The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (German: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 by George II, King of Great Britain and Elector of Hanover, it began instruction in 1737 and is recognized as the oldest university in Lower Saxony. Recognized for its historic and traditional significance, the university has affiliations with 47 Nobel Prize winners by its own count.
The University of Göttingen reached its academic peak from the late 19th to early 20th century, establishing itself as a major international center for mathematics and physics. During this period, scholars such as David Hilbert, Felix Klein, Max Born, and Ludwig Prandtl conducted influential research in mathematics, quantum mechanics, and aerodynamics. The university attracted international students, including prominent Americans such as Edward Everett, George Bancroft, John Lothrop Motley, and J. Robert Oppenheimer. This prominence was severely disrupted by the Nazi rise to power in 1933, when the "great purge" resulted in the dismissal or emigration of numerous faculty members, including many of Jewish origin or those opposed to the regime. The university was subsequently reopened under British control in 1945 and began a process of academic reconstruction.
