University of Cologne

University of Cologne operates as one of Germany's oldest and largest public research institutions which exists within the central area of the active Rhine metropolitan city. The university functions as a "city university" because it provides a complete range of academic disciplines while its campus space extends through the green belt area of Cologne and connects to important cultural sites together with economic centers. The university belongs to the German U15 research universities alliance which includes research universities with high research output and holds the status of "University of Excellence" through its national Excellence Strategy which creates an academic environment that values personal exploration and global partnerships and ethical obligations to society.

The institution’s history is divided into two distinct eras, beginning with its original foundation in 1388 as the fourth university in the Holy Roman Empire, established by the citizens of Cologne with a papal bull from Pope Urban VI. The medieval university operated as a scholastic center during many centuries until its closure came in 1798 because of the French military occupation of the Rhineland. The university reopened in 1919 when the Cologne City Council issued a decree which mayor Konrad Adenauer who later became West Germany's first Chancellor signed. The "New University" concept aimed to restore intellectual activity in the region and the institution evolved into a leading global university through its development during the post-war period and late 20th-century educational reforms.