From 1866 until the end of the German Empire and beyond, the CAU often served as a “starter” university for the careers of professors, or at least as a pure “transit” university. In many cases, individuals received their first full professorship here by the fjord, which acted as a gateway into the Prussian-German university system. After an average stay of 10.3 years, they then moved on to another, larger, more significant university in the Kingdom of Prussia or the rest of Germany. This is clearly reflected in the statistics on the appointment ages. In 1890, the average age of an appointed CAU professor was approx. 33 years. This gradually increased to 41 years of age until 1920. In 1950, it peaked at 44 years in the period investigated. 754 professors provided analysable data for the entire duration from 1890 to 1970. They had an average age of 41.6 years old at the time of their appointment in Kiel, which revealed a dramatic difference to the circumstances in 1890. Over time, the CAU established itself in the German university system which increased the appointment age of its professors. At the same time, of course, its role as simply a starter university decreased, whereas it remained a transit university.

Author: Oliver Auge