Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in Halle traces its roots to two older institutions. The University of Wittenberg was founded in 1502 by Elector Frederick the Wise, and the University of Halle in 1694 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg. The two merged in 1817, after which teaching in Wittenberg ended, and the university has carried its present name since 10 November 1933.
The university’s Botanical Garden was founded in 1698, four years after the medical faculty was established in Halle, and was originally meant to grow medicinal plants for medical training. In 1788 the architect Carl Gotthard Langhans designed a neoclassical observatory there, which is now the garden’s best-known landmark.
Those collections show how the university has combined teaching with scientific infrastructure since the early eighteenth century. Information on faculties, degree programmes and application steps is published on the university’s website.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, Food Science, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Materials, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Microbiology and Genetics, Nanotechnologies, Optics, Physics, Process Control, Robotics, Signal Processing, Software Engineering, Statistics, Structural Engineering, Telecommunications, Thermodynamics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Historic university with a long tradition. Collaborations with research institutes in Halle (e.g., Leibniz Institutes, Fraunhofer).
Research:
Plant biotechnology and crop science, Polymer science and advanced materials, Drug design and delivery, Environmental science and resource management.
Famous Alumnis:
Georg Cantor
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3000
Current students***:
20000
Foreign students***:
N/A%
Cumulative former students***:
N/A
Pros
Historic university with strong research in biosciences, materials, and agricultural sciences.
Cons
Located in Halle (Saale), Eastern Germany.
Best For
Historic university with strong programs in biosciences, materials science, and agricultural sciences.
Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena is a public university in Thuringia with optics and photonics, materials science and life sciences, a similar science profile.
Universität Potsdam, public, lists earth and environmental sciences, cognitive sciences and chemistry among its fields.
Universität Bayreuth is a public university where polymer and materials science meets ecology and environmental research.
Universität Augsburg is public with materials science and engineering, applied mathematics and environmental science.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Universität Basel in Switzerland is a public university listing life sciences, nanoscience, physics and chemistry as main fields.
Also in Switzerland, Université de Fribourg offers materials science, biology and chemistry as a public institution.
Uppsala University in Sweden is public, with life sciences, law and humanities, and a long university tradition.
In the Netherlands, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen is public and lists astrophysics, nanoscience and chemical engineering.
University of Vienna in Austria is a public university covering natural sciences, life sciences and humanities.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How was Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg formed?
It results from the 1817 merger of the University of Wittenberg, founded in 1502, and the University of Halle, founded in 1694. After the merger, teaching in Wittenberg ended.
When did the university receive its current name?
It has been called Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg since 10 November 1933. Before that, the Halle institution had been known as the United Frederick University after the merger.
Who founded the two predecessor universities?
Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony founded the University of Wittenberg in 1502, and Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg founded the University of Halle in 1694.
What is special about the botanical garden of MLU?
The garden was founded in 1698 to grow medicinal plants for medical students. Its observatory, built in 1788 to a design by Carl Gotthard Langhans, is its best-known landmark.
Where is the main campus?
The main campus is in Halle, which is also the city whose university merged with Wittenberg's in 1817.
What happened to teaching in Wittenberg?
After the 1817 merger, teaching in Wittenberg ended and the Halle institution continued as the combined university.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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