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University of Bonn

Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Seal of the University of Bonn
Latin: Universitas Fridericia Guilelmia Rhenana
Type	Public
Established	1777, as Kurkölnische Akademie Bonn; Foundation: 18 October 1818; 206 years ago (1818-10-18)
Budget	€850,2 million (without the university hospital)
Rector	Michael Hoch
Academic staff	4,537
Administrative staff	1,759
Students	35,619
Location	Bonn , Germany
Campus	Urban
Colors	Blue, yellow, grey
Affiliations	EUA, German U15, FGU, Erasmus, Excellence Initiative

The University of Bonn, also known as the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn, is a large public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was officially started on October 18, 1818, by Frederick William III. However, its roots go back to an earlier school, the Academy of the Prince-elector of Cologne, founded in 1777.

Today, the University of Bonn offers many different study programs for students. It has 544 professors teaching a wide range of subjects. The university is part of the German U15 association, which includes Germany's top research universities. It also holds the special title of "University of Excellence."

Bonn is home to six "Clusters of Excellence," which are special research groups. These include the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics and groups studying quantum computing, slavery, crop production, and the immune system. The university's main library, the University and State Library Bonn, holds over five million books.

Many famous people have studied or worked at the University of Bonn. As of October 2020, this includes 11 Nobel Prize winners and 5 Fields Medalists (a top award in mathematics). Well-known figures like Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Pope Benedict XVI also have connections to the university.

A Look Back in Time: University History

How the University Started

The University of Bonn began as the Academy of the Prince-elector of Cologne in 1777. It was founded by Maximilian Frederick of Königsegg-Rothenfels. This early academy was open to everyone, no matter their religion. It had schools for theology, law, pharmacy, and general studies.

In 1784, Emperor Joseph II allowed the academy to give out university degrees. This made it a full university. However, it closed in 1798 when French forces took over the area during the French Revolutionary Wars.

In 1815, the Rhineland region became part of Prussia. King Frederick William III of Prussia decided to open a new university there on October 18, 1818. At that time, there were no universities left in the Rhineland. The old Academy of Bonn was one of three that had closed.

The Rhine University Era

The new Rhine University opened on October 18, 1818. It was the sixth university founded in Prussia. Bonn was chosen because it had a history of being open to all religions. The university had schools for Catholic and Protestant theology, medicine, law, and philosophy. It started with 35 professors.

In 1827, the university got its own rules, called a constitution. These rules made the university independent and focused on both teaching and research. This helped Bonn become a modern research university.

Soon after, new rules called the Carlsbad Decrees made things difficult for universities. They led to strict controls and censorship. Because of these rules, the university didn't get an official name until 1840. That's when King Frederick William IV of Prussia named it the "Rhenish Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität."

Despite these challenges, the university grew and attracted many famous scholars and students. By the late 1800s, it was known as the "Princes' university" because many royal sons studied there. In 1908, women were fully allowed to attend classes.

World Wars and Beyond

World War I slowed the university's growth. After the war, money problems in Germany meant less government funding. The university looked for private sponsors to help. In 1930, students were allowed to help manage the university for the first time.

However, when the Nazis took power in 1933, they changed the university to fit their ideas. Jewish professors and students, and those who disagreed with the Nazis, were forced out. For example, the mathematician Felix Hausdorff was expelled and later died. The main university building was badly damaged in an air raid during World War II in 1944.

After the War to Today

The university reopened on November 17, 1945. It was one of the first universities to open again in the British-controlled part of Germany. Many students wanted to attend, with over 10,000 applying for only 2,500 spots.

The university grew a lot after the war, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. The university hospital moved to a new location in 1949. A new main library opened in 1960, and a new building for the law and economics schools opened in 1967.

In 1980, another university, the Pedagogical University Bonn, joined the University of Bonn. In 1989, Wolfgang Paul won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Three years later, Reinhard Selten won the Nobel Prize in Economics.

When the German government moved the capital from Bonn to Berlin in 1991, Bonn received money to help the city. This led to three new research institutes being created, which helped the university's research efforts. In the 2000s, the university changed its degree programs to Bachelor's and Master's degrees, finishing this process by 2007.

University Campus and Buildings

The University of Bonn doesn't have one central campus. Its main building is the Kurfürstliches Schloss, which used to be a palace for the prince-elector of Cologne. This palace was built between 1697 and 1705. Today, it holds the humanities and theology departments, plus the university's main offices.

