The university, with its Academy of Sciences (founded in 1751 by the Swiss physician and scientist Albrecht von Haller); and the Max Planck Association (for scientific studies) have made the city an intellectual centre; numerous Nobel Prize winners have either studied or taught here. It is also a centre for regional planning studies.

History

In the Middle Ages Göttingen was a textile centre and a member of the Hanseatic League, a federation of trading cities. After its foundation in 1737, the university was rechartered in 1838 as the Academia Georgia Augusta. The Göttinger Hainbund was a school of poets and writers which included Gottfried Bürger, Johann Voss (1751-1826), Ludwig Hölty, Leisewitz (d. 1806), and the Stolberg brothers: Christian (1748-1821) and Friedrich (1750-1819). The Göttingen Seven were seven professors, including Heinrich von Ewald (1803-1875), the Grimm brothers, and Georg Gervinus (1805-1871), who were expelled for political reasons by King Ernst August in 1837.

Features

In the old town there are a number of historic churches, including St Mary's (c. 1300), formerly the church of the Teutonic Knights; and the 14th-century St John's. In front of the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), constructed between 1369 and 1443, stands the Gänseliesel-Brunnen (Goose Lizzie Fountain), which should traditionally be kissed by every new graduate. Since 1981 Göttingen has hosted an International Organ Festival annually in October.