Heidelberg University celebrates 639 years with a ceremony and prizes!

Heidelberg University celebrates 639 years with a ceremony and prizes!

On October 18, 2025, Ruperto Carola, the University of Heidelberg, will ring in the 2025/2026 academic year with a festive annual celebration in the venerable auditorium of the Old University. The celebration will also mark the university's 639th anniversary, a special occasion associated with a variety of program items. Rector Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior will open the event with a speech, discussing the achievements of the past academic year and the challenges ahead.

A central theme of the celebration will be a scientific discussion entitled “Living diversity: aspirations and reality”. The discussion partners include prominent representatives such as Gloria Buck from the Disability Department of the Student Council, Dr. Rafael Klöber from the heiSKILLS Competence and Language Center, Charlotte von Knobelsdorff, head of UNIFY, and Prof. Dr. Karen Nolte from the Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine. This panel will shed light on the role of diversity in the academic community and reflect on how this aspiration is implemented in reality.

Prize winners and honors

The winners of the Hengstberger Prizes 2025 will also be presented as part of the celebration. These prestigious prizes, each worth 12,500 euros, are awarded to outstanding scientists. This year, junior professor Dr. Philipp Dabringhaus (Inorganic Chemistry), Dr. Tobias Morack (Organic Chemistry), Dr. Annika Elstermann (English) and Dr. Bianca Marchionna (mathematics) is happy about the award. The award winners also have the opportunity to hold a symposium at the International Science Forum Heidelberg. In addition, Ursula Scheurich was recognized by the glass technology department for her meritorious work.

The musical accompaniment of the celebration will be provided by the Collegium Musicum under the direction of Michael Sekulla, while Markus Brock will moderate the event. In addition, Prof. Dr. Hanns-Peter Knaebel was honored for his outstanding commitment to the university and received the certificate of appointment and the honorary senator medal.

A look into the future

Another important date in the university's academic calendar is the keynote lecture by Prof. AA Dipl. (Hons) Achim Menges, which will take place on May 24, 2025. The lecture on the topic “Thinking Architecture Differently: Bio-Based and Bio-Inspired Building” will begin in the University’s Old Auditorium at 11:00 a.m. and will cover innovative approaches to architectural design. Menges, who was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize in 2023, will address bionic approaches in architecture that are based on biological principles and show interdisciplinary perspectives.

In the context of these events, the role of UNIFY, the former equal opportunities office, is also of great importance. UNIFY acts as a central contact point for equality, diversity and compatibility at the university, with the aim of developing structural and individual measures to promote these topics in studies, research and teaching. The Equal Opportunities Officer, who is elected every two years by the University Senate, plays a crucial role in academic matters, appointment procedures and appointments.