Old University (Alte Universität)

The Old University (Alte Universität) stands on Universitätsplatz at Grabengasse 1 in Heidelberg's Old Town, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the historic core of the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, founded in 1386 by Elector Ruprecht I and regarded as the oldest university in Germany. The present Baroque building was constructed between 1712 and 1735, during the rebuilding of Heidelberg after the French destruction of 1693, and it housed lecture halls, the senate and administration. Its plain, ordered facade fronts the square, which also contains the New University of the early 20th century and a fountain. Inside, the Great Hall (Alte Aula) is a richly decorated assembly room used for ceremonies, and the university's Old University Museum has its entrance on Augustinergasse, presenting the story of the institution through documents, portraits, scientific instruments and the insignia of the rector. Heidelberg's university was a centre of Reformation thought and later of Romanticism and modern science; figures such as Max Weber, Hermann von Helmholtz and Robert Bunsen are associated with the city. The building is part of a wider complex that includes the Student Prison, the Augustinerkirche and the former Collegium Academicum. The square is open to everyone, while the interior is accessible mainly through the museum or by guided visit, since the building still serves university functions. Architecturally it is restrained Baroque, with high windows and a hipped roof, and later restoration work has maintained the 18th-century character while adapting rooms for modern use. For visitors it provides a way to understand the academic heritage that shapes the city, and its location between the Marktplatz and the Plöck makes it an easy stop on a walk through the Old Town.