Leipzig University is a public university located in the city of Leipzig in the German state of Saxony.
It was established in 1409. This makes it one of the oldest universities in the world, and the second oldest in Germany, having been involved in teaching for over six centuries.
Founded by two brothers – William II, Margrave of Meissen and Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, and with endorsement by Pope Alexander V - the university has since continued to teach uninterrupted, even despite the destruction of many of its buildings during the Second World War.
Spanning 38 locations in Leipzig, the university's urban campus still has main buildings situated on the same sites as the original 1409 university buildings. It is split into 14 teaching faculties and boasts the University Library of Leipzig, which is one of the oldest university libraries in Germany, having been established in 1543.
Notable also of the university are its three museums (Museum of Ancient Egypt, Museum of Musical Instruments and Museum of Classical Antiquities), each boasting extensive collections, and one of Europe's oldest botanical gardens.
The university's motto is “aus tradition grenzen überschreiten” which translates as “a tradition of crossing boundaries”. The institute's mission statement is to continue to encompass a “wide selection of disciplines comprising almost all areas of knowledge.”
Leipzig University has an impressive roster of notable alumni. These include, among others, prominent German philosophers Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Friedrich Nietzsche, composer Richard Wagner, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and no fewer than nine Nobel laureates.
