Marburg

I lived in Marburg on the Lahn River from 1973 to 1977, first as a temporary soldier for two years, then during four semesters of preclinical medical studies.

Marburg is economically and culturally influenced by the Philipps-University. "Other cities have a university, Marburg is a university," is the vernacular saying. The Philipps University was founded in 1527 by Landgrave Philipp of Hesse as the first Protestant university. Over the centuries, its scholars led a modest life with a student population rarely exceeding 300. Today, Philipps-Universität has about 18,000 students and 2,000 scientists. The "Alma mater Philippina" has produced many personalities. In addition to nine Nobel Prize winners, there are professors like the chemist Robert Bunsen, the Nobel Prize winner Karl Ziegler, the physicist Ferdinand Braun and the philosophers Wolfgang Abendroth and Hannah Arendt. Of particular importance was Emil von Behring, who received the first Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1901.

The city of Marburg is centrally located in Hesse on the Lahn River and has about 80,000 inhabitants. Marburg was first mentioned in 1139 and was the seat of the Landgraves of Hesse in 1248. The history of Marburg is closely connected with St. Elisabeth of Hungary. After fleeing from the Wartburg, she found refuge in 1227 on the landgrave's estate in Marburg, where she preferred a life of piety and self-giving for the poor and sick.

The old town of Marburg is characterized by student life with over 100 pubs. It extends between the river Lahn and the Gothic castle (1277-1493). Its knight's hall was the venue of the religious dispute between Luther and Zwingli in 1529. The Elisabeth Church (1235-1281) with the grave of St. Elisabeth, the building of the Old University and the Old Assembly Hall are important.