Chemnitz University of Technology was founded in 1836 as a royal mercantile college in order to give research support to the burgeoning textile industry in the mid-19th century.
Following the Second World War, the institution became a training school for engineers and technicians in East Germany. The authorities conferred university status on Chemnitz in 1986.
Today, with a student population of over 11,000, it is the third largest university in Saxony after the University of Leipzig and the Technical University of Dresden. Just over one in four students are international, with more than 91 countries represented in the student body.
Bachelor’s programmes at the Chemnitz University of Technology are all taught in German, except for the English and American Studies degree. Meanwhile, there are 10 taught master’s courses that are run in English.
True to its past, the focus of research at the university is generally on science and technology. The three main research priorities are materials and smart systems, lightweight structures, as well as the subject of humans and technology. However, there are also well attended humanities and business courses.
The campus has sports fields, lawns, clubs and its own cinema. However, many students prefer to spend the summer months by the scenic Schlossteich lake and the adjacent Küchwald Park.
Chemnitz is a small and manageable city for students, with a low cost of living. Before German reunification, Chemnitz was called Karl Marx City after the famous communist philosopher. A gigantic sculpture of his head can be discovered in the city centre.