The Hofgarten, a large park in front of the main building, is a popular spot for students to meet and relax. The law and economics schools, the main library, and other departments are in modern buildings nearby. The psychology and computer science departments are in a northern part of Bonn.

The science departments and their library are located in Poppelsdorf and Endenich. These areas have a mix of old and new buildings. The beautiful Poppelsdorf Palace, built from 1715 to 1753, now houses the university's mineral collection and some science departments. Its grounds are also home to the university's botanical garden.

The medical school is on Venusberg, a hill on the western side of Bonn. Student dorms are spread out across the city. In total, the University of Bonn owns 371 buildings.

University Library

The university library started in 1818 with 6,000 books. By the end of the 1800s, it had about 200,000 books. During World War II, an air raid in 1944 destroyed about 200,000 books.

After the war, the library was in temporary spots until a new central library opened in 1960. Another library building for science, agriculture, and medicine opened in Poppelsdorf in 1983. Today, the university library system has a central library, a science library, and about 160 smaller libraries. It holds 2.2 million books and subscribes to about 14,000 journals.

University Hospital

The university hospital opened in 1819. It started with 30 beds and treated about 600 outpatients in its first year. Over time, it moved to new buildings. After World War II, it moved to Venusberg, on the western edge of Bonn.

Since 2001, the university hospital has been a separate public organization. However, it works very closely with the University of Bonn's School of Medicine. Today, the hospital includes about thirty different specialized hospitals. It employs over 990 doctors and 1,100 nursing staff, treating about 50,000 patients each year.

University Museums

The Akademisches Kunstmuseum (Academic Museum of Antiquities) was founded in 1818. It has one of the world's largest collections of plaster casts of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures. These casts were used to teach art students.

The Egyptian Museum opened in 2001. Its collection dates back to the 1800s, though many pieces were lost in World War II. Today, it has about 3,000 objects.

The Arithmeum opened in 1999. It has the world's largest collection of old mechanical calculating machines, with over 1,200 items. This museum is linked to the Research Institute for Discrete Mathematics.

The Botanical Garden officially started in 1818 around the Poppelsdorf Palace. A garden has been in this spot since at least 1578. In 2003, the world's largest titan arum flower, nearly 9 feet tall, bloomed here for three days.

The natural history museum opened in 1820. In 1882, it split into the Mineralogical Museum and the Goldfuß Museum of palaeontology.

The Horst Stoeckel-Museum of the History of Anesthesiology opened in 2000. It is the largest museum of its kind in Europe.

The Museum Koenig is one of Germany's largest natural history museums. It is connected to the university.

How the University is Organized

The University of Bonn has 32,500 students, including 4,000 international students. Each year, about 3,000 undergraduate students graduate. The university offers over 90 different study programs. Its strong subjects include mathematics, physics, law, economics, neuroscience, and agriculture.

The university has more than 550 professors and a large staff. Its yearly budget was over 570 million euros in 2016.

University Departments (Faculties)

From 1818 to 1928, the University of Bonn had five main departments, called faculties. These included Catholic Theology, Protestant Theology, Law, and Arts and Science. Over time, new faculties were added or existing ones were split. Today, the university has seven faculties.

Protestant Theology Department

This department has been at the university since 1818. It focuses on different areas of theology, like historical theology and theology in relation to other human sciences. It is located in the main university building. With 187 students, it is the smallest faculty.

Catholic Theology Department

The Catholic Theology Department also started in 1818. It has 13 different areas of study. A special part of this department is its work on theological gender research. It has 243 students. Pope Benedict XVI was a professor here from 1959 to 1963.

Agriculture Department

The Agriculture Department was created in 1934. It came from the former Agricultural University Poppelsdorf, which started in 1847. Today, this department focuses on topics like farming systems, food and nutrition, and molecular biology in plants and animals. Students can study Agricultural Sciences, Nutritional Sciences, and Animal Sciences. The department is located on the Poppelsdorf campus and has about 2,500 students.

Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department

This department includes Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics-Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Biology, Pharmacy, and Molecular Biomedicine. It was formed in 1936. With 7,636 students, it is one of the largest departments. Its buildings are in different parts of Bonn.

The Mathematics section includes several institutes, like the Mathematical Institute and the Research Institute for Discrete Mathematics. The Hausdorff Center for Mathematics is a special research group here. Famous mathematicians like Peter Scholze have studied and taught in this department. It also works with top universities around the world.

The Computer Science section includes the Institute of Computer Science. They use a modern computer science center on the Poppelsdorf campus.

