History

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Kempten University of Applied Sciences – a success story

Kempten University of Applied Sciences has become its own district of town. The 53,000m² campus is the focus of around 6,000 students’ lives, alongside 150 professors, 320 lecturers and 290 staff running operations.

It’s hard to imagine the site without the state-of-the-art teaching buildings, laboratories, library and canteen 40 years ago – when the original Higher Technical College started out in 1978 with just a few rented rooms on Bahnhofstrasse and no campus. Back then, just a handful of 82 students took the one course in Business Administration.

However, the HTC grew over the years, as more and more students chose Kempten to study a growing range of subjects. In 1980, the Free State of Bavaria acquired a plot of land with a building containing offices and classrooms on Bahnhofstrasse, albeit not expansive enough to accommodate all. This meant renting premises for management and administration at Immenstädter Str. 69, along with further rooms in 1983 in Building 4P on Kronenstrasse.
An auditorium, laboratory and administration buildings, library and canteen were built on the site on Bahnhofstrasse. In 2004, all the departments finally converged on the current campus.

Kempten University of Applied Sciences has been writing its success story for more than 40 years now!

1969 - 1979

  • 1977    Bavarian State Parliament passes the “Act to Found Kempten Higher Technical College” on 27 June (target capacity of 1,000 students).
  • 1978    Professor Hanns Ott assumes the office of Inaugural President on 1 February.
  • The first cohort of 82 students of Business Administration attend their first lesson in rented premises on Bahnhofstrasse on 2 October.
  • Minister of Culture Hans Maier conducts the grand opening ceremony for Bavaria’s newest Higher Technical College in the Princes’ Hall of the Residence on 4 October.

1980 - 1985

  • 1980 Free State of Bavaria acquires a plot of land (approx. 42,000m²) with a building containing offices and classrooms on Bahnhofstrasse.
  •  First exchange programme agreed with the Institut Supérieur de Gestion Commercial in St. Etienne, France.
  • University management and administration move from Bahnhofstrasse to different temporary premises at 69 Immenstädter Strasse.
  • 1981 “Patrons of FH Kempten” succeeds the “Alpine University Patrons’ Association”.
  • Board of Trustees founded on 27 November.
  • First Business Administration students graduate from the university after eight semesters.
  • 1983 Dr Volker Büchner assumes office of Chancellor on 1 June.
  • The Higher Technical College rents additional rooms in Building 4P on Kronenstrasse.
  • 1984 Minister of Culture Hans Maier lays the foundation stone for new buildings.
  • Students fight for a canteen – several hundred demonstrate on the town’s streets.

1986 - 1990

  • 1988 Founding of Mittelstands-Institut e. V. (1st Aux-Institute of the Higher Technical College)
  • Construction of the Centre for Applied Microelectronics and New Technologies (ZAM) e. V. based in Memmingen (2nd Aux-Institute)
  • 1989 Engineering auditorium / laboratory building completed.
  • 1990 Construction commences on Business auditorium building.

1991 -1995

  • The Higher Technical College expands foreign contacts: Students from Kempten can now study in Northern Ireland, England, France, Hungary or Norway; lecturer exchanges take place with China, Estonia, Hungary and the USA.
  • 1992 Expansion targets raised to add a further 450 students; current total 1,450.
  • The Business Department moves into a new teaching building on Bahnhofstrasse.
  • 1994 Rector Professor Klaus Seidel assumes office.
  • Department founded in Neu-Ulm.
  • Library and canteen move into new shared building.

1996 - 2000

  • 1998 Department in Neu-Ulm becomes independent.
  • Founding of “alumni Cambodunum e. V.”
  • Bavarian Ministry of Finance approves purchase of neighbouring “Kunz high-rise” plot.
  • 1999 Founding of University Council with Wolfgang E. Schultz, Dipl. El. Ing. (from ETH Zurich), appointed first Chair.
  • Entry to multinational university consortium “Lake Constance Arts & Sciences Association” (at the time “International Lake Constance University of Applied Sciences (IBH)”)
  • 2000 ZAM becomes the Memmingen Institute for Applied Research (IAFM e.V.) (2nd affiliated institute)
  • 1st Allgäu University Fair – the combined open day for prospective students and company contacts proves a successful format.
  • Founding of the International Higher Education Institute for Professional Development Lindau/Lake Constance (IHL GmbH), (3rd affiliated institute)
  • The Higher Technical College becomes an “Elite Sports Partner Institution”.

