Founding History of FH Aachen

"We had an open, liberal, democratic university in mind," Prof. Dr. Helmut Strehl, founding Rector of FH Aachen, recalls. Together with Prof. Dr. Hildegard Reitz, second Rector of FH Aachen, he shaped the university during its turbulent start-up phase. FH Aachen is created from a merger of four engineering and technical schools in Aachen and one engineering school in Jülich, and it establishes the Faculty of Economics. After the Fachhochschulerrichtungsgesetz (Law on the Establishment of Universities of Applied Sciences) of 8 July 1971 comes into force, this "rich heiress" embarks on her journey on 1 August 1971. FH Aachen has been founded. The first winter semester starts on 1 September 1971. The newly founded university has 3,151 students.