Read Next
Free University of Berlin
university, Berlin, Germany
Quick Facts
- German:
- Freie Universität Berlin
- Date:
- 1948 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- public education
- Notable Alumni:
- Jonathan Franzen
- Benjamin List
Free University of Berlin, autonomous, state-financed German university. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948, after Berlin was divided, by a group of professors and students who broke away from East Berlin’s Friedrich Wilhelm (now Humboldt) University (founded 1809–10) to seek academic freedom. The Free University was restructured in 1970 and again in 1974. Its governing board includes the government, faculty, and student representatives.