New University (Heidelberg)

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The New University, in the background on the left the foothills of the Königstuhl and on the right in the picture the Gaisberg
The bronze of Pallas Athena by Karl Albiker above the portal, including the epigram Dem Lebendigen Geist by Friedrich Gundolf
Memorial plaque for Jacob Gould Schurman in the New University, donated by the sons of her alma mater at Cornell University , dedicated in friendship to the sons of the alma mater Ruperto Carola .
The long side of the former Jesuit College in Schulgasse delimits the eastern wall of the inner courtyard of the New University

The New University is a listed building complex of the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg's old town , on Universitätsplatz , Grabengasse and Seminarstraße. The three-wing complex is not far from the Old University, which was built between 1712 and 1735 . The main entrance and the new auditorium are located in the wing of the building that delimits Universitätsplatz to the south . The New University was built in two construction phases. In 1930/31 the main building and the west wing were built and in 1934 the south wing. The design and construction plans come from Karl Gruber , who was also the construction manager for the project.

history

The initiator for the construction of the New University was the American Jacob Gould Schurman , former student at Heidelberg University and later Ambassador of the United States of America in Berlin. Schurman started a fundraising campaign to create the lecture hall capacity that was urgently needed in Heidelberg. Schurman was also able to win Walter P. Chrysler and John D. Rockefeller as patrons for the undertaking . In December 1928 Schurmann was able to present the result of his fundraising campaign of more than half a million dollars.

Construction work on the new building began in 1930. The architect Karl Gruber from Gdańsk designed the new university complex as "contemporary and functional architecture, but not in the spirit of modernity ", which realized its architectural visions using the technical, then new, building materials of steel , glass and reinforced concrete .

Building description

Gruber worked with traditional building materials. The building complex of the New University is a plastered masonry building with a hipped roof . The roof and the dormers are covered with shingles made of slate . The basement of the three-winged building complex is clad with grayish, unspatted travertine at a gradual height towards Universitätsplatz, Grabengasse and Seminarstraße .

Broad steps lead from Universitätsplatz via a large forecourt to the south-facing main building of the New University that delimits the square. The entrance portal, steps, forecourt, door reveal and lintel of the portal were also made from unspatted travertine.

There is a passage from Grabengasse to the inner courtyard of the New University. Here, too, the architect chose the grayish, unspatted travertine for the cladding of the wall surfaces, reveals and lintels on the courtyard and street side, as well as for the flooring in the passage area to the courtyard.

Gruber repeated the use of travertine as a structural and visual structuring element on all window reveals, door reveals, lintels, exterior window sills and the surrounding cornices on the facade of the New University.

The bronze sculpture of Pallas Athena above the portal was created by Karl Albiker . With its 14 lecture halls, the New Aula and the Senate Hall , the New University is the largest lecture hall building on the campus in Heidelberg's old town .

The witch tower

The Hexenturm , formerly part of the city ​​fortifications from the 13th century, was incorporated into the architecture of the newly built building complex and connects the building sections that are located at right angles on Grabengasse and Seminarstraße, whereby the medieval tower building with its open staircase connecting the two building complexes has become a link.

Changes during the time of National Socialism

During the time of National Socialism in Germany, the bronze of Pallas Athena above the main entrance of the New University was exchanged for the imperial eagle with a swastika . The inscription "The living spirit", formulated by Friedrich Gundolf , was changed to "The German spirit". A bust of Jacob Gould Schurman, which was placed in his honor in the Neue Aula , was replaced by a bust of Hitler .

The time after the university reopened

After the end of the Second World War , the National Socialist dictatorship and the reopening of the university in the winter semester 1945/46, the bronze of Pallas Athena was put back in its designated place above the main entrance, and the bust of Jacob Gould Schurman was also placed in the New university back.

In the years from 2009 to 2011, the New University was fundamentally modernized, the technical prerequisites for modern teaching were created and with the help of financial support from well-known donors, the inner courtyard was also redesigned.

Organ of the new auditorium

The large organ in the New Aula was built in 1964 by the Weigle organ building company. The instrument initially had 53 stops on three manual works and a pedal. In 2011 the instrument was reorganized and expanded by the organ builder Thomas Jann and the organ building workshop Mühleisen (Leonberg). Today the instrument has 63 stops on three manual works and a pedal, and a further 6 stops in a solo work, which can be freely coupled to all manuals and the pedal.

