University of Konstanz

Konstanz is located on the northern rim of the Bodensee at the southern fringe of Germany. Known officially as the Universitat Konstanz, this institution of higher learning was conceived in 1964, admitting its first students in 1966-67, initially in rooms of the Insel-Hotel. The first buildings on the university campus were dormitories on the Sonnenbuhl which became sleeping quarters only in 1973 when the first wings of the university structure on the Giessberg were occupied. By November 1975 the modular units housing the central administration, computer center, social studies and biology were completed, but the other natural sciences, the science library, gymnasium and other wings were not finished until 1983. Additions for laboratories, veterinary facilities, and other fields of study are of more recent construction.

From the outset Konstanz was intended to be a research university. In order to make organizational advances over traditional German universities, Konstanz is not divided into various units and institutes, but into Fachgruppen and faculties. Managed by a committee of faculty members known as the Ausschuss für Forschungsfragen, research reports are published periodically about the status of the many projects that are ongoing. The faculty-research groups are mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, social sciences (including psychology, sociology, political science, education and physical education), economics and statistics, law, and philosophy (including philosophy, history, literature, and languages). Also, beginning in 1968 Kontaktstudienkurse have been offered for teachers in the Gymnasium.

The Konstanz University library offers over a million volumes in a central location. While subdivisions of the library exist for specific subject matters, all books are gathered in one spot with open stacks for easy access by students. A media center and a computer center provide technical approaches to instruction and research questions. Intended originally for 6,000 students, the Konstanz student body has been growing and currently approaches 10,000.

While Konstanz offers many extracurricular activities, such as theater and music clubs, a university choir, orchestra, and drama, there are no actual departments for these areas. Nor is there a religion department. Consequently students hoping to pursue specifically religion, music and related fields are advised to consider Paderborn rather than Konstanz.