The Physics-Astronomy section includes the Institute of Physics and the Argelander Institute for Astronomy. They operate a particle accelerator called ELSA. The Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics brings together physicists and mathematicians.

The Old Chemical Institute, built in the 1860s, was once the largest institute building in the world. Today, it houses the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Geography. The Biology section includes eight different institutes. The Museum Koenig and the Botanical Gardens are also connected to the Biology department.

The Steinmann Institute for Geology, Mineralogy, and Paleontology combines several earth science fields. It also includes the Mineralogical Museum and the Goldfuß Museum.

Medicine Department

The Medicine Department focuses on brain science, genetic diseases, heart problems, and the immune system. A special research group, "ImmunoSensation," is based here. The department works closely with the University Hospital Bonn. Most of its buildings are on Venusberg. About 2,699 students study medicine here.

Law, Economics and Social Sciences Department

This department moved into its new building, the Juridicum, in 1967. It has about 5,000 students and includes departments for law and economics.

The Law department has many institutes for teaching. The Economics department includes research groups like the Bonn Graduate School of Economics (BGSE). Famous economists like Reinhard Selten, a Nobel Prize winner, have been part of this department. It also works with the University of California, Berkeley.

Arts Department

The Arts Department is the largest faculty, with over 8,753 students. It includes studies in English, History, German, Philosophy, Psychology, Archaeology, and many other subjects.

In 1860, the first German-language chair for art history was created here. Since 2009, the philosophy departments of Bonn and the University of Cologne have worked together. For the university's 200th anniversary in 2018, professors from this department created the Bonn Encyclopedia of Globality.

The Arts Department also has several interdisciplinary centers that bring different subjects together.

Student Life

The Bonn Studentenwerk (Student union) is one of the oldest in Germany. These unions help students with things like cafeterias, dorms, and financial aid. Students can also join many clubs, like the Uniradio BonnFM, the Bonn University Shakespeare Company, and various sports clubs.

University Sports

The University of Bonn has one of the largest university sports programs in North Rhine-Westphalia. It offers around 200 sports activities and has 38 sports facilities across the city. It also has its own gym, "Hall 5."

Rowing is a very popular sport at the university. The rowing team has its own boathouse on the Rhine River. They compete in regattas (boat races) across Germany and often do well in national university championships.

Student Exchange Programs

The Erasmus program allows students to study at over 300 European universities. The Global Exchange Program lets students study for free at non-European partner universities.

In 2022, Bonn students could exchange with many leading universities worldwide. These included universities in the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and many European countries.

Future Plans for the University

New Buildings and Upgrades

The university and the state are investing €2 billion to renovate old buildings and build new ones. For example, a €55 million "Teaching and Research Forum" is being built for the Economics department and research groups. A new €45 million research building for the Museum Koenig will be finished by mid-2023.

The chemistry building is also being replaced with a new five-story building costing €37.2 million. The Akademisches Kunstmuseum is being renovated and will be completed by 2025.

Over €1 billion is being spent on the main building, the Electoral Palace. It will be out of service for several years and finished by 2030. This work includes safety upgrades and modernizing lecture halls and offices. Humanities departments are temporarily in another building during this time. The university also plans a "Forum of Knowledge" extension to the main building, which will be open to both students and the public.

Becoming More International

Since 2015, the University of Bonn has aimed to become more international in its research, teaching, and administration. This has led to new international research groups and a higher ranking for international research.

By 2025, the university wants to increase the number of non-German professors to 15%. It also plans to have more international research projects and get more funding from European Union programs. The goal is to build a global network with partner universities and create new partnerships in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

For teaching, the university wants to offer more English-language courses and increase the number of international exchange students. It also aims to improve foreign language and cultural training for staff. The university wants to make its services more digital for international students and promote itself more globally.

Other goals include working more closely with the United Nations University and other international groups in Bonn. It also plans to work with local businesses and the City of Bonn on international projects.

University Research and Achievements

Research Centers and Institutes

The Franz Joseph Dölger-Institute studies late antiquity, focusing on how Christians, Jews, and Pagans interacted.

The Research Institute for Discrete Mathematics focuses on discrete mathematics and its uses, like designing computer chips. Researchers from this institute helped optimize the chess computer IBM Deep Blue.

The Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics brings together theoretical physicists and mathematicians. It supports research in many areas of physics.

The German Reference Center for Ethics in the Life Sciences was founded in 1999. It provides scientific information on ethics in life sciences.

