JGU is a young university with an old history. Despite its name, it was not founded in the late Middle Ages, but rather in 1946 on the initiative of the French occupying forces. Yet the tradition of university education in Mainz reaches much further back. Elector Diether von Isenburg founded a university in the city in 1477.

This institution, known as the old University of Mainz and dissolved in 1798 following the annexation of Mainz by France, celebrates its 550th anniversary in 2027. In this project seminar, students will explore various facets of its history, including the lives of students and professors, the curriculum, the university’s legal standing within the city, and its role as a state university within the Electorate of Mainz. The aim of the seminar is to produce a series of podcasts on the old University, which will be released in the anniversary year of 2027 as a new season of the podcast series “Clio auf die Ohren.”