University of Mainz

Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Historic Seal of the University of Mainz
Motto	Ut omnes unum sint German: Dass alle eins seien
Motto in English	That they all may be one
Type	Public University
Established	1477 (University of Mainz) Re-established 1946 (Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz)
President	Georg Krausch[]
Students	36,500 (Winter term 2013/14)
Location	Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany
Colors	Red      Blue
Website	www.uni-mainz.de

The Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (German: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) is a university in Mainz, Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, named after the printer Johannes Gutenberg. With approximately 36,500 students (2014) in about 150 schools and clinics, it is among the ten largest universities in Germany. Starting on 1 January 2005 the university was reorganized into 11 faculties of study.

The university is considered one of the most prestigious universities in Germany, especially in the natural sciences and economics.

The first University of Mainz goes back to the Archbishop of Mainz, Prince-elector and Reichserzkanzler Adolf II von Nassau. At the time, establishing a university required papal approval and Adolf II initiated the approval process during his time in office. The university, however, was first opened in 1477 by Adolf's successor to the bishopric, Diether von Isenburg. In 1784 the University was opened up for Protestants and Jews (curator Anselm Franz von Betzel). It fast became one of the largest Catholic universities in Europe with ten chairs in theology alone. In the confusion after the establishment of the Mainz Republic of 1792 and its subsequent recapture by the Prussians, academic activity came to a gradual standstill. In 1798 the university became active again under French governance, and lectures in the department of medicine took place until 1823. Only the faculty of theology continued teaching during the 19th century, albeit as a theological Seminary (since 1877 "College of Philosophy and Theology").

The current Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz was founded in 1946 by the French occupying power. In a decree on 1 March the French military government implied that the University of Mainz would continue to exist: the University shall be "enabled to resume its function". The remains of anti-aircraft warfare barracks erected in 1938 after the remilitarization of the Rhineland during the Third Reich served as the university's first buildings and are still in use today.