After the German government moved the capital to Berlin, Bonn received funds to create new research institutes in 1995. Two of these are linked to the university:

• The Center for European Integration Studies looks at the legal and economic effects of European integration.
• The Center for Development Research studies global development from different angles.

The Institute for the Study of Labor is a private research institute that focuses on labor economics.

The Max Planck Institute for Mathematics is part of a network of research institutes in Germany. It was founded in 1980.

The Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy was founded in 1966. It operates a large radio telescope in Effelsberg.

The Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods studies shared resources from a legal and economic point of view.

The Center for Economics and Neuroscience, founded in 2009, is a platform for studying how economics and brain science connect. It has labs for experiments and brain imaging.

Key Research Contributions

University of Bonn researchers have made important discoveries in science and humanities. In physics, they helped develop the quadrupole ion trap and discovered radio waves. In chemistry, they contributed to understanding Benzene. In mathematics, they made key contributions to modern topology and algebraic geometry. Many mathematical ideas are named after Bonn mathematicians, like the Hirzebruch–Riemann–Roch theorem and the Petri net.

The university has nine major research centers funded by the German Science Foundation. It receives over 75 million Euros in outside research funding each year.

In 2006, the German government's Excellence Initiative led to the creation of the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics. This is one of the top national "Clusters of Excellence." The Bonn Graduate School of Economics also expanded. The Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy was also founded.

University Rankings

University rankings
Overall – Global & National
QS World 2024 239 14 THE World 2024 91 6 ARWU World 2023 67 4 QS Employability THE Employability
By subject – Global & National
QS Mathematics 2023 39 1 THE ARWU Mathematics 2022 15 1 QS THE ARWU QS THE ARWU QS THE ARWU

In 2024, the University of Bonn was ranked 239th globally and 14th in Germany by the QS World University Rankings. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed it higher, at 91st worldwide and 6th in Germany for 2023. Its highest ranking was 67th globally and 4th in Germany in the Academic Ranking of World Universities for 2023.

For Mathematics, the university is especially strong. It was ranked 39th globally and 1st in Germany by QS in 2023. The ARWU's 2022 rankings placed it 15th in the world and still 1st in Germany for Mathematics.

Partner Universities Around the World

The University of Bonn works with many well-known universities globally. Besides research projects, it has partnerships with over 70 higher education institutions worldwide. In 2023, Bonn started a global network with Emory University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of St Andrews, and Waseda University to boost teamwork in education and research.

Partners in Africa

• Ghana: University of Ghana, KNUST.
• Kenya: University of Nairobi.
• Morocco: Mohammed V University.

Partners in Asia and Oceania

• Australia: Australian National University, University of New South Wales, University of Melbourne
• China: Peking University, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Nanjing University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University
• Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong
• Japan: Keio University, Rikkyo University, Sophia University, University of Tsukuba, Kyoto University, Waseda University, University of Tokyo
• Singapore: National University of Singapore
• South Korea: Korea University, Seoul National University, Sogang University
• Taiwan: National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University, Tamkang University

Partners in Europe

• Czechia: Charles University.
• France: Collège de France, Paris Sciences et Lettres University, Paris-Saclay University, Sorbonne University, University of Strasbourg, University of Toulouse
• Italy: University of Florence.
• Luxembourg: University of Luxembourg.
• Netherlands: Wageningen University & Research.
• Poland: Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, University of Warsaw, University of Wrocław.
• Spain: Autonomous University of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, University of León, University of Salamanca.
• Switzerland: University of Basel.
• United Kingdom: University of St Andrews, University of Warwick, University of Oxford.

Partners in North and South America

• Brazil: Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
• Chile: University of Talca, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Chile
• Canada: University of British Columbia, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, McGill University, York University
• Mexico: Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla
• United States of America: Emory University, Kalamazoo College, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University, Stony Brook University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Florida, University of Kansas, University of Missouri–St. Louis, University of New Mexico, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi, University of Tennessee, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Washington State University

Partners in the Middle East

• Afghanistan: Kabul University.
• Israel: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion, Reichman University, Weizmann Institute of Science.