2001 - 2005

  • 2002 Professor Robert F. Schmidt assumes office as the new Rector on 15 March.
  • 2003 Construction of Professional Development Centre in Kempten
  • 25th anniversary – celebrations with local community on 27 June
  • 2004 Opening ceremony for the administration building (Construction Phase IV) and move into Building D; all departments now finally located on the same campus.

2006 - 2010

  • 2006 Professional development programmes are transferred from IHL to Kempten.
  • Expansion of co-operative study options under the new pan-Bavarian “hochschule dual” initiative.
  • 2007 New name from 30 March: Kempten University of Applied Sciences
  • Allgäu Research Centre founded.
  • Student numbers reach 3,200.
  • Kempten is allocated 1,254 extra students in first phase of expansion of Bavarian universities of applied sciences (38,000 students).
  • 2008 Christian Herrmann becomes the new Chancellor on 1 April.
  • 30th anniversary celebration with State Minister Dr Thomas Goppel on 6 June
  • One-off worldwide: European Centre of Competence for Campanology founded on 6 May.
  • Foundation stone ceremony for Construction Phase 5
  • to expand the library and canteen on 10 December
  • 2010 Foundation stone laid for the "Denkfabrik" (Think Tank) on 20 April.
  • Universities of applied sciences in Augsburg, Kempten and Neu-Ulm collaborate on the “Vöhlinschloss HE HUB” in Illertissen.
  • Centre of Competence for Professional Development transformed into Professional School of Business and Technology.

2011 - 2015

  • 2011 From this summer semester, Kempten University of Applied Sciences is divided into the faculties of Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Social and Health Studies, and Tourism.
  • Ceremonial hand-over of the “Denkfabrik” from Sozialbau Kempten GmbH to the university on 1 March
  • Inauguration of Construction Phase V on 5 July
  • Completion of the library and canteen building
  • Kempten University of Applied Sciences participates in Germany’s national “Deutschlandstipendium” bursary programme.
  • 2012 “Family-friendly university audit” certificate earned for arrangements for students and staff.
  • Opening ceremony for Allgäu Technology Network (TNA) Official launch of association of three new technology centres in Allgäu (located in Kempten, Memmingen and Kaufbeuren)
  • 2013 Campus kids storm the university – new childcare facility for university students and staff
  • New “CultShare Club” networks students from all over the world.
  • 2014 Launch of semester-based student public transport tickets
  • 2015 Sensory Laboratory opened for school children – venue for extracurricular experiments and research.
  • Professor and physician Barbara Dockhorn-Dworniczak is elected as the new Chair of University Council this year.

2016 - present

  • In 2016, the Swabian universities of applied sciences in Augsburg, Kempten and Neu-Ulm launch a new regionally based model for online study under the “Digital and Regional” initiative.
  • Bachelor’s degree programme in Systems Engineering launched at Memmingen and Nördlingen.
  • New field of study “Health and Generations” launched under Bavaria’s regionalisation drive.
  • Official opening of the new Centre of Competence for Applied Research in Food and Packaging Technology (KLEVERTEC), attended by State Minister Spaenle and Secretary of State Pschierer.
  • The university hits the milestone of 6,000 students at the start of the winter semester.
  • “Welcome” project launched to help integrate refugees.
  • Construction commences on a new machinery hall to expand laboratory facilities in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.
  • Opening ceremony for HE Hub Memmingen
  • 2017 New strategic focus on “Competence driven by networked diversity”
  • Creation of an innovative new technology network for efficient production engineering.
  • Opening ceremony for the new Institute for Internationalisation (ifi)
  • 2018 3 Olympic gold medals and 1 silver for Kempten students: The Elite Sports Partner University congratulates Johannes Rydzek, Vinenz Geiger and Karl Geiger on their success at the Winter Games in PyeongChang.
  • Kempten University of Applied Sciences celebrates its 40th anniversary with many special events under the banner “Networked Diversity”.
  • Professor Robert F. Schmidt retires – ceremonial handover of office to the new President Professor Wolfgang Hauke in the Princes’ Hall