University of Siegen
| Universität Siegen | |
 |
|
| Motto | Zukunft menschlich gestalten (German) |
|---|---|
|
Motto in English
|
Creating a humane future |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1972 |
| Budget | €110.0 million |
| Chancellor | Johann Peter Schäfer |
| Rector | Holger Burckhart |
|
Academic staff
|
1,380 |
|
Administrative staff
|
773 |
| Students | 19,414 (2015/2016) |
| Location | Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Campus | Urban/Suburban |
| Website | www |
The University of Siegen (German: Universität Siegen) is a public research university located in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The University was founded in 1972. 19,414 students were enrolled at the university as of the year 2015. The University is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities.
Siegen’s heritage as a centre for education and research dates back to the 16th century. In 1536, William I, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg charged Saxon educator and theologian Erasmus Sarcerius with the task of establishing a Latin school. During the period 1594 to 1599/1600 and 1606 to 1609, the Calvinist-Reformed Herborn Academy (Academia Nassauensis) moved from Herborn to Siegen, where it was accommodated in the buildings of the lower castle.
In 1853, Wiesenbauschule landscaping school was established, which soon gained a reputation outside of its local area. Here, landscaping and land improvements including irrigation techniques and the drainage of meadows were taught, so as to help enhance the yields from farmland. This was of particular importance in the Siegerland region because the high demand for charcoal for the regional ironworks meant that most areas were woodland. As a result, limited areas were suitable for cattle breeding, so that research into enhancing the yields from the limited amount of meadowland had to be researched.
Following World War Two, the school’s focus shifted towards civil engineering, and, in 1962, it was renamed Staatliche Ingenieurschule für Bauwesen (State School of Civil Engineering).
The next academic facility to be set up in Siegen (formerly located at Weidenau/Hüttental) was the Pädagogische Hochschule Siegerland (Educational University Siegerland), established in 1964. In 1965, it became the Siegerland section of Pädagogische Hochschule Westfalen-Lippe (Educational University Westfalen-Lippe), which marked its transformation into a scientific university.
...
Wikipedia