max Born worked here. Important discoveries like the Stern–Gerlach experiment happened here. In recent years, the university has focused on law, history, and economics. It created new centers like the Institute for Law and Finance (ILF). The university aims to be a top school for finance and economics. This is because it is close to one of Europe's main financial centers.
University Departments and Schools
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The university has 16 main departments, called faculties. These are like different schools within the university. They cover many subjects:
- 01. Law
- 02. Economics and Business Administration
- 03. Social Sciences
- 04. Educational Sciences
- 05. Psychology and Sports Sciences
- 06. Protestant Theology
- 07. Roman Catholic Theology
- 08. Philosophy and History
- 09. Linguistics, Cultures, and Arts
- 10. Modern Languages
- 11. Geosciences and Geography
- 12. Computer Science and Mathematics
- 13. Physics
- 14. Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy
- 15. Biological Sciences
- 16. Medical Science
There are also several research institutes linked to the university. These include the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research. The university is also part of the Hessian Center for Artificial Intelligence.
University Campuses
Goethe University has four main campuses in Frankfurt am Main:
Campus Westend
This is the main campus. The university's main offices are here. It has the famous IG Farben Building and many new buildings. The House of Finance and the main lecture hall are also here. Most departments, except for Medicine and Natural Sciences, are located on this campus. The Campus Westend is important because of its history and buildings.
The IG Farben Building is a key part of Campus Westend. It is a great example of modernist style. When it was built in 1930, it was meant to show German strength in science and business. After the university took over the building in the 1990s, new buildings were added. The House of Finance moved into a new building in 2008. This building was designed to match the style of the IG Farben Building. It has lecture halls, seminar rooms, and a library.
Campus Bockenheim
This campus used to be the main center of the university. It still has parts of the language and cultural sciences. The Department of Computer Science and Mathematics is also here. The main university library, Johann Christian Senckenberg, is on this campus.
Campus Riedberg
This campus has university buildings built since the 1970s. It is home to the departments of Physics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Biosciences, and Earth Sciences. It also has a science garden and a lecture hall center.
Campus Niederrad
This campus is where the University Hospital is located. It also houses the Department of Medicine. The buildings here have grown over time, with both old and modern parts.
Campus Ginnheim
This campus is used for sports.
Future Plans for Campuses
The university plans to have three main campuses in the future. This means some departments from Campus Bockenheim will move. The sports grounds will stay where they are. The Botanical Garden Frankfurt am Main used to be linked to the biology campus. Now, it is managed by the City of Frankfurt.
Goethe Business School
The Goethe Business School is a special business school at the university. It was started in 2004. It is part of the House of Finance on the Westend Campus. It works with the Indian School of Business (ISB) for executive education.
University Logo
The university has used different logos over the years. A famous designer named Adrian Frutiger created one logo used from 1980 to 2002. Since 2008, the university has made changes to its name and logo. A new logo with just the words "GOETHE UNIVERSITY" was registered in 2016. However, this logo is not currently in use.
The Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics
The Deutsche Bank Prize in Financial Economics is a special award. It honors researchers who have made important contributions to finance and economics. Their work must also be useful in real-world situations. The prize is given every two years since 2005. It comes with €50,000 and is managed by the Center for Financial Studies and Goethe University.
Student Groups and Activities
Students at Goethe University can join many different groups and initiatives. These groups help students get involved in university life.
Student University Groups and Initiatives
The university supports many student groups. These groups allow students to explore their interests.
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Student Councils
Student councils at Goethe University are official bodies. They are set up by law to represent students' interests.
Student Initiatives from Deutschlandstipendium
New student groups are often created through the Deutschlandstipendium program. These groups get support from the university.
- Goethe Speaks Out
- Goethe Uni Tour/ExperienceCampus
- ExperienceFundraising
- uni:hautnah (now part of the university's study advising)
- Wissenschaftskommunikation (Science Communication)
Alumni Organizations
Alumni are former students of a university. Goethe University has networks for its alumni. These organizations help former students stay connected to the university and each other. Some alumni organizations are officially recognized by the university. Others are independent. The Frankfurter Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Gesellschaft (fwwg) is a large alumni group for economics students.
Notable People from Goethe University
Many famous people have studied or worked at Goethe University.
Alumni
- Theodor W. Adorno (1903–1969), philosopher and sociologist
- Max Horkheimer, philosopher
- Alex Karp, co-founder of Palantir Technologies
- Jürgen Habermas, sociologist and philosopher
- Hans Bethe, theoretical physicist (Nobel Prize 1967)
- Max Born, theoretical physicist and mathematician (Nobel Prize 1954)
- Paul Ehrlich, Nobel Prize Winner 1908
- Walter Hallstein (1901–1982), first President of the European Commission
- Boudewijn Sirks, professor of ancient law
- Walter Greiner, theoretical physicist
- Alfred Schmidt, philosopher and translator
- Horst Stöcker, theoretical physicist
- Alexander R. Todd, Baron Todd, chemist
- Luciano Rezzolla, theoretical astrophysicist
- Hannah Elfner, head of simulations at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
- Alexander T. Sack, neuroscientist and cognitive psychologist
- Helma Wennemers, German organic chemist and professor
- Nancy Faeser, German politician
- Nina Eisenhardt (born 1990), German politician
- Hans-Hermann Hoppe, German author and economist
Nobel Prize Winners
Many Nobel Prize winners have been connected to Goethe University:
- Paul Ehrlich: 1908 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- Max von Laue: 1914 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Otto Loewi: 1914 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- Paul Karrer: 1937 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Otto Stern: 1943 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Max Born: 1954 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Alexander Robertus Todd: 1957 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Karl Ziegler: 1963 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Hans Bethe: 1967 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Niels Kaj Jerne: 1984 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- Gerd Binnig: 1986 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Jean-Marie Lehn: 1987 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Hartmut Michel: 1988 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
- Reinhard Selten: 1994 Nobel Prize for Economics
- Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard: 1995 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- Horst Ludwig Störmer: 1998 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Günter Blobel: 1999 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine
- Peter Grünberg: 2007 Nobel Prize for Physics
- Benjamin List: 2021 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
University Rankings
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University rankings compare universities around the world. In 2024, Goethe University was ranked 302nd globally by QS World University Rankings. It was 18th in Germany. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed it between 201st and 250th globally in 2024. In Germany, it was ranked between 22nd and 24th. The university's highest national ranking was in 2023 by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It was placed between 151st and 200th globally, and 6th to 9th in Germany.
In 2012, The New York Times ranked Goethe University 10th out of 150 universities. This ranking was based on how much employers wanted to hire their graduates.
Places to Visit
- Botanischer Garten der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, a beautiful botanical garden
- IG Farben Building, a famous building on Campus Westend
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Johann Wolfgang Goethe para niños
- Center for Financial Studies
- Frankfurt University Library
- House of Finance
- List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
