Leipzig

Leipzig University

Leipzig
#133
Global Influence
University in Leipzig, Germany

About Leipzig University

By James Barham, PhD

As with several other universities on this list, the founding of the University of Leipzig occurred in the context of the gradual coalescence in Central Europe of numerous principalities out of the slow disintegration of the Holy Roman Empire. Numerous semi-autonomous duchies, principalities, and kingdoms (small, medium, and large) were brought into being by this historic political transformation, and many of the dukes, princes, and kings who governed them coveted the prestige of having a university on their own territory.

Charles University in Prague (in what is now the Czech Republic) led the way in 1348, followed in close succession by the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (in what is now Poland) in 1364; the University of Vienna (in what is now Austria) in 1365; the University of Heidelberg (in what is now Germany proper) in 1386; the University of Cologne (also in Germany) in 1388; the University of Budapest (in what is now Hungary) in 1395; and the University Würzburg (in Germany) in 1402. (Note that two other early universities—that of Pécs, in Hungary, founded in 1367, and that of Erfurt, in Germany, founded in 1379—later sustained long interruptions in their operation; for this reason, they are usually not considered continuous with the modern universities now located in those two cities.)

Being founded in 1409, Leipzig is thus merely (!) the eighth-oldest university in Central Europe, and the fourth-oldest on the soil of the modern, re-unified Federal Republic of Germany. It lies in the German state or Land of Saxony, along the upper reaches of the Elbe River is the southeastern part of the country, north of the Czech Republic. Between 1949 and 1990, it was a part of the Russian-dominated German People’s Republic (East Germany). During this period, the University of Leipzig was officially known as Karl-Marx University. The city of Leipzig, with a population of a little more than 500,000 souls, was the second-largest urban center in former East Germany; however, it now finds itself only the tenth-largest city in reunified Germany.

Nevertheless, the city of Leipzig, which has been a trans-European trading hub since medieval times, has made a relatively robust economic recovery from its former Communist condition. Today, it is a noted cultural center, with a venerable and thriving symphony orchestra (where J.S. Bach once worked) and a grand opera company dating back to 1693. Sometimes called the “boomtown” of Germany, in 2013 a well-known German marketing firm rated Leipzig Germany’s “best-loved” and “most-livable” city.

The University of Leipzig has an extraordinarily rich roster of eminent historical figures who either studied or taught within its walls. Even a very partial list ought not to omit the following.

During the sixteenth century, there were the astronomer Tycho Brahe and the mining engineer and metallurgist, Georgius Agricola (Georg Bauer).

During the seventeenth century, we find the scientist and inventor, Otto von Guericke; the jurist and legal theorist, Samuel von Pufendorf; and the philosophers Christian Thomasius and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.

During the eighteenth century—the century of the Aufklärung (Enlightenment)—we have the:

  • Composers Georg Philipp Telemann & Johann Sebastian Bach’s sons, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach
  • Playwright, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
  • Poet, Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock
  • Poet, Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg)
  • Poet, novelist, essayist, scientist, and foremost German man of letters, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

During the nineteenth century, we may mention the:

  • Composers, Robert Schumann & Richard Wagner
  • Novelist, Theodor Fontane
  • Philosophers, Gustav Fechner & Hermann Lotze
  • Psychologists, Wilhelm Wundt & Edward Titchener
  • Founder of academic sociology, Émile Durkheim
  • Philosophers, Ferdinand de Saussure & Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Mathematician, Felix Klein

During the twentieth century, this already highly distinguished list picks up even more steam, with such names as those of the:

  • Philosophers, Edmund Husserl, Arnold Gehlen, & Ernst Bloch
  • Psychologist and theoretical linguist, Karl Bühler
  • Painter, Hans Hartung
  • Poet, satirist, and children’s author, Erich Kästner
  • Memoirist and novelist, Hans Carossa
  • Novelists, Uwe Johnson & Sándor Márai
  • Physicists, Ludwig Boltzmann, Edward Teller, Julius Lilienfeld, & Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker
  • Pioneering Polish anthropologist, Bronisław Malinowski
  • Notable French historian, Marc Bloch
  • American classicist and popular author of works on Greek and Roman mythology, Edith Hamilton
  • Czech philosopher, statesman, and first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
  • Politician and Chancellor of Germany since 2005, Angela Merkel

Finally, Leipzig can boast of 18 Nobel Prize–winners, including:

  • Physicists, Werner Heisenberg, Isidor Rabi, & Sun-itiro Tomonaga
  • Chemists, Wilhelm Ostwald, Paul Debye, & Walther Nernst
  • Physiologist, Paul Ehrlich
  • Historian, Theodor Mommsen (for literature)

According to Wikipedia, Leipzig University , in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Elector of Saxony and his brother William II, Margrave of Meissen, and originally comprised the four scholastic faculties. Since its inception, the university has engaged in teaching and research for over 600 years without interruption.

Leipzig University's Online Degrees

What Is Leipzig University Known For?

