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Free University Bolzano

Free University Bolzano

About the university

Founded in 1997, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano is an internationally oriented, multilingual university (German, Italian, English and Ladin). It is located in one of the most attractive regions of Europe at the interface between the German-speaking and Italian cultural and economic areas. The trilingualism in teaching and research, a high degree of internationalization as well as an ideal study environment and excellent facilities characterize the university.

About Bressanone and Bolzano

Primary School Alexander Lange in Bolzano

Bressanone

Ruled by prince-bishops for centuries, Bressanone is one of the oldest cities in the Tyrol region and, with 22,572 inhabitants (2019), the third largest city in South Tyrol. Bressanone is located about 40 kilometres northeast of Bolzano and 45 kilometres south of the Brenner Pass at the confluence of the Eisack and Rienz rivers in the Eisack Valley.

There are numerous educational institutions in the municipality of Bressanone, which - as is customary in South Tyrol - are broken down by language group in the area of public primary and secondary education.

There are eleven German-language public primary schools. The two secondary schools "Michael Pacher" and "Oswald von Wolkenstein" also cater for pupils from the surrounding area.

The range of German-language secondary schools is very well developed, with various grammar schools, technical colleges for economics and technology, and vocational schools. For the Italian-speaking group there are two primary schools and the "Alessandro Manzoni" secondary school. Secondary schools include the "Dante Alighieri" grammar school and lyceum, the "Falcone e Borsellino" business college and the "Enrico Mattei" regional vocational school.

The Philosophical-Theological College of Bressanone, founded in 1607 as the Seminary of Bressanone, is the oldest university institution on the territory of the historic county of Tyrol. Due to the outposts of Fu Bozen (Faculty of Education) and the University of Padua, Brixen can also be considered a university town.

Bolzano

The city of Bolzano-Bozen was founded around 15 BC as a Roman military station under the name "Pons Drusi". In the following centuries, the town was invaded by Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Huns, Lombards, Saracens, Normans and Hungarians, as well as by the Count of Tyrol.

Laubengasse, dating from the 12th century, was the first street in Bolzano and is still the heart of the trading town. Outside the city walls was an early Christian church - today's cathedral.

Against the background of Italianisation under the fascist government of Mussolini, the appearance of Bolzano changed radically from 1935 onwards. The city was expanded towards the south by the "Semirurali" districts and an industrial area - previously there had only been vineyards and orchards. In the 1960s, a tourism boom occurred that continues to this day.

According to the last census of 2011, 73.80 % of the inhabitants belong to the Italian, 25.52 % to the German and 0.68 % to the Ladin language group. Due to its multiculturalism, the city is regarded as an important meeting place, especially between the German- and Italian-speaking cultural and economic areas. With over 107,000 inhabitants, Bolzano is the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in the European region of South Tyrol-Tyrol-Trento after Innsbruck and Trento.