The University of Hamburg is one of Germany's youngest universities, having been founded in 1919. The main campus is located in the central district of Rotherbaum, with another 180 affiliated institutes and research centres scattered around the city.
Hamburg is also known as the "city on the water," with the Alster Lake, the Elbe River and the harbor contributing to the city's distinctive maritime flair while theatre, opera, musicals, movies, festivals, museums, and galleries offer students an all round experience.
Initially there were four faculties including: law, political science, medicine, and natural sciences. There are now 18 separate faculties, alongside seven senate institutions, eight interdisciplinary degree programs and four joint university programs.
The University of Hamburg is the largest research and educational institution in northern Germany, and has established an extensive network of academic corperation’s with leading institutions on both a national and international scale.
Moreover, in spite of its relatively short history, five Nobel Prize Winners are affiliated to the university.
The University of Hamburg sees itself as a family-friendly university and aims to make family life compatible with university life. A broad spectrum of sports classes are offered – including fencing, soccer, argentine tango and yoga – seven days a week.
Established by the Department of English and American Studies in 1980, the university offers a theatre opportunity, called the University Players. The group is famous for entertaining audiences with stage productions for both students and visitors.
The Hamburg State and University Library Carl von Ossietzky, founded in 1479, contains over five million volumes and is the biggest academic library in the Hamburg metropolitan area.
Notable alumni include Ezriel Carlebach, an Israeli journalist and editorial writer, J. Hans D. Jensen, winner of Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963, and Gerd Bucerius, a politician and the namesake of the Bucerius Law School.
