Since 1388.

More than a century after the French government closed the old “Universitas coloniensis” in 1798, a long-cherished wish of the people of Cologne became reality: a new university was founded.

Today, 100 years later, the University of Cologne is not only one of the largest and most renowned universities in Germany, it is also an internationally esteemed research location. The alma mater of scholars, scientists and students from around the world, it is the starting point from which the people we educate and the ideas we develop embark on their journeys.

A jubilee is not simply an occasion to look back and celebrate developments and achievements of the past decades, it is also an opportunity to contemplate new goals.

Because the citizens of Cologne founded both the old and the new university, one of our goals for the jubilee year 2019 is to become even more accessible for the city of Cologne and its 1.1 million citizens. We want to present ourselves as an open university with strong research and strong ties to the city, and to present our work to diverse audiences at different events and with different formats. Together with actors from politics, business and society, we want to actively shape the future.

We thank you for your interest and hope to welcome you at our events, which will take place in German.