Würzburg and Social Program

Würzburg is a city of about 125,000 people in the region of Franconia in Northern Bavaria. With a history that dates back more than 1,300 years, Würzburg is offering many famous sights, most notably the Würzburg Residence, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University of Würzburg, founded in 1402, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. More than 30,000 students make for a lively city with a rich and vibrant cultural, pub, and club scene.

Würzburg has many famous attractions. The Würzburg Residence, built in the early 18th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981, is the city's most prominent attraction.

Other top sights include the Marienberg Fortress overlooking the city and the Old Bridge ("Alte Mainbrücke"), the best place to enjoy a glass of Franconian wine. Würzburg's market place boasts the St. Mary's Chapel ("Marienkapelle") and the House of Falcon ("Falkenhaus"), while the Pilgrimage "Käppele" Church offers a great view of the old town. Many churches, courtyards, fountains, and town houses can be found in the city. Another highlight is the Old University, which was built in 1582 and today houses the Law Faculty of the University of Würzburg.

Click here for an overview of Würzburg's main attractions.

The Julius-Maximilians-University (JMU) Würzburg is one of the oldest universities in Europe and rich in tradition. With 14 Nobel Prize Winners, the JMU belongs to one of the top research institutions in Germany. Here is a short list of the well-known alumni/alumnae and researchers associated with the university:

• Safiye Ali, Turkey’s first female doctor, earned her doctorate in Würzburg, dedicated herself to advancing medical education for women in Turkey
• Alois Alzheimer, German psychiatrist and neuropathologist, who identified Alzheimer's disease
• Jean-Marc Ayrault, Prime Minister of France from 2012 to 2014
• Katja Becker,  a German phyisist and biochemist, serving as the president of the German Research Foundation 
• Ernst Bloch, German Marxist philosopher
• Beatrice Edgell was the first woman to earn a doctorate (“The Limits of Experimentation as a Psychological Method”) at the University of Würzburg. In 1927 Edgell became the first woman in Great Britain to be appointed professor of psychology, and she became, among other things, president of the British Psychological Society (1930).
• Werner Heisenberg, German theoretical physicist, Nobel Prize winner in Physics 1932
• Oswald Külpe, German structural psychologist, founder of the Würzburg School of Psychology
• Klara Oppenheimer, studied medicine in Würzburg, was the first female doctor with her own practice in Würzburg, a teacher and women’s rights activist, died in the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943
• Erika Simon, a German classical archaeologist, held the Chair of Classical Archaeology at the University of Würzburg from 1964 until her retirement. As one of the first women in such a position in Germany, she had a great influence on the careers of many classical archaeologists in the German-speaking countries. Her list of publications shows almost 400 publications up to 2013
• Rudolf Virchow, German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist, known as the "father of modern pathology"
• Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, German physicist and detector of X-rays, Nobel Prize in Physics 1901
• Klaus von Klitzing, German physicist, Nobel Prize winner in Physics 1985
• Max Wertheimer, German psychologist, was one of the founders of Gestalt psychology
• Harald zur Hausen, German virologist, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine 2008

The Department of Psychology at the University of Würzburg was founded in 1896 and is one of the world's oldest academic institutions devoted to the scientific study of human cognition and behavior. Today, the department is endowed with 13 professorships and numerous post-doctoral and doctoral positions. The department has a strong focus on experimental approaches to psychology and offers a rich and diverse research environment.

Click here for an overview of the history of the Department of Psychology in Würzburg, and here for an overview of its current structure and research areas.

Around Würzburg, there are many vineyards and numerous small, ancient villages. Since many of them lie on the Main, they invite you to relax and to walk on the riverside. Veitshöchheim, about 15 kilometers from Würzburg, is home of the Summer Residence of the former prince-bishops of Würzburg. Rothenburg ob der Tauber with its world-famous medieval old town, and the city of Nuremberg are only a 60-minute drive away.