History of the HSWT
The history and the prehistory of the HSWT are characterised by constant growth and, at the same time, by the ever-stronger orientation towards green engineering. From Horticulture to Climate Protection, it has been a long road that has been worthwhile.
The Beginnings Before the Beginning
The oldest part of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, founded in 1971, is the Weihenstephaner Berg. More than 1,000 years ago, monks were already cultivating fruit and horticulture, agriculture, forestry and brewing here, always in harmony with nature. Following this tradition and committed to the principles of sustainability, the HSWT allows the interplay of man, technology and nature to take effect in its practice-oriented degree programmes, its applied research as well as in knowledge transfer and further education, following its motto "Applied Sciences for Life".
The result: a competence in environmental, resource and sustainability topics that hardly any other University of Applied Sciences can offer
Here we trace the emergence and transformation of the University of Applied Sciences at both the Weihenstephan and Triesdorf campuses through the decades.
Starting signal: the seventies
On 1 August 1971, the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences (FHW) was founded - from the School of Horticulture in Weihenstephan and the Schools of Agriculture in Schönbrunn, Triesdorf and Landsberg/Lech.
The courses of study: Horticulture, Landscape Management, Agriculture
Dr. Josef Völk is president of the FHW from 1 August 1972.
The University of Applied Sciences assigned the Technical School of Floral Art.
The Institute for Ornamental Horticulture receives two new greenhouses in Weihenstephan.
The University of Applied Sciences is divided into four departments according to regional aspects:
- Weihenstephan with Horticulture and Landscape Management
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Schönbrunn with Agriculture I and Business Administration
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Landsberg - Agriculture I affiliated to Schönbrunn
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Triesdorf with Agriculture II
In the winter semester of 1972/73, studies in Forestry begin with 12 students. Since no suitable buildings are available by this point, the first semesters are practical. The FHW was Germany's first Applied Sciences University to offer a degree programme in this subject area.
The winter semester 1973/74 sees the opening of the Business Administration and Social Work Departments.
The Landsberg/Lech department is dissolved.
A wooden pavilion is built for the Forestry Department.
With an increase of 100% in first-year students, the FHW is in first place among the universities of applied sciences in Bavaria.
Course III (Youth, Family and Elderly Welfare) is introduced as a new course of study in the field of Social Work.
With the transfer of the disciplines of Business Administration and Social Work to the University of Applied Sciences Landshut on 15 April 1978, the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences belongs exclusively to the Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences study field.
During the year, the University of Applied Sciences is connected to the Leibniz Computing Centre.
Consolidation: the Eighties
The Schönbrunn site will be relocated to Weihenstephan, but Triesdorf will remain.
The State Research Institute for Horticulture is affiliated to the University of Applied Sciences. On 16 October 1981, the University of Applied Sciences celebrated its 10th anniversary.
In the winter semester of 1982/83, the new Biotechnology Specialisation was introduced in the Horticulture Department, which was predicted to have great potential for the future.
Prof. Dr Josef Völk was re-elected president for a third term.
Renovation and expansion work were initiated at the Triesdorf department.
In Weihenstephan and Triesdorf, construction was going on diligently because, with 3118 applicants, the number of those interested in a place at the FHW has multiplied since its foundation. The FHW was so popular that long waiting times were accepted.
The first building sections in Triesdorf were occupied on 15 March 1983.
On 4/5 August 1984, a hailstorm hit Freising. Grand damage occurred to the greenhouses.
Dr Alois Seidl became President of the University of Applied Sciences on 1 October 1985.
In the winter semester, the Livestock and Meat Management focus was introduced in Triesdorf.
Negotiations began to establish a teaching and experimental farm for the Department of Agriculture and Food Economy.
Prof. Dr Josef Völk is awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon for his services to the University of Applied Sciences.
To enable as many students as possible to use microcomputers, a PC laboratory with 13 workstations was set up in 1986.
Prof. Dr. Josef Herz became President of the University of Applied Sciences on 1 October 1989.