Leipzig University is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

Leipzig University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Philosophy
#114
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#17
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Logic
#308
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#30
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Ethics
#109
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#13
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Aesthetics
#79
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#11
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philosophy Degrees
Mathematics
#96
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#21
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Algebra
#67
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#3
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Geometry
#74
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#9
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Topology
#100
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#17
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math Degrees
Psychology
#114
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#9
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Experimental Psychology
#50
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#1
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Psychometrics
#4
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#3
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Psychophysics
#8
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#8
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psychology Degrees
Physics
#43
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#23
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Astronomy
#128
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#29
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Nuclear Physics
#22
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#25
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Biophysics
#51
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#51
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physics Degrees
Communications
#116
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#18
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Linguistics
#70
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#1
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Journalism
#164
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#170
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Grammar
#117
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#117
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communications Degrees
Literature
#102
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#25
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Philology
#37
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#16
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Writing
#147
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#96
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Classical Studies
#29
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#10
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literature Degrees
Biology
#200
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#43
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Physiology
#106
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#33
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Botany
#94
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#38
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Zoology
#101
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#32
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biology Degrees
Chemistry
#82
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#21
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Physical Chemistry
#28
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#10
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Organic Chemistry
#47
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#43
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Analytical Chemistry
#37
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#38
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chemistry Degrees
Law
#134
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#51
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International Law
#68
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#31
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Jurisprudence
#110
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#55
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Civil Law
#138
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#140
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Religious Studies
#129
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#33
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Theology
#99
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#28
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Ministry
#178
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#178
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Buddhism
#162
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#162
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religious-studies-hub Degrees
History
#115
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#50
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Ancient History
#62
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#38
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Modern History
#139
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#129
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European History
#129
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#129
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history Degrees
Earth Sciences
#70
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#11
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Geography
#53
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#11
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Geodesy
#29
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#5
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Meteorology
#206
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#14
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earth-science Degrees
Medical
#221
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#86
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Pharmacology
#57
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#7
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Surgery
#382
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#141
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Neurology
#448
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#45
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medicine Degrees
Sociology
#164
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#20
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Cultural Sociology
#21
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#21
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Gender Studies
#224
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#224
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Women's Studies
#300
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#298
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sociology Degrees
Political Science
#216
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#161
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Government
#174
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#174
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Asian Studies
#64
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#35
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Global Studies
#12
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#12
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political-science Degrees
Education
#197
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#176
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Higher Education
#437
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#437
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Pedagogy
#33
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#27
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Secondary Education
#455
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#455
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education Degrees
Anthropology
#211
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#33
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Social Anthropology
#653
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#15
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Archeology
#368
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#82
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Ethnography
#92
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#97
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anthropology Degrees
Economics
#278
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#160
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Taxation
#74
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#74
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Public Finance
#42
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#42
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Macroeconomics
#248
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#253
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economics Degrees
Business
#400
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#402
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Management
#297
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#299
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Finance
#211
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#211
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Accounting
#245
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#247
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business Degrees
Engineering
#814
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#765
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Architecture
#399
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#423
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Mechanical Engineering
#504
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#508
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Electrical Engineering
#908
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#913
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engineering Degrees
Computer Science
#530
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#524
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Database
#174
World Rank
#175
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Artificial Intelligence
#367
World Rank
#368
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Machine Learning
#254
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#255
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computer-science Degrees
Criminal Justice
#573
World Rank
#570
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Law Enforcement
#488
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#488
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Criminology
#353
World Rank
#354
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Policing
#579
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#579
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criminal-justice Degrees
Social Work
#519
World Rank
#521
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Community Organization
#100
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#100
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Empowerment
#1087
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#1087
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social-work Degrees
Nursing
#2247
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#2247
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nursing Degrees

Who Are Leipzig University's Most Influential Alumni?

Leipzig University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Psychology, Earth Sciences, and Philosophy. Here are some of Leipzig University's most famous alumni:

Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
A German philosopher .
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
A German mathematician and philosopher .
Edmund Husserl
Edmund Husserl
A German philosopher, known as the father of phenomenology .
Émile Durkheim
Émile Durkheim
A French sociologist.
Edward Teller
Edward Teller
A Hungarian-American nuclear physicist.
Ferdinand de Saussure
Ferdinand de Saussure
A Swiss linguist .
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
A German philosopher.
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling
A German philosopher .
Ferdinand Tönnies
Ferdinand Tönnies
A German sociologist, economist and philosopher .
Martin Buber
Martin Buber
A German Jewish Existentialist philosopher and theologian .
James McKeen Cattell
James McKeen Cattell
An American psychologist.
Paul Ehrlich
Paul Ehrlich
A German physician and scientist.

Who Are Leipzig University's Most Influential Faculty?

Leipzig University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Psychology, Earth Sciences, and Philosophy. Here are some of Leipzig University's most famous alumni:

Florian Steger
A German medical historian.
Tanja Eisner
A Ukrainian-born German mathematician.
Ulf Landmesser
A German specialist for cardiology and internal medicine.
Jens Lehmann
A German artificial intelligence researcher.
Nico Eisenhauer
A Researcher.
Fiona Maazel
Fiona Maazel
An American writer.
Jens Meiler
A German biochemist.
Korbinian Strimmer
A German university teacher.
Thomas Khurana
A German philosopher.
Andreas Thom
A German mathematician.
Michael Maul
A German music historian.
Jochen Küpper
A German chemist and physicist.