University of Kassel

The University of Kassel, known in German as Universität Kassel and informally as Uni Kassel, is a public institution located in Kassel, Hesse, in central Germany.

It was founded in 1971 and describes itself as “a European university” with “an international focus”. It promises to “pursue and introduce the goals of Europeanisation and internationalisation in its programmes at all levels”.

The University of Kassel is organised into seven schools: engineering sciences; natural sciences; architecture, urban planning and landscape planning; international agriculture and environmental protection; social sciences; humanities; and fine arts.

There are eight campuses, with the main, central campus located at Holländischer Platz on the edge of downtown Kassel. The faculties of human sciences, humanities, social sciences, urban planning, landscape planning, architecture, economics and management, civil and environmental engineering and mechanical engineering are housed in the former premises of the Henschel Company, which used to manufacture transportation equipment.

The main library building provides access to approximately 1.9 million volumes, including 30,000 current periodicals. Special libraries are also maintained at a number of the university’s other campuses.

The university has a number of interdisciplinary research centres and institutes, which include the Centre for Career and Higher Education Research; the Centre for Environmental Systems Research; the Centre for Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology, also known as CINSAT; and the Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology.

Alumni of the university include Günther Cramer, the entrepreneur co-founder of solar energy firm SMA Technologie; Academy Award-winning filmmaker Thomas Stellmach; filmmaker Klaus Stern and photographer, Horst Wackerbarth.