Free University of Berlin

Free University of Berlin Overview

The Freie Universität Berlin (abbreviated as FU Berlin), founded in 1948, is situated at its central campus in Berlin-Dahlem, in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. It ranks among the top 20 largest universities in Germany in terms of student population.

In the years 2007 and 2012, FU Berlin was recognized as the first "Excellence University" in Berlin as part of the Excellence Initiative. As a member of the Berlin University Alliance, FU Berlin was included in the second funding line of the Excellence Strategy in 2019.

According to the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, it is the most preferred study destination in Germany for international top scientists and young academics. Up until the year 2020, it has produced a total of 18 Leibniz Prize winners.

The university's establishment on December 4, 1948, is closely linked to the emerging East-West conflict, resulting from the divergent political ideologies of the Allies, which thwarted a unified post-war treatment of Germany.

By the end of 1947, there was a demand for the establishment of a free university that could ensure the independence of science and education from political influence. In response, the Magistrate under Mayor Louise Schroeder (SPD), where non-communist forces dominated, passed a resolution on January 15, 1948, to establish the German College for Politics outside of the Berlin University as a countermeasure. Protests against political interference in the Berlin University continued, culminating in a student demonstration on April 23, 1948. At the end of April, American Military Governor Lucius D. Clay initiated an examination of the establishment of a university in the American sector of Berlin.

On June 19, 1948, the Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of a Free University was formed, comprising politicians, professors, lecturers, administrative staff, and students. In a manifesto titled "Call for the Establishment of a Free University Berlin," the committee appealed to the public for support.

Against the backdrop of the Berlin Blockade, the Magistrate of Greater Berlin approved the establishment of a free university and desired the commencement of teaching activities in the winter semester of 1948/1949. The City Assembly approved the constitution of the new university on November 4, 1948. The establishment of the Free University contributed to undermining the German Research University's work.

The constitution gained recognition under the banner of the "Berlin Model." It established the Free University as a public corporation with strong self-administration, not directly answerable to the state but overseen by a board of trustees. This board consisted of six representatives from the state of Berlin and three from the university at the time. Additionally, students had a seat on the board, as well as in all other academic self-administration bodies. This approach aimed to ensure the university's independence in academic teaching and research. Student participation in university bodies was gradually reduced almost entirely by 1951.

In addition to scholars, students, and politicians, such as the elected Mayor of Berlin and Chairman of the founding committee, Ernst Reuter, the acting Mayor Louise Schroeder, and the Commander of the American Sector, Frank L. Howley, representatives from US universities, such as Princeton University and Yale University, were also present. The founding goals of the Free University of Berlin were encapsulated in its Latin motto: Veritas – Iustitia – Libertas, signifying the values of truth, justice, and freedom. These core values remain central to the university's scientific ethos to this day.

In the late 1960s, FU Berlin was one of the centers of the 1968 movement and the Extra-Parliamentary Opposition (APO) in Germany, which included FU students like Rudi Dutschke and Benno Ohnesorg. For universities, these protests in 1969 resulted in the abolition of the traditional ordinarius system, which had exclusively entrusted university control to professors. Reform regulations were introduced at various institutes.

The expansion of education in the 1970s marked the transition to a mass university. In 1973, the Rostlaube, built since 1967, was inaugurated as an institute building for most of the humanities and social sciences. In 1978, the first sections of the Silberlaube were opened, with additional sections occupied in 1982.

In 1980, the campus of the Pedagogical University (PH) in Berlin-Lankwitz was integrated into FU Berlin. About half of the approximately 5,000 PH students and professors transferred to FU Berlin. On the campus, the fields of geology, geophysics, paleontology, communication sciences, and the Central Institute for Audiovisual Media (ZEAM) were accommodated.

By the winter semester of 1988/89, plans of a restructuring commission, which met without involving the university community, became known. These plans aimed to eliminate entire degree programs and merge institutes. Intensive student protests followed, culminating in a semester-long strike. One lasting result of this process was the restructuring of FU Berlin into four departments (Humanities and Social Sciences; Educational Science and Psychology; Philosophy and Humanities; Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science) under one joint management.

The university council (Universitätsrat) became responsible for significant university decisions, including the appointment of professors and the development of the campus. When academic self-administration was restored in the 1990s, a university assembly (Universitätsversammlung) became the higher-ranking authority.

Freie Universität Berlin encompasses a diverse range of faculties and departments distributed across the vibrant city of Berlin. These include the Department of Veterinary Medicine located in Düppel, the Department of Health Sciences situated in Wedding, and the Institute for Media and Communication Studies in Lankwitz. Meanwhile, the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies and the Institute for English Language and Literature find their home in Steglitz-Zehlendorf. The western borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf houses the Institute of Sociology, the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science, and the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Completing this academic tapestry, the Institute of Theater Studies is nestled in Steglitz-Zehlendorf. Each of these faculties contributes to the rich tapestry of research, education, and cultural exchange fostered by the institution.

In June 2007, the Free University of Berlin was one of the successful applicants in the German Universities Excellence Initiative, organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. A commission of the German Research Foundation (DFG) awarded FU Berlin for its future concept "International Network University." With the funds, the university intended to establish internationally visible research profile areas, recruit additional research staff, and increase its international cooperation. The Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Pharmacy received a separate funding of €20 million for their institutional strategy "Principles of Complex Systems" (PoCS). Both concepts were extended until 2012.

In 2012, as a consequence of the German Universities Excellence Initiative, FU Berlin became one of the eleven German universities to be successful in all three funding lines in the German Universities Excellence Initiative. FU Berlin received funding for its institutional strategy "Exploratories for Functional Genome Research." It also received funding for three graduate schools and one cluster of excellence. One of its graduate schools, the Berlin Mathematical School, together with the Mathematical Institute of TU Berlin, received funding in the German Universities Excellence Initiative for another seven years. FU Berlin cooperates with many universities in the area, including the University of Potsdam located in the Berlin metropolitan area. FU Berlin is a founding member of the Global Public Policy Institute, an independent think tank based in Berlin.

Notable alumni of FU Berlin include former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former German President Joachim Gauck, and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Amoogi in Quantum Turbulence.

The Freie Universität Berlin, with its historical background and strong emphasis on academic independence and excellence, continues to be a prominent institution of higher education in Germany and internationally. It has played a significant role in the country's academic landscape, particularly in Berlin, and has produced notable alumni who have made significant contributions to various fields. Its commitment to research and academic freedom remains a cornerstone of its identity.