Detail of the central building depicting the coat of arms of Mecklenburg-SchwerinMemorial stone to the foundation of Rostock University, quadrangle of Wittenberg University
1419–1919
The university was founded in 1419 by confirmation of Pope Martin V and thus is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe.
In Germany, there are only five universities that were founded earlier, while only Heidelberg and Leipzig operated continuously since then: Heidelberg (1386), Cologne (1388), Erfurt (1392/1994), Würzburg (1402/1582) and Leipzig (1409).
That makes Rostock University the third oldest German university in continuous operation.
Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the University of Rostock had about 400 to 500 students each year and was among the most important universities in Germany and Northern Europe at the time, with many of its students originating from the Low Countries, Scandinavia or other countries bordering the Baltic Sea.
In the course of political struggles and due to pressure from the church, the university moved to Greifswald in 1437 and remained there until 1443. From 1487 to 1488 teaching took place in Lübeck. A few years after the city of Rostock, the university became Protestant in 1542. Henceforth, Humanism and Lutheranism were defining characteristics of the university.
In the 16th century, Rostock was the first university to teach Copernicanism, which was introduced by Professor Duncan Liddel.[8] After the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), however, for about two centuries the University of Rostock played only a regional role. After the "ownership" of the university had moved from the city to the state (Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) in 1827, however, things changed for the better. The second half of the 19th century saw generous building activity in Rostock's alma mater and the university soon regained its old reputation amongst German universities.
1919 to present
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the university, Albert Einstein and Max Planck received honorary doctorates on 12 November 1919. This made the University of Rostock the world's first institute of higher learning to award this honour to Einstein. The doctorate was not revoked during the Nazi rule in Germany (1933–1945), despite such orders by the Nazis. The reason for this remains unknown. Psychologist David Katz and professor of dentistry and dean of the medical faculty Hans Moral[de] lost their posts in 1933 among others.
The end of the Second World War in 1945 brought many changes. The university, now finding itself in the Soviet Zone of Germany (the later German Democratic Republic), was re-opened on 24 February 1946. The Faculty of Law was closed in 1951, a Faculty of Agriculture was introduced in 1950 and in 1951 saw the opening of a Department of Shipbuilding (renamed Faculty of Technology in 1963). The University of Rostock was the first traditional university in Germany to open a technical faculty. In 1952, the Faculty of Aviation was opened, but eventually relocated to Dresden.
External funding increased by 83% between 2005 and 2010 alone and currently is above 65million euros per year. Over 500million Euros have been invested in the university infrastructure since 1991, reaching 750million euros by 2015. The numbers of young people from Germany and of international students who choose Rostock as a place to study are increasing every year. As of today [when?], students from at least 99 different countries have studied at Rostock. In 2007, the University of Rostock reorganized its research capacities into three profile lines: Life, Light & Matter, Maritime Systems, and Aging of Individuals and Societies. In 2010, a fourth profile was added, called Knowledge – Culture – Transformation.
Like many continental European universities, the University of Rostock is divided into academic faculties (German: Fakultät). Those can be sub-divided into academic departments (German: Institut) and chairs (German: Lehrstuhl).
Faculties
It is divided into the following nine faculties:
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Plants and Soil
Ecology and (Coastal)-Landscape
Biomass, Aqua and Livestock Sciences
Faculty of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Institute of Computer Science
Institute for Visual and Analytic Computing
Institute of Electrical Engineering
Department of Computational Engineering
Faculty of Law
Department of Law
International Commercial Law
International Business Administration
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Marine Technology
Mechanical Engineering
Marine Technology
Mechatronics
Biomedical Technology
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Institute of Biology
Institute of Chemistry
Institute of Mathematics
Institute of Physics
Interdisciplinary Faculty
Department of Life, Light and Matter
Department of Maritime Systems
Department of Knowledge – Culture – Transformation
Department of Ageing of Individuals and Society
Faculty of Medicine
Albrecht Kossel Institute for Neuroregeneration
General Medicine
Dental Medicine
Anatomy
Medical Biotechnology
Informatics in Medicine and Gerontology
Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
Experimental Surgery
History of Medicine
Immunology
Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Medical Biology
Medical Genetics
Medical Microbiology
Medical Psychology and Sociology
Pathology
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Physiology
Proteome Center Rostock
Forensic Medicine
Transfusion Medicine
Institute of Experimental Gene Therapy and Tumor Research
Cell Biology
