The University of Göttingen is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany.
Founded in 1734 by George II, King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, and starting classes in 1737, the Georgia Augusta was conceived to promote the ideals of the Enlightenment. It is the oldest university in the state of Lower Saxony and the largest in student enrollment, which stands at around 31,500.
Home to many noted figures, it represents one of Germany's historic and traditional institutions. As of August 2018, 45 Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with the University of Göttingen as alumni, faculty members or researchers.
The University of Göttingen was previously supported by the German Universities Excellence Initiative, holds memberships to the U15 Group of major German research universities and to the Coimbra Group of major European research universities. Furthermore, the university maintains strong connections with major research institutes based in Göttingen, such as those of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. With approximately 8 million media units, the Göttingen State and University Library ranks among the largest libraries in Germany.