On 1 January 1989, the University of Applied Sciences took over the Steigerhof in Zurnhausen as a teaching and experimental farm in the Department of Agriculture and Food Economy.
On 24 July, the new teaching building was inaugurated, and the Löwentor building became the sole property of the University of Applied Sciences.
In Triesdorf, planning began for the new Environmental Engineering course.
Expansion: the Nineties
In March 1990, Biotechnology became a separate department.
The new Agriculture Marketing and Management course was offered for the first time in the winter semester.
From 1990 onwards, the University of Applied Sciences was coordinating an ERASMUS programme.
The first binational tandem course at a Bavarian University of Applied Sciences was held. It took place in cooperation with the Ecole d'Agriculture Byans sur Doubs to learn the foreign language.
The 20th anniversary of the University of Applied Sciences.
The central library of the University of Applied Sciences is the first library in Weihenstephan to have a user PC for book research.
After 20 years, the Munich Trade Supervisory Office closed the pavilion of the Department of Forestry on 30 April 1993 due to excessive pollution.
The former Weihenstephan State Dairy area was transferred to the University of Applied Sciences. Here, the teaching building on Pappelallee was built later.
In Triesdorf, construction and renovation work begins on the classrooms for the Environmental Engineering course in the dairy.
The small Kustermannhalle was transferred from the Weihenstephan State Brewery to the University of Applied Sciences.
The library on Weihenstephaner Berg opened the doors of the new building for the first time, and the cattle barn at the teaching and experimental farm in Zurnhausen was also occupied.
The teaching building for the new Environmental Engineering degree course in Triesdorf was completed and handed over on time
Construction work on the new Biotechnikum was completed. In Triesdorf, the conversion of the former Marsstall, dating from 1762, into a new Canteen with a cafeteria began.
On 14 June, the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences celebrated its 25th anniversary.
In 1997, the MeiLe (New Media in Teaching) support programme provided access to working with multimedia tools.
On 26 June 1998, the first Knowledge and Technology Transfer day took place under the motto "University of Applied Sciences - Business". At the end of November, the second construction phase for the Environmental Engineering course was handed over to the Triesdorf department.
A photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of the main building for research purposes.
On 6 July 1999, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building of the Department of Forestry took place.
Upheavals: the Noughties
With the Bioinformatics and Landscape Construction and Management degree programmes, two new degree programmes were offered.
The Triesdorf Campus introduced the International Master in Agricultural Management for German and foreign specialists and managers.
The Technical University of Munich transferred the Food Technology course to the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences.
Triesdorf introduced the new Bachelor's programme Nutrition und Food Supply Management. It is so well received that lecture hall and seminar containers were set up due to a lack of space.
In cooperation with the Universities of Applied Sciences in Nürtingen and Rapperswil (Switzerland), the International Master of Landscape Architecture (IMLA) course was initiated.
After three years of construction, the new building of the Department of Forestry was inaugurated. It is again a wooden building, but this time free of pollutants.
With the establishment of the Language Centre, the University of Applied Sciences has further expanded the range of foreign languages offered.
The University of Applied Sciences participated in the Straubing Center of Science and the Bavarian Centre of Competence for Renewable Resources.
The winter semester of 2003/04 introduced the new study programme International Master in Informatics for Biotechnology.
The Straubing Center of Science filled the first HSWT professorship in Marketing and Management of Renewable Resources.
Cost-cutting measures hindered the planning of the new teaching building for the Nutrition and Supply Management degree programme in Triesdorf. The students then took the initiative, carried out several sponsoring campaigns and could hand over a cheque for 10,000 euros to State Minister Dr Thomas Goppel.
The city of Freising handed over the old building construction office to the Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics as the new Bioinformatics Centre.
Professor Dipl.-Ing. Hermann Heiler was elected president.
The University of Applied Sciences was represented in the green university centre at the Federal Garden Show in Munich.
The new Food Technology course started in the winter semester of 2005/06.
The University of Applied Sciences emphasised the international cooperation with 63 partner universities in 24 countries.
