Leibniz University of Hanover

Leibniz University Hannover operates as a German public research university which belongs to the TU9 educational coalition of Germany's leading technical universities. The university functions as an essential research center which develops new ideas through its interdisciplinary research activities in Northern Germany while its official motto states "Shaping the Future with Knowledge." The university campus centers around Welfenschloss, which operates as the primary administrative building that functions within a historical Prussian architectural setting combined with modern scientific research facilities. 

The institution started its operations on May 2, 1831 when it opened as a Higher Vocational School with an initial student body of several dozen students who learned technical trades to help build the industrial economy. The institution transformed into three major educational institutions during its first century when it became a Polytechnic School in 1847 and received its Royal College of Technology designation in 1879 which granted it equal status with traditional universities. Although World War II air raids destroyed much of the university buildings, the institution successfully rebuilt its campus while increasing its academic programs to include fields beyond engineering and technology. The university adopted its current name to honor Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz when it celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2006 because Leibniz spent forty years living and working in Hannover.