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The '''University of Cologne''' (German: ''Universität zu Köln'') is one of the oldest and most prestigous universities in Europe and, with over 43,000 students, the second largest university in [[Germany]].

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| colspan="2" align=center border-color:#FFFFFF | [[Image:Universitaet_zu_Koeln-Siegel.jpg|200px|Seal of the University of Cologne]]
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| colspan="2" align=center | '''University of Cologne'''
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| Rector: || Axel Freimuth
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| Established: || 1388
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| Location: || Cologne <br> (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany)
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| Fields of Study: ||  > 200

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| Faculties:||
*School of Management, <br> Economics and Social Sciences
*School of Law
*School of Medicine
*School of Philosophy
*School of Mathematics and <br> Natural Sciences
*School of Pedagogy
*School of Special Education
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| Total number of students: || 47,203 (SS 2005)
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| International Students: || 6,157 (13 %)
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| Graduate Students: || 3,718 (in 2003; excl. post-doctorates)
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| Post-Doctoral Students: || 670 (in 2003)
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| Professors: || 508 (70 women)
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| Research Assistants: || 1,549 and 765 at the clinic
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| Other Assistants: || 1,462 and 3,736 at the clinic
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| Address of the Rector: ||  Albertus-Magnus-Platz, D-50923 Köln
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| Website: ||[http://www.uni-koeln.de/ www.uni-koeln.de]
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== History ==
=== The Ancient University ===
The University of Cologne was established in 1388 as the fourth university in the Holy Roman Empire after [[Charles University of Prague]] (1348), the [[University of Vienna]] (1365) and the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (1386). The charter was signed by Pope Urban VI. The university began teaching on January 6, 1389. The medical faculty was established 3 years later in 1391.
In 1798, the university was closed by the French, who invaded in 1794 under Napoleon.

=== The Modern University ===
In the course of the 19th Century, attempts by the city and citizens to reopen the university failed. Finally in 1919, the Prussian government was convinced. 
Through a decision by the Cologne City Council, the university was reestablished. On May 19, 1919, then Mayor Konrad Adenauer signed the charter of the modern university. The university arose from the former Cologne College of Trade, the College of Community and Social Administration, and the Academy of Medicine. Christian Eckert was named the first rector. By 1925, the University of Cologne was the second-largest Prussian university after [[Humboldt University Berlin|The University unter den Linden]] in Berlin.

At that point, the university was composed of the School of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (successor to the College of Trade and College of Community and Social Administration) and the School of Medicine (successor to the Academy of Medicine).
In 1920, the School of Law and the School of Philosophy were added, from which the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences split in 1955.
In 1980, both Cologne departments of the Rhineland School of Education were joined to the university as the College of Pedagogy and College of Special Education.
Since Winter Semester 2003/2004, an interdisciplinary environmental studies programme conducted in English known as International Master of Environmental Sciences (IMES), covering different faculties was offered for the first time in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) at the University of Cologne.

== The University Today ==
[[Image:Universitaet zu Koeln-Eingang Hauptgebaeude.jpg|thumb|University of Cologne - Entrance to the Main Building]]
Today, the University of Cologne is, measured in terms of students, the largest university in Germany. Its highest enrollment was reached in the Winter Semester of 2001-2002, with 64,029 students. With the introduction of tuition fees for so-called "Langzeitstudenten" (long-time students) in North Rhine-Westphalia in the Summer Semester of 2004, enrollment sank abruptly by more that 20 per cent from 62,152 to 47,718. Nevertheless, the University of Cologne continues to be one of the largest universities in Germany with 43,679 students (Summer Semester 2005), close to the  [[Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich]].

The university and the affiliated university clinic are located in the Cologne neighborhood of Lindenthal/Sülz. It is a leader in the area of economics and regularly placed in the top five for law and management.

== Organization ==
[[Image:Medizinische_Fakultaet_Universitaet_zu_Koeln_Eingang_Bettenhaus.JPG|thumb|Entrance to the Main Building of the Medical Faculty]]
The University of Cologne is operated by the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The university is divided into seven colleges (Fakultäten). These are the School of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, with the affiliated university clinic, the School of Philosophy (Humanities), the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the School of Pedagogy and the School of Special Education and Rehabilitation.

== Medical Faculty ==
You can find information about the work of the SCOME-part of the [[Cologne Medical Students' Association]] following [[Cologne Medical Students' Association|this link]].

== International Links ==
The number of international students was 6,157 in the Summer Semester of 2005. This amounts to approximately 13% of the total students. Those from developing countries made up about 60%, representing a total of 123 nations. The largest contingents came from Bulgaria (10.5%), Russia (8.8%), Poland (7.4%), China (6.2%) and Ukraine (5.7%).  The university maintains partnerships with sixteen universities around the world.
The [http://www.medizin.uni-koeln.de/dekanat/sd/socrates International Relations Centre] of the Medical Faculty maintains partnerships with more than 50 universities in Europe in the framework of the Socrates/Erasmus-Exchange programme as well as with various universities in other continents.

== People ==
[[Image:Albertus_Magnus-Denkmal.jpg|thumb|Albertus Magnus Monument in front of the main building]]

=== Rector ===
On November 24, 2004, Axel Freimuth was elected as the Rector of the University. His four-year term began on April 1, 2005. He succeeded Tassilo Küpper and is the 49th Rector since 1919. Before this, he was the dean of the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.

=== Graduates ===
One of it's most illustrious graduates is Amos Grunebaum, who graduated in 1974 from the medical school. He left Germany and became one of the most famous obstetricians and gynecologists in the US.

== Literature ==
=== University History ===
* Erich Meuthen: ''Kölner Universitätsgeschichte, Band I: Die alte Universität'',1988, ISBN 3-412-06287-1
* Bernd Heimbüchel und Klaus Pabst: ''Kölner Universitätsgeschichte, Band II: Das 19. und 20. Jahrhundert'', 1988, ISBN 3-412-01588-1
* Erich Meuthen (Hrsg.): ''Kölner Universitätsgeschichte, Band III: Die neue Universität - Daten und Fakten'', 1988, ISBN 3-412-06188-8

==External links==
* [http://www.fsmed-koeln.de Website of the Local Committee in Cologne (Fachschaft Medizin)]
* [http://www.uni-koeln.de/ Website of the Universität zu Köln (German)]
* [http://www.uni-koeln.de/index.e.html Website of the University of Cologne (English)]
* [http://www.uni-koeln.de/uni/ueberblick_geschichte_kurz.html Erich Meuthen: Kleine Kölner Universitätsgeschichte (German)]
* [http://www.koelnalumni.de/ Absolventennetzwerk der Universität zu Köln (German)]
* [http://www.uni-koeln.de/imes Website of the University of Cologne's International Master of Environmental Sciences (IMES): Masters of Science programme (English)]