History

On 1 October 1991, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt emerged from the two engineering schools founded in 1946 and 1947 in the Thuringian state capital. Many Erfurt residents still associate our institution with the solid reputation of its two predecessors.

Teaching begins in six fields of study:

• Civil Engineering
• Horticulture
• Landscape Architecture
• Supply Engineering
• Architecture
• Social Work

New buildings at Steinplatz 2 and Altonaer Straße 25 create more space.

New departments:

• Business
• Restoration
• Traffic and Transport

Since 1995, the Business Administration Department at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt has been hosting the legendary "Running Dinner", a meal that is spread across the whole of Erfurt. Students and/or lecturers from the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt and the University of Erfurt work together in groups to create a starter, main course or dessert. The other courses are then eaten at another group's place, in another flat. And so nobody has to go straight home after eating so much, an after-show party is scheduled for later in the evening to help with digestion.

The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt goes online with its website www.fh-erfurt.de.

The department of Business Administration and the dean's office of the faculty move into Steinplatz 2.

Open Day becomes a joint venture:
Since 1996, prospective students have been able to obtain information about studying at the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt at the annual "Open Day" - known in German by the acronym "HIT", which stands for "University Information Day". Since 2011, we have been combining forces with the University of Erfurt to offer a joint open day.

Summer, sun and summer party:
From 1996 onwards, the FH has been holding its annual summer party - organized exclusively by students for the past 15 years, dancing and festivities are held on campus every June. Initially planned as an evening-only function, the summer party has since been expanded to include an interesting and entertaining afternoon event with colourful stalls, lots of tasty treats and an outdoor stage.

The FH gets a new logo.

Renovation work on building 4 is completed.

The library and the language centre move into building 2.

The department of Applied Computer Science and the Centre for Professional Development are founded.

Construction of buildings 3 and 5 is completed. The University of Applied Sciences celebrates its tenth birthday with 4000 students.

The Transport and Spatial Planning Institute is founded.

The Master's program in Applied Computer Science is introduced.

After two years of construction, the "Wolfgang Storm Laboratory Hall" opens its doors in 2005 on the site of the former rector's office of the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. Its facilities include two testing halls, a simulation room and a CAD room, which provide more practical experience for the degree courses in Civil Engineering and Traffic and Transport.

The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt named the building in honour of the dedicated engineer, reseacher and former rector, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Wolfgang Storm (28.1.1939 - 6.2.2004), who made a significant contribution to the establishment and development of our university.

The department of Early Childhood Education is established.

In the summer semester of 2006, the student council (StuRa) started a new project for students with children on the outskirts of the Altonaer Straße campus. With the help of the University of Applied Sciences and Student Services, rooms in Lübecker Straße were renovated and furnished for the children's daycare centre "Kinderladen". The idea of the Kinderladen was simple: drop off your children, go to university and look after other students' children at another time. Nowadays, the daycare centre is located directly on campus in building 11. The children are cared for by an experienced team of trained educators.

A new corporate design and the relaunch of the website give the University of Applied Sciences a fresh look.  

Hands-on science for young and old:
Every two years, the "cleverest night of the year" - known as the "Long Night of the Sciences" - takes place in Erfurt. Since 2007, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, together with the City of Erfurt, the University of Erfurt, the HELIOS hospital and numerous other companies and institutions, has been inviting visitors to experience science and academia at first hand. During this evening, academics and experts open the doors to their laboratories, clean rooms, operating theatres, archives, lecture halls and production facilities and allow visitors to take a peek behind the scenes.

In 2008, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt adopted new statutes. As a result, the titles of office, election procedures and terms of office changed - as did the actual structure of the university. By merging former departments, six faculties were created: Architecture; Civil Engineering and Conservation/Restoration; Building Services Engineering and Computer Science; Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Forestry; Applied Social Sciences and Business-Logistics-Transport.

An auditorium for FH Erfurt 

On 6 October 2008, the lecture hall and laboratory building at Altonaer Straße 25 is officially unveiled. The complex comprising buildings 8 and 9 includes the long-awaited auditorium - the so-called Audimax - with around 300 seats and 16 new laboratories with 400 workstations.

With the slogan " Move your campus!", AOK PLUS and the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt organised their first joint Day of Health on the Altonaer Straße campus in May 2010. Teachers, students and university employees took the opportunity to undergo a comprehensive health check and test their own fitness.

In 2011, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt celebrated its 20th anniversary. Instead of a big party, the occasion was honoured with the publication "20 Years - 20 Faces" and a number of celebrations in the individual departments. In the run up to the event, an announcement from the Centre for Student and Academic Affairs was cause for special celebration: the University of Applied Sciences' 10,000th student graduated from her degree.

Renovation work begins on the refectory and building 6.

The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt celebrates a quarter of a century. 25 years of the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt - at that point in time that meant six faculties, 13 fields of study, 16 Bachelor's programs, three cooperative Bachelor's programs, one part-time Bachelor's program, 17 Master's programs, 4,125 students, 384 employees and lecturers.

The new refectory opens its doors. Every day, there are new dishes, a salad bar, a pasta bar and more to ensure you have the perfect break on campus.

The Benary family donates their company library of around 1,000 books and journals, previously privately owned, to the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.
The books and journals on the subjects of botany, landscaping, horticulture and breeding methods were originally acquired by the management as reference works for use by members of the company.
The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt library's extensive collection, which for the most part comprises current media, has been expanded by this donation to include historical literature, some of which is rare and unique.

The library underwent major renovations in 2018 and 2019. A wide variety of work and study spaces were created, shelving areas were expanded and renewed, the media was rearranged, and the technology and services on offer were extensively updated.

The coronavirus pandemic presented both the university and its students with enormous challenges. Thanks to a speedy transition to digital teaching formats and the development of comprehensive hygiene concepts, we managed to keep teaching going.

The University of Applied Sciences Erfurt was founded exactly 30 years ago - and the success story began.
Together with students, university staff, friends and supporters, we are looking back on the past 30 successful years and into the future using the slogan "30 years - working together".