University of Bamberg


The University of Bamberg in Bamberg, Germany, specializes in the humanities, cultural studies, social sciences, economics, and applied computer science.

History

The history of the University of Bamberg dates back to 1647, when the Academia Bambergensis was founded, initially focusing on philosophy and theology. In 1773, it was expanded into the Universitas Ottoniano-Fridericiana, also offering law and medicine. However, following secularization in 1803, the institution was reduced to a Lyzeum, losing its law and medical faculties.
In 1923, the institution transitioned into the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule, continuing its focus on philosophy and theology. Parallel to this, between 1958 and 1972, the Pädagogische Hochschule operated as a separate entity of the University of Würzburg. Both institutions were united in 1972. This transition ended in 1979 by officially attaining university status.
Further advancements followed in the 21st century, with the establishment of the Department of Information Systems and Applied Informatics in October 2001. In August 2012, the university expanded with the opening of a new building at the location of the former Regional Garden Show 2012.

Campus

The university is partly housed in historical buildings in Bamberg's Old Town. These include the former Jesuit college, the former Hochzeitshaus, the old slaughterhouse, and the former fire station. The departments of Languages and Literature are partly housed in buildings which once belonged to the Kaiser-Heinrich High School.
The Social Sciences and Economics department, which accommodates a large proportion of the students, are in Feldkirchenstrasse. The former ERBA cotton mill, on an island in the Regnitz, has been acquired to create student apartments in the red-brick building, as well as in an adjoining new 14,000m2 building.

Organization

The university today has four faculties:
An agreement between Bavaria and the Vatican saw the faculty of Catholic Theology restructured as an institute which places a greater emphasis on teacher training. In 2005, the Social Work course transferred to Coburg University of Applied Sciences.

Academics

Disciplines

The main areas of curricular focus, to which subjects across faculties contribute, are:
  • Education and Life Planning
  • The Individual and Society
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Business and Markets

    Rankings and reputation

In the 2012 Wirtschaftswoche ranking, the Faculty of Social Sciences, Economics, and Business Administration is ranked 20th in business administration and 11th in economics.

Partner universities

The University of Bamberg currently has cooperation agreements with approximately 300 academic institutions in more than 60 countries.
The European network includes the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The University holds partnerships in Australia with the University of Sydney, in the US with Harvard University, as well as in Asia with the Chinese Xi'an Jiaotong University, the Korea University, and the Japanese Sophia University.

Johann Baptist von Spix International Professorship

The University of Bamberg created the Johann Baptist von Spix professorship in 2015. The professorship is named for an alumnus of the university and eminent biologist and ethnographer. The professorship was created in an effort to increase the institution's international scholarly collaboration. Recipients of the professorship teach a class, conduct research, provide professional development opportunities to graduate students, and offer public presentations.

Notable faculty