I Hauptwerk C – g 3
1. Principal 16 ′
2. Principal 08th'
3. Reed flute 08th'
4th Viol 08th' (n)
5. octave 04 ′
6th recorder 04 ′
7th Fifth 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
8th. octave 02 ′ (n)
9. Cornet III 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
10. Mixture V 02 ′
11. Trumpet 08th' (n)
II Swell No. 1 C – g 3
Wind chest A
12. Drone 16 ′
13. Principal 08th'
14th Flood major 08th'
15th octave 04 ′
16. Principal mixture 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
17th Bombard 16 ′

Wind chest B
18th Metal covered 08th'
19th Black viola 08th'
20th Unda Maris (from e 0 ) 08th' (n)
21st Coupling flute 04 ′
22nd Dolce 04 ′ (n)
23. Pointed flute 02 ′
24. Third ninth II 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′
25th octave 01'
26th Zimbel III 01 ⁄ 2 ′
27. Echo trumpet 08th'
28. Clairon 04 ′
Tremulant
III Swell No. 2 C – g 3
Wind chest A
29 viola 16 ′ (n)
30th Horn principal 08th' (n)
31. Flute harmonique 08th' (n)
32. Aeoline 08th' (n)
33. Harp pipe 08th'
34. violin 04 ′ (n)
35. Transverse flute 04 ′ (n)
36. Flat flute 02 ′
37. oboe 08th' (n)

Wind chest B
38. Drone 08th'
39. Principal 04 ′
40. Reed flute 04 ′
41. Nasard 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
42. Duplicate 02 ′
43. third 01 3 ⁄ 5  ′
44. Larigot 01 1 ⁄ 3  ′
45. Sharp IV 02 ⁄ 3 ′
46. Cromorne 08th'
47. Rohrschalmei 04 ′
Tremulant
Pedals C – f 1
48. Resultant 64 ′
49. Stand (Ext. No. 51) 32 ′
50. Theorbo 32 ′
51. Principal bass 16 ′
52. Sub bass 16 ′
53. Viola bass (= No. 29) 16 ′
54. Octave bass 08th'
55. Covered bass (Ext. No. 52) 08th'
56. Gemshorn 08th'
57. Choral bass 04 ′
58. Rauschwerk IV 02 2 ⁄ 3  ′
59. Sordun 32 ′
60. trombone 16 ′
61. Trumpet 08th'
62. Clairon 04 ′
63. Singing Cornett 02 ′
Solo C – g 3
64. Ruprecht Karl Fanfare 16 ′ (n)
64. Ruprecht Karl Fanfare 08th' (n)
64. Ruprecht Karl Fanfare 04 ′ (n)
65. clarinet 16 ′ (n)
65. clarinet 08th' (n)
66. Tubular bells (n)
  • annotation
(n) = new register (2011)

gallery

  • Chestnut and fountain in the inner courtyard View of the Marsiliusplatz and Schulgasse buildings

  • Passage Grabengasse to the terrace of the main building and the inner courtyard

  • View from the Jesuit College on the sculpture and the witch tower in the inner courtyard

  • The Hexenturm connects the historical seminar and the Grabengasse building

  • Connecting path Marsiliusplatz Seminarstraße along the inner courtyard

  • Jesuit College and History Department of the University in the inner courtyard

  • View from the Grabengasse passage to the Hexenturm in the inner courtyard

  • View of the main building on the garden side with the inner courtyard of the university

  • View into Grabengasse with the street front of the New University

  • View from Seminarstraße to the historical seminar

literature

  • State Office for Monument Preservation (publisher): Monument topography Federal Republic of Germany, cultural monuments in Baden-Württemberg, city district of Heidelberg , Thorbecke-Verlag 2013, ISBN 978-3-7995-0426-3

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ How Jacob Gould Schurman donated a new lecture hall building to Ruperto Carola . Press release No. 3/2009 from Heidelberg University, February 9, 2009
  2. ↑ Information about the organ on the website of the organ builder; comprehensive information in the commemorative publication for the organ consecration

Web links

Commons : New University  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 49 ° 24 ′ 37.6 "  N , 8 ° 42 ′ 23.8"  E