What was and is the role of universities? What role do they play in times of crisis, upheaval, and social change? On the occasion of the 550th anniversary of the University of Mainz, the five-day Spring School “Quo vadis universitas? Challenges of University Education from the Middle Ages to the Present” addresses these questions from a historical perspective.   

Drawing on the history of the University of Mainz, bachelor’s and master’s students from all disciplines at JGU and other universities discuss questions in the history of universities, education, and knowledge across different historical periods. Chronologically structured workshops trace the development from the founding of universities in the late Middle Ages through the Reformation, the Jesuit period, and the Thirty Years’ War to the post-1945 reconstruction and current debates on higher education. The program combines workshops with excursions, including visits to the Gutenberg Museum, the Domus Universitatis, the City and University Archives, and historic sites of the Old University of Mainz. Students engage in historical analysis and source-based work while gaining interdisciplinary perspectives and insights into professional practice.