Goethe University of Frankfurt
Contact: Holger Podlech
Goethe University was founded in 1914 as a unique “citizens’ university,” financed by wealthy citizens in Frankfurt, Germany. Named in 1932 after one of the city’s most famous natives, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, today the university has over 48,000 students, which makes it the third largest university in Germany. Goethe University's mandate – the pursuit of science and knowledge with and for society – arises directly from its founding history as Stiftungsuniversität (university foundation under public law). Joint activities and projects by Goethe University academics with partners and institutions from all areas of society strengthens the intensive connection to society that science inherently possesses. Rooted within the city of Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region, Goethe University is ideally situated for societal collaborations: it is located in one of the most economically successful regions in Europe, which also possesses a high concentration of cultural institutions, as well as political institutions up through the European level.