A fact that few people are aware of is that the University of Duisburg-Essen enjoys a long tradition. As early as 1566, Duisburg was granted papal approval and the emperor’s seal for the founding of a university. It was not until 90 years later that the Klevesche Landesuniversität was officially opened with the four classical faculties, theology, jurisprudence, medicine and philosophy.
In 1818, the University was dissolved and its tradition continued by the University of Bonn. In 1972, the new university, the Gesamthochschule Duisburg, opened its doors with full academic status, including doctorates and habilitation. From the very outset, engineering science has been an important part of teaching and research. At the beginning of 2003, the universities of Duisburg and Essen fused to become the University of Duisburg-Essen, giving the faculty two campuses instead of one.