History of Osnabrueck University

Osnabrück University opened its doors 50 years ago. The event was preceded by extensive preliminary planning: on 25 August 1970, the state government of Lower Saxony formally decided to establish Osnabrück University. A founding committee was formed to take charge of further structural planning, including the structure of the degree programmes, the organization of the schools and the appointment of professors.

Osnabrück University was initially planned with the aim of becoming an integrated comprehensive university. In addition to the Osnabrück and Vechta campuses of the Lower Saxony University of Education, the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, founded in 1971, was also to be integrated - a concept that was later abandoned.

In 1973, the law establishing the universities of Oldenburg and Osnabrück was passed. In February 1974, the founding committee was dissolved and teaching finally began in the summer semester of 1974. It started as a "reform university" with two campuses (Osnabrück and Vechta), which was far from being fully planned and which was to change significantly in terms of structure and content over the following decades.

From the 1980s onwards, the university slowly began to consolidate: It moved away from being purely a teaching university and expanded its range of courses to include economics and law. Above all, the restructuring of the schools, the establishment of the first special research areas, the establishment of institutes and the spatial expansion were important milestones during this time. The establishment of interdisciplinary institutes such as the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) and the Institute of Early Modern Intercultural Studies (IKFN) as well as the establishment of graduate colleges were important building blocks in the further development of research and teaching. The separation from Vechta made it possible for the university to develop in a targeted manner at one location from 1995 onwards.

While at the beginning there were still considerations to locate at least parts of the university on the outskirts of the city, Osnabrück University ultimately developed into a university embedded in the city. It has helped shape the cityscape over the last 50 years and also has an impact on urban society in many formats, e.g. with the  Osnabrück Peace Forum or the  Osnabrück Science Goes Public. The founding of new institutes such as the Institute of Cognitive Science and the European Legal Studies Institute (ELSI) are further examples of the university's increasing impact beyond the region.

Lively, strong in research and quality-conscious, with a broadly diversified, scientifically sound range of courses - this is how Osnabrück University presents itself today. It is harmoniously embedded in the  peaceful city of Osnabrück with its tradition and rich cultural life. Founded in the years of the university boom, it has positioned itself as a medium-sized German university and has adapted to the competition for the best minds and sufficient funding. Employees appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere. The "UOS 2020" institutional strategy adopted in 2017 with six research profile lines forms the basis for the university's development in the coming years.

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