University of Potsdam

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University of Potsdam
Universität Potsdam
Motto: German: Klein aber fein
(Small yet fine) [1]
Established: 1991
Type: Public university
Staff: 259 professors
Students: 17,500
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Website: www.uni-potsdam.de
Data as of 2005
The New Palace campus of the University of Potsdam at the old stables
The New Palace campus of the University of Potsdam at the old stables

The University of Potsdam is a German university, situated across four campuses in Potsdam, Brandenburg, including the New Palace of Sanssouci and the Park Babelsberg.[1]

Contents

[edit] Profile

The University of Potsdam stretches across four campuses:[1]

  • New Palace, Sanssouci: Faculties of Philosophy, Institutes of Mathematics and Sport
  • Golm: Faculties of Humanities, Mathematics and Science
  • Potsdam-Babelsberg-on-Griebnitzsee: Faculties of Law, Economics and Social Studies, Institutes of Informatics, the Hasso Plattner Institute for Software Systems Engineering
  • Babelsberger Park

The University of Potsdam was formed in 1991 by the amalgamation of the Karl Liebknecht College of Education and the Brandenburg State College. As the university in large part emerged from the College of Education, emphasis today is still placed on teacher training.

At the beginning of the winter semester of the 2005/2006 academic year, 17,437 young people were studying at the University of Potsdam. The largest number of students were enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy, 5,335 (31%), with 4,411 (25%) at the Faculty of Mathematics and Science. 58% of the students are female, and more than 1,600 are external students. 2,897 students enrolled this semester. 42% of the freshers come from East Germany, 12% from the West and the remaining 32% from Berlin, evaluated by the place where they obtained their entry requirements. 14% fulfilled their requirements outside Germany.

The University of Potsdam has a flat Numerus clausus requirement.

[edit] Historical buildings

Babelsberg Campus - House 1
Babelsberg Campus - House 1

Some parts of the university are located in historical buildings that have been named as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The University library and the Institute of History can be found in a part of the commons in the park of Sanssouci, at the New Palace, as can the Institute of Mathematics in the former stables.

The other campuses, Babelsberg and Golm, are also of historical interest. The oldest buildings of the Golm campus were built in the 1930s to house the Luftwaffe's intelligence department. After the Second World War the College of Law of the Ministry for State Security of the GDR moved in.

The current Faculty of Law is located in Babelsberg/Griebnitzsee in the former presidial and administrative buildings of the German Red Cross (1939/40). Other lecture halls and buildings were built in the 1950s directly behind the Schloss Babelsberg for the Academy of Justice and the State of the GDR.

The most representative part of the University of Potsdam at New Palace
The most representative part of the University of Potsdam at New Palace
The lecture halls of the Hasso Plattner Institute
The lecture halls of the Hasso Plattner Institute
The Griebnitzsee student village on the Babelsberg Campus
The Griebnitzsee student village on the Babelsberg Campus

[edit] Faculties

The university contains the following faculties and institutes:

  • Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Philosophy
    • Professorship of Religious Studies
    • Institute of Philosophy
    • Institute of History
    • Institute of Classical Philology
    • Institute of Germanistics
    • Institute of English Studies and American Studies
    • Institute of Romantic Studies
    • Institute of Slavistics
    • Institute of Art and Media
    • Institute of Education
    • Institute of Special Education
    • Institute of Primary Education
    • Institute of Linguistics
    • University of Potsdam Institute of Psychology
    • Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention
    • Institute of Sports Studies
    • Institute of Work Studies / Technical
  • Faculty of Economic and Social Studies
  • Faculty of Mathematics and Science
  • The Language Centre offers students of all faculties the chance to learn many languages at various levels of proficiency, and holds a collegial certificate of international accreditation from UNIcert.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c "University of Potsdam" (history in English), W3-TEAM Universität Potsdam, UniPotsdam.de webpage: UniPotsdam-History.

[edit] References

  • Görtemaker, Manfred (ed.), Die Universität Potsdam: Geschichte - Bauten - Umgebung, Berlin, 2001
  • Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent German-language Wikipedia article (retrieved 11th February, 2006)

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 52°24′04″N, 13°00′43″E

Languages