A ''Technische Hochschule'' (, plural: ''Technische Hochschulen'', abbreviated ''TH'') is a type of university focusing on engineering sciences in Germany. Previously, it also existed in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
,
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
(), and
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
(, ). In the 1970s (in Germany) and the 1980s (in the Netherlands), the ''Technische Hochschule'' emerged into the (German) or (Dutch). Since 2009, several German
universities of applied sciences
A ''Fachhochschule'' (; plural ''Fachhochschulen''), abbreviated FH, is a university of applied sciences (UAS), in other words a German tertiary education institution that provides professional education in many applied sciences and applied arts ...
were renamed as .
Terminology
In
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
-language countries, the term ''Hochschule'' is more general than ''Universität'' (plural: ''Universitäten'') and also encompasses universities which do not have the right to confer
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
s and
habilitation
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
s, in contrast to ''Universitäten''. Today, ''Universitäten'' as well as other ''Hochschulen'' call themselves ''Technische Hochschule'' for historical reasons. However, a ''Technische Hochschule'' with the status of a ''Universität'' is regarded as a ''Technische Universität'' despite the name.
History
Since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, higher education institutions in Europe were called a
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
only if a certain classical
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
of subjects encompassing
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
,
medicine
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...
,
law
Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...
and
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
was taught. When
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
sciences became more important in academica due to the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...
, institutions of
tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including univers ...
devoted to these were denied the prestigious denomination "university", and had to use the more general term ''Hochschule'' instead.
It was a major breakthrough, then, when in the first half of the 20th century, some ''Technische Hochschulen'' in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and ''Technische Hogescholen'' in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
were given the right to award the
doctoral degrees, and again later when they were allowed to call themselves universities. This change of status was accompanied by a broader spectrum of academic disciplines and more fundamental research.
While most former ''Technische Hochschulen'' opted to change their name to ''Technische Universität'' to reflect their new status, some of them preferred to maintain their traditional and established names, most notably the
RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen University (), also known as North Rhine-Westphalia Technical University of Aachen, Rhine-Westphalia Technical University of Aachen, Technical University of Aachen, University of Aachen, or ''Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hoch ...
in Germany as well as
ETH Zurich
(colloquially)
, former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule
, image = ETHZ.JPG
, image_size =
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021)
, rector = Günther Dissertori
, president = Joël Mesot
, ac ...
and
EPF Lausanne in Switzerland.
Starting in 2009, several German
universities of applied sciences (''Fachhochschulen'') with a technical focus have changed their names to ''Technische Hochschule''.
In Austria
List of Austrian ''Technische Universitäten'' by location:
In Germany
List of German ''Technische Universitäten'' by location:
List of ''Technische Hochschulen'' (institutions with the status of ''Technische Universität'' not included) by location:
In Switzerland
List of ''Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology'' by location:
In Finland
The concept of a TH exists also in Finland as ''teknillinen korkeakoulu'', which is equivalent to a TH. Examples include
Teknillinen korkeakoulu in Espoo,
Tampereen teknillinen korkeakoulu and
Lappeenrannan teknillinen korkeakoulu. Similarly to German speaking countries, most of them later changed their name to ''teknillinen yliopisto'', which is equivalent to a TU. However,
Teknillinen korkeakoulu retained its old name until it merged with two other universities to form the current
Aalto University
Aalto University ( fi, Aalto-yliopisto; sv, Aalto-universitetet) is a public research university located in Espoo, Finland. It was established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities: the Helsinki University of Technology, the He ...
.
See also
*
TU9
TU9 German Universities of Technology e. V. is the alliance of nine leading Technical Universities in Germany. The current president of TU9 is Wolfram Ressel, rector of the University of Stuttgart.
Overview
TU9 was established in 2003 as an ...
German Institutes of Technology e. V.
*
List of universities in Germany
This is a list of the universities in Germany, of which there are about seventy. The list also includes German ''Technische Universitäten'' (universities of technology), which have official and full university status, but usually focus on engine ...
References
{{Authority control
*
Higher education
Types of university or college
Education in Austria
Higher education in Germany
Education in Switzerland
Education in the Netherlands
Education in Finland