Picture Zurich in 1833, bursting with new ideas. That’s when the University of Zurich was founded-remarkably, it was the first university in Europe to be created by a democratic government, not a monarch or the Church. I know, it’s Switzerland, so there was probably no dramatic royal decree, just a very polite and efficient meeting-and a celebration on April 29th! One could say the university was born with Swiss precision and a little extra cheese.
Zurich’s academic past actually stretches even further back. Theology students were reading the Book of Genesis here as far back as the 16th century. Under the guidance of Zwingli, the city’s great reformer, the Prophezei-a sort of early reading group-made Zurich a hub for religious and philosophical learning. And yes, there was plenty of debate, and maybe a secret snack or two snuck into class.
Over time, more and more faculties joined the university. Today, all the classics are here: theology, law, medicine, philosophy, economics, veterinary medicine, and the natural sciences. Fun fact: Zurich’s veterinary faculty, founded in 1901, is one of the oldest in the world. That means the cows in Switzerland aren't just beautiful-they're probably some of the most academically respected animals in Europe.
By 1840, the University of Zurich was already a pioneer, becoming the first in the German-speaking world to allow women as auditors. Soon after, Nadezhda Suslova became the first woman in the region to earn a medical doctorate here, and Marie Heim-Vögtlin blazed a trail as the first Swiss woman doctor. Imagine how tense and exciting those early lectures must have been-the whispers, the glances, the old professors secretly rooting for their new students.
Space was always a challenge, so in 1914, the university opened this very building before you. Elections, city referenda, and a construction campaign-yes, everything here really is decided by a vote. Can you hear the echo of the opening ceremony as Zurich’s best and brightest filled this hall for the first time? Just three years later, the shiny new Central Library opened, which still serves as Zurich's city, cantonal, and university library all at once.
This university has seen its share of famous faces. Albert Einstein, for example, spent two years here as a lecturer in theoretical physics-just imagine him hurrying between classrooms, hair already a little wild, maybe losing a sock in the hallway. In 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his legendary “Let Europe Arise!” speech in the university’s grand hall. I bet students in the back row were jotting down notes about history... or maybe just doodling little hats on Churchill.
Throughout the years, the University of Zurich has adapted relentlessly, whether it was building a new campus at Irchel in the 1970s to make space for the sciences, or pushing forward with women’s access to education. It’s not just a place of lectures and exams; it’s hosted world-changing discoveries, created Nobel Prize winners-thirteen of them, from Röntgen, who gave us X-rays, to Schrödinger, who may or may not have brought a cat into his office.
A leader in open science, Zurich was the first in Switzerland to commit to open-access research, and nowadays it’s home not only to libraries and labs, but museums, zoological collections, and the latest e-learning systems. The university’s web of connections stretches everywhere-even the Citizen Science Center, co-founded with ETH Zurich, helps researchers and local citizens team up to solve real-world problems.
So, as you look up at this magnificent building, know that you’re seeing a place built on centuries of passionate debate, big dreams, and probably a few over-caffeinated students cramming for exams. This is the University of Zurich-where history, humor, and a little bit of Swiss stubbornness come together to make academic magic. Shall we continue to our next stop?
For further insights on the overview, faculties or the open science, feel free to navigate to the chat section below and inquire.