Faculty of Theology
Institute of Image Theory
Institute of Text and Culture
Faculty of Humanities
Institute of General and Social Pedagogy
Institute of Educational Psychology Rosa and David Katz
Institute for School Pedagogy and Educational Research
Institute for Elementary School Pedagogy
Institute for Special Education Development and Rehabilitation
Research and Documentation Center of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the History of Dictatorships in Germany
Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences
Institute of Business Administration
Institute of Marketing and Services Research
Institute of Sociology and Demography
Institute of Political and Administrative Sciences
Institute of Economics
Rostock University Library
Michaeliskloster, part of the Rostock University Library (Special Historical Library Collections)
The Rostock University Library consists of 3 divisional libraries and several specialized libraries provides scientific literature and information for research, education and study. The university statistics shows about 3 million physical volumes recorded in the catalogue. It provides access to electronic journals (EZB) and specialized databases (DBIS). The library possesses large special collections of culturally historical and scientifically historical old books.[9] In the Patents and Standards Centre (PNZ), all DIN norms and regulations as well as the VDI guidelines are provided.[10] Moreover, the library also contains the university archive and the art treasure collection.[11]
Rostock Student Services
The Rostock Student Services (German: Studentenwerk Rostock) provides accommodation for newly arrived international students who plan to study at the University of Rostock and the Rostock University of Music and Theatre. International students, who have not lived or studied in Germany, are considered for a Starter Package service. However, short-time students and students on a programme (ERASMUS; Sokrates) are given a low priority.[12]
According to the 2024 QS World University Rankings, the university is globally positioned in the 761-770 range, while it ranks 40-41st nationally.[14] On the other hand, the 2023 ARWU World rankings place the institution in the 501-600 category globally and 32-36th at the national level.[15]
In recent years, the University of Rostock has undergone significant conceptual and organisational changes, which included the bundling of competences and research activities in the interdisciplinary, cross-faculty departments of the Interdisciplinary Faculty. Scientific priorities of the faculties have improved by including the interdisciplinary-based research units: Collaborative Research Centres, Research Training Groups, and Research Units.[22]
The university cooperates with several independent research centres. Among those:
Although cooperation and student exchanges are possible with many more institutions, the university has signed cooperation agreements with the following international universities:
Albrecht Kossel (1853–1927), medical scientist and Nobel Prize laureate (PhD 1878)
Eugen Geinitz (1854–1925), geologist and mineralogist, Professor of Mineralogy and Geology, Director of the Mineralogical-Geological Institute
Isaac Rülf, philosopher, humanitarian organizer, author (PhD in 1865)
Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), Philosopher (Dr. phil. in 1891)
Emil Mattiesen (1875–1939), composer, pianist and philosopher, Professor of church music from 1929
Felix Genzmer[de] (1878–1959), jurist and expert on Scandinavian studies, translator of the Edda songs, Professor of Public Law from 1920 to 1922
Gustav Mie (1868–1957), physicist, studied physics at the University of Rostock from 1886 to 1889
Moritz Schlick, (1882–1936), philosopher, habilitation in 1911, lecturer from 1911 to 1921, later initiator of the Viennese Circle; at the Institute of Philosophy of the Faculty of Humanities
Viktor Schilling[de] (1883–1960), physician, co-founder of Hematology, Head of the Rostock University Hospital
David Katz (1884–1953), psychologist, from 1919 to 1933 associate professor, later professor, conferred to emeritus status by the National Socialists due to his Jewish origins
Constantin Gane (1885–1962), lawyer, novelist and historian, active within the Romanian fascist Iron Guard (Doctor of Law in 1910)
Hans Moral[de] (1885–1933), from 1920 on international significant Associate Professor, later Professor of Dentistry, committed suicide after he was dismissed because of his Jewish origins; commemorative plaque in the foyer of the main university building
Walter H. Schottky (1886–1976), physicist, Professor of theoretical Physics from 1923 to 1927
Eugen Gerstenmaier (1906–1986), theologian and politician, member of the Kreisauer Circle, later President of the German Bundestag, Promotion at the Faculty of Theology in 1935
Fritz Mertsch[de] (1906–1971), statistician, studied politology, doctorate degree as Dr. rer. pol. in 1940
Arno Esch (1928–1951), student and liberal politician, active member of the Liberal Democratic Party, condemned to death as declared opponent of communism; commemorative plaque in the foyer of the main university building
Walter Kempowski (1929–2007), writer, honorary professor of Contemporary German Literature and Cultural History since 2003
Hans Apel (1932–2011), politician, former Federal Minister of Finance, later Minister of Defense, Honorary professor of Financial Policy at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences since 1993
Uwe Johnson (1934–1984), author, studied German language and literature at the University of Rostock from 1952 to 1956