On 19 June 2006, the foundation stone was laid for the new Straubing Center of Science building.
Bologna reform: In the course of the Bologna process to create a uniform, European study area, the conversion of diploma degree programmes to Bachelor's began.
Triesdorf inaugurated the building for the Nutrition and Food Supply Management degree programme.
The range of courses was expanded with Bioprocess Informatics, Management of Renewable Energies, Foodstuff Management, Technology of Renewable Energies and the Master's course in Regional Management.
The university management decided to rename the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences as the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT). The Triesdorf location, which now has a third of the students, is also to be reflected in the university name.
The first children's university took place in the "Leisure Park in the Hemp Field". In July 2009, pupils learned how grass becomes milk, about the sciences of life and the little temptations of shopping.
The Bachelor's degree course in Water Technology was introduced.
The target agreement for the University of Applied Sciences development until 2013 was signed. The HSWT has committed itself to becoming an ecologically sustainable and resource-saving University of Applied Sciences.
It doesn't get any greener: the Decade
The district of Central Franconia provided the Free State of Bavaria with an area of around 25,500 square metres so that the HSWT could expand.
The 40th anniversary of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf
The Brewing and Beverage Technology degree programme with 74 first-year students was introduced.
The Department of Agriculture introduced the new Bachelor's programme in Agricultural Engineering.
The international Master's programme International Management of Forest Industries started.
The University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf integrated the Federal Research Station of Horticulture Weihenstephan and the Weihenstephan Gardens. That gave rise to the Centre for Research and Continuing Education (ZFW).
The English-language study programme Sustainable Engineering was introduced.
The new Bachelor's programme Renewable Resources started with 43 new students.
HSWT has reached a milestone with the validation of its environmental management system according to the demanding environmental regulations of the European Union.
The Institute for Food Technology at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences presented the world's first 3D food printing process for the food industry.
The study field Organic Agriculture was introduced.
President Prof. Herrmann Heiler retired early.
The University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf inaugurated the new Centre for Natural Science Fundamentals.
The Biomass Institute in Triesdorf opened. In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Ansbach, research on material and energetic use of biomass was conducted here.
Triesdorf introduced the first independent Master's programme of the department of the same name with the degree programme in Environmental Engineering.
Dr Eric Veulliet has become the latest president of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new "Brewing and Beverage Technology" Centre at the Weihenstephan Campus took place.
Students negotiated a climate agreement at the "1st Climate Conference Weihenstephan - CCW 1".
The environmental management system of the HSWT was validated again, according to EMAS.
The Master's degree course in Agricultural Management was introduced.
The HSWT received a "Growtainer" for research and teaching purposes.
Chancellor Johann Schelle retired.
The Competence Centre for Digital Agricultural Science (KoDa) in Triesdorf started operations with two new professorships.
HSWT received funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) for the Food Start-up Incubator.
The Master's programme in Food Quality was introduced.
Dr Karla Sichelschmidt has become the new chancellor.
Great climate: the Twenties
HSWT's food start-up incubator received Hochsprung Award 2020 for start-up support.
The HSWT once again received the "Total E-Quality" award.
Training pact with Africa: Cooperation with universities of applied sciences in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda was expanded.
The Master's programme Climate Change Management was introduced.
The Technology of Renewable Energies degree programme was transferred to the Climate Neutral Energy Systems degree programme, and the Water Technology degree programme to the Water Management Engineering degree programme.
The University of applied sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf celebrates its 50th anniversary. An arboretum of 50 different trees of the world was planted at the Weihenstephan campus to honour the anniversary.
Triesdorf opened an innovation campus. The Competence Centre for Digital Agricultural Economics (KoDA) of the HSWT and the Biomass Institute (BIT) are located there.
The Agribusiness and Organic Food Business programmes resulted from the bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering and Agricultural Management. The HSWT introduced the Master's degree programmes International Farm Management and Advanced Master's in Animal Health Management.
The University Council confirmed the presidency of Dr Eric Veulliet at the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf for another five years.