RWTH: From Polytechnic School to University of Excellence

A talk on the history of RWTH Aachen University.

 

The event RWTH – A Brief History, From Polytechnic School to University of Excellence – will be held in the auditorium of Centre Charlemagne at 6:30 pm on Thursday, November 11, 2021. Historians Professor Max Kerner and Professor Armin Heinen as well as former rector of RWTH, Professor Ernst Schmachtenberg, will take visitors on a journey through the history of the institution from its foundation to the present day.

RWTH is perhaps one of the best-known and most influential technical universities in Germany and differs significantly from other universities in one respect: its founding. This continues to determine the University’s "genes" to the present day. RWTH's trajectory followed an attempt to preserve its identity as a vibrant and self-determined educational and research institution in the western part of Germany. For this very reason, its history is not free of developmental ruptures. But there are also clear breakthroughs. The talk is dedicated to the development, the startup spirit, and the University of Excellence status of RWTH.

Participation in the event is free as part of the exhibition "Lernen. Forschen. Machen. 150 Years of RWTH Aachen.” Registration by email is required.