Increase in the number of professors in Kiel

The number of professors throughout Germany increased by 240% between 1864 and 1931. In the same period in Kiel, the rate was even higher, at 276%. At the beginning, in 1665, only 16 / 19 men could call themselves professors in Kiel - three belonged to the Faculty of Theology, five to the Faculty of Law, two to the Faculty of Medicine and nine to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. During the 18th century, a period of crisis for the CAU caused the number of professors to sink to eleven (1713) / twelve (1701/34), but it quickly rose again after 1773. In 1812 there were 26 salaried professors, and in 1846/47 there were 48 professors and private lecturers in total. As a result of the political events in the Danish state, this number went down to 32 until 1860/61, but more or less made it back up to the 1840’s level around 1875 with 44 professors and private lecturers. In contrast, in 1919 there were 105 professors, and 206 in 1965. Today, over 350 professors work at the CAU.

Author: Oliver Auge

Line chart showing the increase in the number of professors in Kiel from 1665 to 1965