Technical University Leuna-Merseburg

Technical University Leuna-Merseburg (German: Technische Hochschule „Carl Schorlemmer“ Leuna-Merseburg, abbreviated: THLM) was an institution of tertiary education in the city of Merseburg in today's Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded on 1 September 1954 as Technische Hochschule für Chemie Leuna-Merseburg (THC) and closed on 31 March 1993. Hochschule Merseburg was founded on the grounds of THLM in 1992.

Technische Hochschule für Chemie Leuna-Merseburg was founded in a ceremony held in Halle (Saale) on 1 September 1954. The first 207 students were registered on 19 October 1954 in the club house of Leuna chemical works, the mathematician Herbert Dallmann (1909–1996) was appointed as the first rector on this occasion, and the foundation stone of the Merseburg campus was laid. Despite the name of the new institution, it never had any facilities in Leuna; the name only referred to the largest chemical plant in the GDR.

The institution was founded with the aim of creating a Technische Hochschule (TH) that offered an application-oriented education in chemistry-related sciences and technology and supported the chemical industry in Central Germany. It can be regarded as a late consequence of the World Wars in the 20th century, and of the economical and political situation of the GDR that required an accelerated development of the industry. Several other institutions of tertiary education were founded at the same time.

Originally intended to be located in Leipzig, the new TH was finally established in the smaller and quieter city of Merseburg, situated between two major chemical plants (Leunawerke with ca. 30000 employees and Buna Werke Schkopau with ca. 20000 employees). It was originally attached to the Ministry of Heavy Industries, in December 1955 it was transferred to the newly founded Ministry of Chemical Industry and finally in February 1958 to the State Secretariat and later Ministry of Higher and Technical Education.

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