The Freiburg Faculty of Theology is one of the constituent faculties of the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemb ...

located in

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It was one of the four founding faculties of the university in 1457. A Roman-Catholic faculty, approximately 700 students are enrolled as candidates for priesthood, as graduate theologists for service in the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, or in order to achieve graduate teaching qualifications. The Faculty of Theology has been home to influential theologians such as

Thomas Murner Thomas Murner, OFM (24 December 1475c. 1537) was an Alsatian satirist, poet and translator. He was born at Oberehnheim ( Obernai) near Strasbourg. In 1490 he entered the Franciscan order, and in 1495 began travelling, studying and then teaching ...

Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg (16 March 1445 – 10 March 1510) was a priest, considered one of the greatest of the popular preachers of the 15th century. He was closely connected with the Renaissance humanists of Strasbourg, whose leader was ...

, the critic of

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

Johann Eck Johann Maier von Eck (13 November 1486 – 13 February 1543), often anglicized as John Eck, was a German Catholic theologian, scholastic, prelate, and a pioneer of the counter-reformation who was among Martin Luther's most important int ...

. The most famous personality of the faculty is undoubtedly

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...

, who was a member of the faculty from 1529 on, although he did not engage in teaching.

History

The Faculty of Theology has existed since the founding of the University of Freiburg in 1457. As a university of

Further Austria Further Austria, Outer Austria or Anterior Austria (german: Vorderösterreich, formerly ''die Vorlande'' (pl.)) was the collective name for the early (and later) possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-wes ...

, the faculty remained Catholic during the Protestant Reformation. Starting in 1620, the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

dominated life at the Faculty of Theology. The Jesuits provided most faculty and staff and built up their college and the University Church (Universitätskirche), which still stand today. The suppression of the Jesuit order in 1773 and the reforms introduced by Empress

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

and her Son

Joseph II Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...

led to an extensive modernization and reorganization of the faculty. Further changes were implemented, when the

Breisgau The Breisgau () is an area in southwest Germany between the Rhine River and the foothills of the Black Forest. Part of the state of Baden-Württemberg, it centers on the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. The district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...

was transferred from Further Austria to the newly founded Grand Duchy of Baden, which were characterized by times of financial uncertainty until

Ludwig I, Grand Duke of Baden Ludwig I (9 February 1763 – 30 March 1830) succeeded as Grand Duke of Baden on 8 December 1818. He was the uncle of his predecessor Karl Ludwig Friedrich, and his death marked the end of the Zähringen line of the House of Baden. He was suc ...

secured the continuous operation of the University of Freiburg with an annual contribution. With the founding of the

Archdiocese of Freiburg The Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau (Latin ''Archidioecesis Friburgensis'') is a Roman Catholic diocese in Baden-Württemberg comprising the former states of Baden and Hohenzollern. The Archdiocese of Freiburg is led by an archbishop, who als ...

, the academic education of priests was performed by the Faculty of Theology. Following this, an expansion of the faculty with further differentiation of studies was undertaken. In the following years, various additional chairs were created at the faculty, including a chair for Christian

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

and

art history Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

as well as chair for

church law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

. The Faculty of Theology attracted renowned theologians throughout this time such as

Johann Leonhard Hug Johann Leonhard Hug (1 June 1765 in Constance – 11 March 1846 in Freiburg im Breisgau), was a German Roman Catholic theologian, orientalist and biblical scholar. Life In 1783 he entered the University of Freiburg, where he became a pupil in t ...

and Franz Xaver Kraus. During the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, three professors were forced to lay down their teaching privileges and retire and the faculty was briefly closed with the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

in 1939. In the decades after World War II, a number of influential thinkers such as Bernhard Welte, Alfons Deissler, and Anton Vögtle worked and taught in Freiburg, helping to further cement the faculty's stellar reputation. Due to its long history and rich tradition, the University of Freiburg Faculty of Theology is one of Germany's leading Roman-Catholic faculties today.

Organization

The faculty is subdivided into * the Institute of Biblical and Historical Theology * the Institute of Systematic Theology * the Institute of Practical Theology. Members of the Faculty teach and engage in theological research in the various fields. Particular fields of interest at the Faculty of Theology include Christian archaeology and art history, study of medieval theological sources, as well as Caritas Science and Christian social work.

Degree programs

Degree programs offered at the University of Freiburg Faculty of Theology include among others Caritas science and Christian social science, Christian archaeology and art history, and Catholic theology. The faculty also operates a new graduate school Theology and Religious Studies under the roof of the University of Freiburg's International Graduate Academy.

Notable alumni and faculty

The Faculty of Theology has a long list of renowned alumni, among them

, Daniel Ciobotea,

Josef Frings Josef Richard Frings (6 February 1887 – 17 December 1978), was a German Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cologne from 1942 to 1969. Considered a significant figure in Catholic resistance to Nazism, he was elevated to th ...

Georg Gänswein Georg Gänswein (; born 30 July 1956) is a German prelate of the Catholic Church, who serves as Prefect of the Papal Household, and was personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI. He was a professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the ...

Romano Guardini Romano Guardini (17 February 1885 – 1 October 1968) was a German Catholic priest, author, and academic. He was one of the most important figures in Catholic intellectual life in the 20th century. Life and work Guardini was born in Verona, I ...

Karl Lehmann Karl Lehmann (16 May 1936 – 11 March 2018) was a German Cardinal prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mainz from 1983 to 2016, being elevated to Cardinal in 2001. He also served as Chairman of the Conference of the Ge ...

Franz Anton Staudenmaier Franz Anton Staudenmaier (11 September 1800 - 19 January 1856) was a Catholic theologian. He was a major figure in the Catholic theology of Germany in the first half of the nineteenth century. Life Born at Donzdorf, Württemberg, he was a pupil at ...

, Robert Zollitsch, and recently elected

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

. For a more complete list of notable alumni and faculty, see People associated with the University of Freiburg.

References

External links

University of Freiburg Faculty of Theology

Graduate School for Theology and Religious Studies
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Of Freiburg Faculty Of Theology

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...