The oldest forerunner of the university was the trade school in
Hagen, founded by the Prussian reform politician Beuth on 1 December 1824, for the qualification for the Berlin Royal Technical Institute, which later became the State Engineering School for Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and then the Märkische Fachhochschule, based in
Iserlohn and the two locations Iserlohn and Hagen. The Fachhochschule was founded on January 1, 2002, when the entire university education was disbanded in
North Rhine-Westphalia and the Märkische Fachhochschule with the Fachhochschulabschaltungen
Meschede and
Soest of the former Gesamthochschule Paderborn was united as an equal partner. Seat of the Fachhochschule is Iserlohn. The founding rector was Michael Teusner from 1 January 2002 to 31 August 2004. From 1 September 2004 to the end of 2008 Jörg Liese was rector of the university. On 9 December 2008 Claus Schuster was elected as the first president of the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen by the University Council, confirmed by the Senate of the university. After a reform by the Senate, the university management was renamed the Rectorate and Claus Schuster was elected Rector of the university on 9 December 2014. == Timeline ==