Famous People from the University of Bonn

The University of Bonn has educated or employed many notable people. So far, 11 Nobel prizes and five Fields Medals have been awarded to its alumni and faculty:

• Nobel Prize Winners:
  • Emil Fischer, alumni: Chemistry, 1902
  • Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff, alumni: Chemistry, 1901
  • Harald zur Hausen, alumni: Physiology and Medicine, 2008
  • Walter Rudolf Hess, faculty member: Physiology and Medicine, 1949
  • Reinhard Selten, faculty member: Economics, 1994
  • Wolfgang Paul, faculty member: Physics, 1989
  • Luigi Pirandello, alumni: Literature, 1934
  • Otto Wallach, faculty member: Chemistry, 1910
  • Paul Johann Ludwig von Heyse, alumni: Literature, 1910
  • Philipp Lenard, faculty member: Physics, 1905
  • Reinhard Genzel, alumni: Physics, 2020
• Fields Medal Winners:
  • Gerd Faltings, 1986
  • Maxim Kontsevich, 1998
  • Gregori Margulis, 1978
  • Peter Scholze, 2018
  • Maryna Viazovska, 2022

Here are some other well-known people connected to the University of Bonn:

• 

  Konrad Adenauer was Chancellor of Germany from 1949 to 1963

• 

  Ernst Moritz Arndt
  Historian, writer, and poet

• 

  Pope Benedict XVI
  Head of the Catholic Church

• 

  Ludwig van Beethoven
  Composer and pianist

• 

  Max Bruch
  Composer and conductor

• 

  Franz Boas
  Anthropologist

• 

  Heinrich Brüning
  Chancellor of Germany (1930-1932)

• 

  Ludwig Erhard
  Second Chancellor of West Germany

• 

  Konrad Duden
  Creator of the German language dictionary Duden

• 

  Walter Eucken
  Economist

• 

  Frederick III
  German Emperor

• 

  Jürgen Habermas
  Philosopher and sociologist

• 

  Heinrich Heine
  Poet and writer

• 

  Moses Hess
  Philosopher

• 

  Axel Honneth
  Philosopher

• 

  Oskar Lafontaine
  Politician

• 

  Armin Laschet
  Politician

• 

  Christian Lindner
  Politician

• 

  Bernd Lucke
  Economist and politician

• 

  Nobel Prize-winning novelist Thomas Mann

• 

  Karl Marx
  Philosopher and economist

• 

  Andrea Nahles
  Politician

• 

  Friedrich Nietzsche
  Philosopher and poet

• 

  Thilo Sarrazin
  Politician and writer

• 

  Robert Schuman
  Statesman and a founder of the European Union

• 

  Joseph Schumpeter
  Political economist

• 

  Carl Schurz
  German revolutionary and American statesman

• 

  Ferdinand Tönnies
  Sociologist and philosopher

• 

  Guido Westerwelle
  Foreign Minister of Germany

• 

  Wilhelm II of Germany
  German Emperor

• 

  Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander
  Astronomer

• 

  Constantin Carathéodory
  Mathematician

• 

  Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet
  Mathematician

• 

  Gerd Faltings
  Mathematician

• 

  Emil Fischer
  Organic Chemist

• 

  Heinrich Geißler
  Physicist and Inventor

• 

  Reinhard Genzel
  Astrophysicist

• 

  Felix Hausdorff
  Mathematician

• 

  Harald zur Hausen
  Virologist

• 

  Heinrich Hertz
  Physicist

• 

  Friedrich Hirzebruch
  Mathematician

• 

  Eduard Heine
  Mathematician

• 

  Walter Rudolf Hess
  Physiologist

• 

  August Kekulé
  Organic chemist

• 

  Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff
  Chemist

• 

  Felix Klein
  Mathematician

• 

  Maxim Kontsevich
  Mathematical Physicist

• 

  Wolfgang Krull
  Mathematician

• 

  Philipp Lenard
  Physicist

• 

  Harald Lesch
  Physicist and TV presenter

• 

  Justus von Liebig
  Founder of organic chemistry

• 

  Maria von Linden
  Bacteriologist and zoologist

• 

  Rudolf Lipschitz
  Mathematician

• 

  Jacob Lüroth
  Mathematician

• 

  Grigory Margulis
  Mathematician

• 

  Hermann Minkowski
  Mathematician and Physicist

• 

  Wolfgang Paul
  Physicist

• 

  Carl Adam Petri
  Computer Scientist and Mathematician

• 

  Julius Plücker
  Mathematician and Physicist

• 

  Peter Scholze
  Mathematician

• 

  Arnold Schönhage
  Computer Scientist and Mathematician

• 

  Issai Schur
  Mathematician

• 

  Otto Toeplitz
  Mathematician

• 

  Maryna Viazovska
  Mathematician

• 

  Otto Wallach
  Organic Chemist

• 

  Karl Weierstrass
  Mathematician

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Bonn para niños

• List of early modern universities in Europe