Pre-1945 The institution was established in 1765, during the
Age of Enlightenment, by
Prince Francis Xavier of Saxony based on plans by Friedrich Wilhelm von Oppel and
Friedrich Anton von Heynitz. At the time, it was called the
Kurfürstlich-Sächsische Bergakademie zu Freiberg (by 1806:
Königlich-Sächsische Bergakademie zu Freiberg). Its main purpose was the education of highly skilled miners and
scientists in fields connected to mining and metallurgy. There had developed a need for mining, as an industry to regenerate Saxony's economy, since Saxony had been defeated in the
Seven Years' War. Before the establishment of the
Bergakademie (mining school), four similar institutions had been founded in other countries:
Potosí, Bolivia (1757–1786); Kongsberg, Norway (1757–1814);
Schemnitz, today's
Slovakia (
Banská Štiavnica, 1762–1919); and
Prague (1762–1772). Since these do not exist anymore, Freiberg University is the oldest and still operational University of Mining and Technology. After the
École des Ponts et Chaussées, which was established in 1747, it is also the second oldest institution of higher learning with focus on STEM-research (
university of technology). The chemical elements
indium (1863) and
germanium (1886) were discovered by scientists of Freiberg University. The
polymath Alexander von Humboldt studied mining at the
Bergakademie from 1791 to 1792, as did the poet
Novalis from 1797 to 1799. In 1899, it was incorporated as a
Technische Hochschule. In 1905, Bergakademie gained the right to grant
doctorates in engineering (Dr.-Ing.), and in 1939 for natural sciences (Dr. rer. nat.). In 1940, two novel
faculties (divisions) where established: Natural Sciences and Mining & Metallurgy. In 1956, another faculty concerning
economy was added.
1945 to 1990 After
World War II, education of future engineers and scientists, as well as research were quickly re-established in order to (re-)build primary industry in the
Soviet Occupation Zone/
GDR. The campus and faculty-staff were expanded rapidly. The educational direction changed through establishing novel courses. Also, the student demographics changed (percentage of women increased), since the access to college was directed by central authorities. Additionally, children of "workers and farmers", who traditionally didn't pursue
tertiary education, were supported by having a college preparation institute (
Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Fakultät (ABF) "Wilhelm Pieck").
Since 1990 In the aftermath of
German reunification, the infrastructure and academic body were reorganized in order to fit the new political circumstances. After its incorporation into the
West German system of higher education, Bergakademie quickly found a prime position as "The University of Resources". As the first
East German University, it joined the
German Research Foundation. In connection, the social sciences section were eliminated, while a faculty for economics was restructured and expanded to 15 professorships. One of the emerging focus points in research was
semiconductors, which led to corporations settling in and around Freiberg. These include
Siltronic AG,
Meyer Burger Technology AG, and JT Energy Systems, specializing in semiconductors,
solar power, and
lithium-ion batteries, respectively. Besides geo- and
materials sciences,
environmental science became a university strong point. In March 1993, then
Technische Hochschule Bergakademie Freiberg was renamed
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, underlining its increased status and significance. The university's history is presented in the
Historicum through numerous exhibits, paintings and photographs, and documents. The Forum for Mining History (
Forum Montangeschichte) is responsible for
digitizing and publishing historic essays and publications concerning Saxony's historical mining and metallurgical industry. == Research ==