University of Rostock

It was founded in 1419 by confirmation of Pope Martin V and thus is one of the oldest universities in Northern Europe.

In (Germany), there are only five universities that were founded before, while only Heidelberg and Leipzig operated continuously since then: Heidelberg (1386), Cologne (1388), Erfurt (1392/1994), Würzburg (1402/1582) and Leipzig (1409). That makes Rostock University the third oldest German university in continuous operation.

Throughout the 15th century, the University of Rostock had about 400 to 500 students each year, a large number at that time. Rostock was among the largest universities in (Germany) at the time and many of its students also came from the Low Countries, Scandinavia or other states bordering the Baltic Sea.

In the course of political struggles and pressure from the church, the university moved to Greifswald in 1437 and remained there until 1443. From 1487 to 1488 teaching took place in Lübeck.

A few years later the city of Rostock, its university also became Protestant in 1542. Humanism and Lutheranism were defining characteristics of the university. After the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), the University of Rostock played only a regional role. When the "ownership" of the university moved from the city to the state (Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) in 1827, however, things changed for the better. The end of the 19th century saw generous building activity in Rostock's alma mater and the university soon regained its old reputation amongst German universities.

Like many continental European universities, the University of Rostock is divided into academic faculties (German: Fakultät). Those can be sub-divided into academic departments (German: Institut) and chairs (German: Lehrstuhl).

The Rostocker Pfeilstorch, on display at the Institute of Zoology

• Botanischer Garten Universität Rostock, the university's botanical garden
• Zoological Collection Rostock, founded in 1775 by Oluf Gerhard Tychsen. Parts of the collection are open to the public.

Botanical Garden of Rostock University, greenhouse

Although cooperation and student exchanges are possible with many more institutions, the university has signed cooperation agreements with the following international universities:

Honorary doctorate certificate of Rostock University to Albert Einstein in 1919

In nearly six centuries numerous notable students and professors have had ties with the university, for instance:

• Konrad Gesselen (1409–1469), from Geismar, Hesse, astronomer, mathematician, pastor, taught at Rostock and Thorn, wrote Cisiojanus
• Hans Teiste, 29th Bishop of Bergen, Norway (Magister in 1468)
• Hoskuld Hoskuldsson, 28th and last Roman Catholic Bishop of Stavanger (Magister in 1493)
• Mogens Lauritssøn, 27th and last Roman Catholic Bishop of Hamar (Magister in 1494)
• Ulrich von Hutten (1488–1523), humanist, wrote his first important opus in Rostock in 1509
• Olaus Magnus (1490–1557), Swedish humanist, ethnologist and cartographer
• Olav Engelbrektsson, 28th and last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Nidaros (Baccalaureus in 1505, Magister in 1507)
• Levinus Battus (1545–1591), physician (MA in 1559)
• David Chyträus (1530–1600), theologian, education policy maker and historian, Professor of Theology since 1561
• Tycho Brahe (1546–1601), Danish astronomer (studied in 1566)
• Axel Oxenstierna (1583–1654), Swedish chancellor, strategist and statesman (studied, 1599–1601)
• Joachim Jungius (1587–1657), mathematician, physicist and philosopher, Professor of Mathematics in Rostock from 1624 to 1628
• Johann Christopher Jauch (1669–1725), Superintendent of Lueneburg, poet who wrote baroque poems and song texts, studied theology until 1694
• Oluf Gerhard Tychsen (1734–1815), Orientalist and Hebrew scholar; taught at the University of Rostock from 1778
• Samuel Gottlieb Vogel (1750–1837), physician, Professor of Medicine in Rostock since 1789
• Lorenz Karsten (1751–1829), economist and agricultural economist
• Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link (1767–1850), natural scientist, Professor of Chemistry, Zoology and Phytology from 1792 to 1811
• Johann Heinrich von Thünen (1783–1850), economist and social reformer (Dr. h.c. in 1830)
• Ferdinand Kämmerer (1784–1841), jurist, professor from 1816
• Carl Friedrich von Both (1789–1875), jurist, vice-chancellor of the University of Rostock, 1836 to 1870
• Fritz Reuter (1810–1874), novelist, studied law at the University of Rostock from 1831, received an honorary doctorate in 1863

