For the 2018 jubilee, Technische Universität München celebrated “150 years – culture of excellence” with a large variety of events and exhibitions, ceremonial acts and parties.
Who knew the Fairy Tale King himself was a tech freak? Infamous Ludwig II. romanticised the good old medieval times and willed his dreams to come true by ordering magnificent castles to be erected in his name at beautiful locations all over Bavaria. Taking a closer look behind the nostalgic scenery, one can detect cutting-edge technology from the 19th century. The enchanting light effects illuminating the Venus Grotto in the Linderhof Palace park, for example, were made possible in 1878 with the help of Bavaria’s very first power plant.
Ludwig II. could count on receiving first-hand expert advice when in Munich, as he himself had founded the “Königlich-bayerische Polytechnische Schule” (Royal Bavarian Polytechnic) in 1868 to promote industry and progress in rural Bavaria. From this precursor, that operated under the name “Königlich Bayerische Technische Hochschule München“ (Royal Bavarian Technical University of Munich) from 1877 onward, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) evolved over a course of 150 years.
TUM is Germany’s second-largest technical university with departments and research sites on four continents, with 14 faculties, 177 degree programmes, more than 10.000 employees and roughly 41.000 students, 27% of which are from abroad. As time and again TUM lands top positions in rankings nationally and internationally, its graduates enjoy worldwide esteem.
For the 2018 jubilee, TUM celebrated “150 years – culture of excellence” with a large variety of events and exhibitions, ceremonial acts and parties. As TUM is the only university in the entire world with its very own brewery, naturally a designated jubilee beer had to be concocted. The JubilaTUM beer was presented for the first time at the official ceremony observing the 150th birthday in the Herkulessaal (Hercules Hall) of the Royal Residence on April 12 to invited guests, amongst them Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Federal President of Germany. From this point onward it was available in the TUM Shop in Munich or at the brewery in Weihenstephan.
Jubilee narratives featured on TUM’s website recount discoveries and inventions from 150 years of TUM. They also reveal how important the university’s contributions are for Bavaria’s status as high-tech hub. With concepts like “TUMentrepreneurship”, the university supports start-ups founded on advanced research and innovative ideas. TUM can look back on a long standing founder tradition featuring illustrious names like Linde, Messerschmitt or Dornier.
The inauguration of the Science Congress Center Munich, located directly at the subway station Garching-Forschungszentrum, marked another jubilee highlight. Its centrepiece is the new Audimax, adaptable to suit various purposes. Accommodating up to 1.400 attendees, it features state-of-the-art conference equipment and a freight elevator to transport large exhibits. Probably one of a kind is the generous glass façade, allowing day light to flood the rooms.
What is more, 13 additional event spaces and a foyer boasting 1.600 square metres are available, not to mention a hotel, a boarding house, shopping opportunities and on-site food services. The conference guests take residence in midst of the campus at TUM, taking in the inspiring atmosphere and relishing student life. And on top of it all, it is very easy to reach: Due north of Munich, the Research Campus Garching is located between the airport and downtown Munich, accessible by subway in 25 minutes.
