University of Magdeburg
Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg is one of Germany’s newest universities. Founded in 1993, it merged the three renowned institutions of higher education in the city, the Techni-cal University, the Teacher Training College and the Academy of Medicine. These traditional strands are still present today in the University’s focal areas, which are engineering and the natural sciences, information technology, economics & management and medicine. OVGU considers the humanities to be an essential part of a modern university with a distinctive profile. Thanks to its position at the heart of Germany and its history, OVGU is seen as a bridge between Western and Eastern Europe. This is particularly evident in the comprehensive internationalization of teaching and research. The University’s main areas of research - neurosciences, dynamic systems/systems biology, the automotive industry and medical technology are interdisciplinary in nature and strengthened on a lasting basis by the neighbouring research institutes. Over 14,000 students, including over 1,600 international students, are enrolled in over 80 programs across the nine faculties. The University offers state-of-the-art facilities, an excellent student/teacher ratio and practical, handson education.
The department for vocational education and human resources development looks back on 50 successful years of teacher education and national and international research activities.
Otto von Guericke, Founder of Experimental Physics
Otto von Guericke was born in 1602 in Magdeburg and, as the mayor of the city, participated in the negotiations of the Peace of Westphalia at the end of the 30 Years War. He is renowned for proving the existence of air pressure, above all through his famous experiment using the Magdeburg hemispheres. He is considered the founder of vacuum technology and inventor of the air pump and barometer.