550 years Rostock University: Stamp of the GDR from 1969

• John Brinckman (1814–1870), poet, studied law at the University of Rostock from 1834 to 1838
• Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Brockmann, philosopher (PhD in 1848)
• Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890), archaeologist (PhD in 1869)
• August Zillmer (1831–1893), actuary (PhD in 1858)
• Rudolf Berlin (1833–1897), physician, Professor of Ophthalmology, dean since 1895 and rector since 1897
• Hermann Roesler (1833–1897), physician, Professor of Ophthalmology, dean and rector
• Rudolph Sohm (1841–1917), lawyer and Church historian
• Albrecht Kossel (1853–1927), medical scientist and Nobel Prize laureate (PhD 1878)
• Eugen Geinitz (1854–1925), geologist and mineralogist, Professor of Mineralogy and Geology, Director of the Mineralogical-Geological Institute
• Isaac Rülf, philosopher, humanitarian organizer, author (PhD in 1865)
• Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), Philosopher (Dr. phil. in 1891)
• Emil Mattiesen (1875–1939), composer, pianist and philosopher, Professor of church music from 1929
• Felix Genzmer (1878–1959), jurist and expert on Scandinavian studies, translator of the Edda songs, Professor of Public Law from 1920 to 1922
• Gustav Mie (1868–1957), physicist, studied physics at the University of Rostock from 1886 to 1889
• Moritz Schlick, (1882–1936), philosopher, habilitation in 1911, lecturer from 1911 to 1921, later initiator of the Viennese Circle; at the Institute of Philosophy of the Faculty of Humanities
• Viktor Schilling (1883–1960), physician, co-founder of Hematology, Head of the Rostock University Hospital
• David Katz (1884–1953), psychologist, from 1919 to 1933 associate professor, later professor, conferred to emerited status by the National Socialists due to his Jewish origins.
• Hans Moral (1885–1933), ab 1920 erst from 1920 on international significant Associate Professor, later Professor of Dentistry, committed suicide after he was dismissed because of his Jewish origins; commemorative plaque in the foyer of the main university building
• Walter H. Schottky (1886–1976), physicist, Professor of theoretical Physics from 1923 to 1927
• Karl von Frisch (1886–1980), ethologist and Nobel laureate in medicine (zoology professor, 1921–1923)
• Otto Stern (1888–1969), Nobel laureate in physics, (experimental physics professor, 1921–1923)
• Albert Einstein, Nobel laureate in physics (Dr. h.c. in 1919[22])
• Max Planck, Nobel laureate in physics (Dr. h.c. in 1919)
• Kurt von Fritz (1900–1985), classical philologist, Professor of Greek Studies from 1933 to 1935
• Walter Hallstein (1901–1982), politician and jurist, first President of the European Commission, State Secretary in the German Chancellors Office and the Foreign Office (law professor 1930–1941)
• Pascual Jordan (1902–1980), physicist, co-founder of Quantum mechanics, later professor of Physics from 1929 to 1944
• Eugen Gerstenmaier (1906–1986), theologian and politician, member of the Kreisauer Circle, later President of the German Bundestag, Promotion at the Faculty of Theology in 1935
• Fritz Mertsch (1906–1971), statistician, studied politology, doctorate degree as Dr. rer. pol. in 1940
• Gonzalo Rojas (1917–2011), Chilean poet (professor, 1973–1975)
• Arno Esch (1928–1951), student and liberal politician, active member of the Liberal Democratic Party, condemned to death as declared opponent of communism; commemorative plaque in the foyer of the main university building
• Joachim Gauck, 11th President of Germany, studied theology in Rostock until 1965, honorary doctor in 1999
• Walter Kempowski (1929–2007), writer, honorary professor of Contemporary German Literature and Cultural History since 2003
• Hans Apel (1932–2011), politician, former Federal Minister of Finance, later Minister of Defense, Honorary professor of Financial Policy at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences since 1993
• Uwe Johnson (1934–1984), author, studied German language and literature at the University of Rostock from 1952 to 1956
• Hans-Joachim Schulze (born 1934), German Bach scholar
• Bettina Meyer, Antarctic researcher in marine biology, received her doctorate from the University of Rostock in 1996
• Viviana Simon, Professor of Microbiology, received her doctorate in 1997.

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  Joachim Gauck, former President of Germany (Dr. h.c. in 1999)
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  Albrecht Kossel, Nobel laureate in medicine, (Dr. med. in 1877)
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  Otto Stern, Nobel laureate in physics (experimental physics professor, 1921-1923)
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  Albert Einstein, Nobel laureate in physics (Dr. h.c. in 1919)
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  Max Planck, Nobel laureate in physics (Dr. h.c. in 1919)
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  Gustav Mie, physicist (studied physics, 1886-1889)
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  Walter H. Schottky, physicist (theoretical physics professor, 1923-1927)
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  Pascual Jordan, physicist (theoretical physics professor, 1929-1944)
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  Tycho Brahe, Astronomer (studied in 1566)
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  Walter Hallstein, first President of the European Commission (law professor, 1930-1941)
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  David Chyträus, Theologian (theology professor, 1561-1600)
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  Axel Oxenstierna, Swedish chancellor (studied, 1599-1601)
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  Heinrich Schliemann, archeologist (PhD in 1869)
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  Rudolf Steiner, philosopher (PhD in 1891)
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  Joachim Jungius, mathematician and philosopher (professor, 1624-1628)
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  Samuel Gottlieb Vogel, physician, (medicine professor, 1789-1837)
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  Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link, Natural scientist, (professor, 1792-1811)
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  Johann Heinrich von Thünen, Economist (Dr. h.c. in 1830)
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  Fritz Reuter, novelist (studied law since 1831, Dr. h.c. in 1863)
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  Rudolf Berlin, physician (ophthalmology professor, rector since 1897)
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  Eugen Gerstenmaier, president of the West German Bundestag (faculty of theology since 1935)
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  Gonzalo Rojas, poet (professor, 1973-1975)
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  Walter Kempowski, writer (honorary professor, 2003-2007)

• Catalogus Professorum Rostochiensium
• List of medieval universities
• List of universities in Germany
• List of oldest universities in continuous operation
• Medieval university

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Universität Rostock.

• University of Rostock
• University of Rostock – short history in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Albrecht-Kossel-Insitut für Neuroregeneration
• Catalogus Professorum Rostochiensium
• Rostocker Matrikelportal (1419–1945)