Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt

The Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt e.V. is a registered association based in Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany, dedicated to supporting the University of Erfurt and preserving the heritage of the city's historic university. It originated in 1987 as the Interessengemeinschaft "Alte Universität Erfurt" (Interest Group "Old University of Erfurt"), founded on 15 October 1987 by Erfurt citizens led by the physician Dr. Aribert W. J. Spiegler within the Kulturbund der DDR. Its initial aim was to revive the memory of the Alma mater Erfordensis, which had existed from 1379 to 1816, in time for the city's 1992 jubilee (1250 years since first mention, 600 years since the university's opening). The group was one of the few civic movements of the late GDR period that achieved its main goals after the peaceful revolution of 1989: the re-establishment of the University of Erfurt in 1994 and the reconstruction of the former main building, the Collegium maius, completed in 2011. Today the society acts as a bridge between the city of Erfurt and its university. It promotes science, research and teaching, builds social networks, and helps to win supporters and donors. It works to anchor the university in the public consciousness of the citizens of Erfurt and Thuringia, in part by caring for the legacy of the old university and the more recent history of Erfurt's institutions of higher education and their architectural monuments. One of the most important of these monuments, the student centre Engelsburg, is now the society's home. The society also organises, together with the Evangelical Church, the COLLEGIUM MAIUS ABENDE in the former main building of the old university. The Universitätsgesellschaft is a non-profit membership organisation (eingetragener Verein). Its president is Susan Bretschneider. It maintains close ties to the University of Erfurt and its Catholic Theological Faculty, and it honours individuals who contributed to the university's re-establishment, such as the late Bishop Dr. Joachim Wanke, who was a loyal member and supporter.

The Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt e.V. traces its origins to the Interessengemeinschaft "Alte Universität Erfurt" (Interest Group "Old University of Erfurt"), founded on 15 October 1987 in the Kulturbund der DDR by Erfurt citizens led by the physician Dr. Aribert W. J. Spiegler. Its initial purpose was to commemorate the Alma mater Erfordensis, which had existed from 1379 to 1816, and to preserve its architectural monuments in the "Latin Quarter" of Erfurt, in time for the city's 1992 jubilee marking 1250 years since its first mention and 600 years since the university's opening. The group was one of the civic movements of the late GDR period and, unusually, was able to achieve its main goals after the peaceful revolution of 1989: the re-establishment of the University of Erfurt in 1994 and the reconstruction of the former main building, the Collegium maius, completed in 2011. The old University of Erfurt, founded with a papal privilege in 1379, was the oldest university in Germany before Heidelberg (1385) and Cologne (1388). Teaching began in 1392. It was established not by a prince but by the city council of Erfurt, making it a genuine civic university. It quickly became an intellectual centre of Central Europe in the 15th century, and Martin Luther studied there from 1501 to 1505. Around the main building, the Collegium maius, and the Michaeliskirche, a lively "Latin Quarter" developed, including the Georgenburse, Luther's student residence, and the Armenburse am Kreuzsand. The university's good reputation made it, with all four faculties (philosophy, medicine, law, theology), at times the most attended university in the German Empire. In 1412 the rector Amplonius Rating de Berka donated his important manuscript collection, the Bibliotheca Amploniana, which is now part of the university library. The "Bologna of the North" was considered a model centre for legal studies and opened early to humanism. The university was closed in 1816. After the peaceful revolution, the Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt emerged from the citizens' initiative and became the official friends and supporters society of the re-established University of Erfurt. It supports research and teaching, helps to win supporters and donors, and works to anchor the university in the consciousness of the citizens of Erfurt and Thuringia. It does so in part by caring for the legacy of the old university and the more recent history of Erfurt's higher education institutions and their architectural monuments. One of the most important of these monuments, the student centre Engelsburg, is now the society's home. Together with the Evangelical Church, the society organises the COLLEGIUM MAIUS ABENDE in the former main building of the old university, whose reconstruction the society had decisively promoted since 1987. The society also maintains close ties to the Catholic Theological Faculty and honours individuals who contributed to the university's re-establishment, such as the late Bishop Dr. Joachim Wanke.

• 2025

  Death of Bishop Dr. Joachim Wanke, a loyal member and supporter; the society published an obituary.

• 2011

  Completion of the reconstruction of the Collegium maius, the former main building of the old university.

• 1994

  Re-establishment of the University of Erfurt, a main goal of the society.

• 1989

  After the peaceful revolution, the group was one of the few civic movements able to pursue its main goals.

• 1987

  Foundation of the Interessengemeinschaft "Alte Universität Erfurt" in the Kulturbund der DDR by Erfurt citizens led by Dr. Aribert W. J. Spiegler.

A civic friends and supporters society that bridges the city of Erfurt and its university, combining tradition preservation with active support for research, teaching and the university's public profile.

1. 1Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt e.V. – Homepageunigesellschaft-erfurt.de
2. 2Die Unigesellschaft | Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt e.V.unigesellschaft-erfurt.de
3. 3Geschichte | Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt e.V.unigesellschaft-erfurt.de
4. 4Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Universitätsgesellschaft Erfurt – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org