Walk the streets of the city of Freiburg, the capital of the Black Forest, and you will discover the Albert-Ludwig University, more commonly known as the University of Freiburg. It is nestled within the very center of the city. Spread across three large campuses next to Freiburg’s historic heart, it makes for an impressive place to visit. Enjoy the youthful vibe that can be felt all around the campus, and imagine the great scholars of the past who studied in this 550-year-old university.
The University of Freiburg is the fifth-oldest university in all of Germany. With a strong focus on sciences and humanities, it is today considered one of the most elite centers of higher education in the world. Walk in the footsteps of the many famous intellectuals, scientists and cultural figures who have learned or taught here. Eminent names include philosophers Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt and Rudolf Carnap and biologist Paul Uhlenhurth.
Seek out the beautiful old library, which has impressive historic Gothic revival architecture. A new university library was built in the 1970s to replace it and this is now one of the largest university libraries in the country. No less than 10 Nobel Prize winners have been associated with the university over the years, and some 12 academics have been awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, the highest German research prize, while working at the university.
The university buildings are spread around the city center and beyond. In particular, it is worth looking for the University Church, which was built in 1683. Outside of the city center are the engineering campus and the enormous University Medical Center.
Look for the University of Freiburg when you are downtown. Its main campus occupies a lot of space in the middle of the city and you are sure to come across it while exploring. After you have walked among the mixture of historic buildings and modern architecture here, you will find that there are plenty of public transportation options to get you to the campuses located further afield.
