Tradition in education and research
Over 100 years of construction training at Campus Haspel
The Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the University of Wuppertal can look back on over 100 years of tradition in the teaching of "construction subjects" on the Haspel campus.
The foundation of the Königlich-Preußische Baugewerkschule
In 1890, the two large cities of Barmen and Elberfeld were at the height of their Wilhelminian development. Thanks to the inventive and entrepreneurial spirit of the people in the Wupper valley, industrial and urban development was booming. A drawing school was established, which was expanded in 1894 to include two construction classes for building tradesmen and in 1897 was incorporated into the newly founded "Königlich-Preußische Baugewerkschule". At the same time as the suspension railway was built in 1900, the building trades school moved into the new building at that time - today's old HD building - at St Paul's Church.
With industrialisation, the need for engineers grew
In a very short time, the forges and grinding mills on the riverbanks were converted into factories and large industrial plants were built in new constructions made of cast iron and steel. These had to withstand the vibrations of the heavy looms, which were now driven by steam engines. The construction demanded completely new technical skills from the civil engineers.
The upturn lays the foundation for joint education
With the rapid growth in prosperity, splendid villa neighbourhoods emerged, which placed new design demands on architectural training. Added to this was the need to expand the infrastructure with the ability to build modern transport routes. Over 100 years ago, the economic upturn in the region laid the foundations for the joint training of civil engineers, architects and transport engineers in Wuppertal.
The emergence of today's campus structure
The school was renamed the "State Construction School" in 1939. After the Second World War, teaching was immediately resumed and in 1958 it was renamed the "State Engineering School for Civil Engineering". At the beginning of the 1960s, the current structure of the Campus Haspel was created with a series of new buildings grouped around a low-rise building in the centre of the campus. These buildings are gradually being replaced by contemporary new buildings - the first new building was completed in 2017: The three-storey building with its distinctive stripes provides space for lecture theatres, a canteen and a large exhibition area and blends in well with the ensemble of listed Haspel houses (planning: kadawittfeldarchitektur).
The founding of the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering
In 1972, the two faculties of Architecture and Civil Engineering were integrated into the Bergische Universität-Gesamthochschule Wuppertal, which became the Bergische Universität Wuppertal in 2003. Since the 2009/10 winter semester, the new degree programme in Transportation Engineering has also been offered there. The Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering was founded in 2015, and the strong specialisation in transport has characterised and distinguished the Wuppertal school over the years.
Shaping the future together
The speciality of the combined training of architects and civil engineers in Wuppertal has been part of the "DNA" of the faculty for over 100 years. The additional training of transport engineers is a logical addition and an important feature of the Wuppertal School. The Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the Campus Haspel has remained true to the unifying founding idea to this day and continues to successfully lead it into the future.
The history of the faculty at a glance
1890 Foundation of a drawing school
1894 Extension by two building trades classes for building tradesmen
1897 Affiliation to the newly founded "Königlich-Preußische Baugewerkschule" (Royal Prussian Building Trade School)
1900 Relocation to the new building trades school at St Paul's Church (today's old HD building)
1939 Renamed "State Building School"
1958 Renamed "State Engineering School for Civil Engineering"
1960 Start of construction and creation of the Campus Haspel
1972 Integration of the two departments of Architecture and Civil Engineering into the Bergische Universität-Gesamthochschule Wuppertal
2003 Transformation into the University of Wuppertal
2009 Offer of the new degree programme in Transportation Engineering
2015 Founding year of the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering
2017 New HC building with cafeteria, lecture theatres, exhibition space
