Viadrina European University - Historical Viadrina

Historical Viadrina

The Alma Mater Viadrina was founded in 1506 by Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, as the principal university of Brandenburg. It was organized into four faculties: law, theology, philosophy, and medicine. The university enjoyed an excellent reputation in Brandenburg and the surrounding regions, and its graduates had high positions in administration, politics, law and the church. One of its earliest chancellors, Bishop Georg von Blumenthal (1490-1550) was a vigorous opponent of the Protestant Reformation and did his utmost to expel Lutherans such as Jodocus Willich.

In 1736 the eminent jurist Johann Jakob Moser was called to head the Faculty of Law at the university, but had to leave after three years due to his thoroughly Liberal ideas which were disliked by then King Frederick William I of Prussia.

In 1811 the university of Frankfurt was moved to Breslau (Wrocław) and merged with the University of Breslau, the Leopoldina, in order to be competitive with the newly founded University of Berlin. Some of the Viadrina professors did, however, accept positions in Berlin.

The old university building in Frankfurt was damaged in World War II and controversially demolished in the early 1960s. Only the arch of the main entrance has been preserved as a monument.

Famous students at the historical Viadrina included the brothers Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt, the philosopher Ulrich von Hutten, the musician Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, the theologian and political leader Thomas Müntzer, and the poet Heinrich von Kleist.