Kant Russian State University

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The inscription upon Kant's tomb in Kaliningrad with inscription in German and Russian, taken from the "Conclusion" of his Critique of Practical Reason: Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.

Kant Russian State University,or rather, "Immanuel Kant State University of Russia" (IKSUR), formerly known as the Kaliningrad State University (1967-2005), is a university in the Russian city of Kaliningrad. The university maintains the traditions of the German East-Prussian Königsberg Albertina University (1544-1945), and as such can be considered to be the oldest university in Russia.

Albertina University was opened in Königsberg in 1544 by Albrecht of Brandenburg, first duke of the Polish fief of Prussia, as a Lutheran counterpart to the Roman Catholic Jagiellonian University of Kraków. It was the second oldest university in Brandenburg-Prussia and comprised four colleges - of theology, of medicine, of philosophy, and of law. Its first rector was 36-year-old poet Georg Sabinus, son-in-law of Philipp Melanchthon. Subsequent rectors included numerous Prussian royals, who had never been to the university. In the 17th century, the university was known as a home to Simon Dach and his fellow poets. In the 18th century, its rector was Immanuel Kant, who never left Königsberg and whose grave is located in the university premises. Its magnificent botanical garden was inaugurated in 1811. Two years later, Friedrich Bessel established his outstanding observatory next door to the garden. Other university professors included such giants of world science as the philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1806-07), the biologist Karl Ernst von Baer (1817-34), the mathematician Carl Gustav Jacobi (1829-42), the mineralogist Franz Ernst Neumann (1828-76), and the physicist Hermann von Helmholtz (1849-55).

In the 20th century, the university was most famous for its school of mathematics, associated with the names of Einstein's teacher Hermann Minkowski and David Hilbert, one of the greatest modern mathematicians. In 1944, the university celebrated its 400th anniversary.

The following year, however, much of Königsberg was annihilated by the British. 80% of the university campus was destroyed. The Albertina was closed and replaced with the Russophone Kaliningrad Pedagogical Institute. In 1967, the university was reinstated as Kaliningrad State University. Inside modern buildings, some remains of the old university structures may be seen.

During the celebrations of Kaliningrad's 450th anniversary in 2005, Vladimir Putin and Gerhard Schröder announced that the university would be renamed into the Kant Russian State University.